Özlen (Pydnai) → Letoon → Xanthos

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Stage 7 is unmissable for anyone interested in ancient history. Both Letoon and Xanthos are UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and they are extraordinary.

Letoon was the sacred sanctuary of Lycia — a religious centre rather than a city, dedicated to the goddess Leto and her children Apollo and Artemis. Three temples stand side by side in a marshy hollow, their columns reflected in pools of water. The site is usually quiet, with only a handful of visitors.

Xanthos was the capital of the Lycian kingdom and fought one of the most dramatic last stands in ancient history — besieged by the Persians, the citizens famously chose collective death over surrender. The acropolis, agora and remarkable inscribed pillar (the longest known Lycian text) reward an hour of exploration.