Hisarçandır: The Lycian Way and Ancient Heritage

Hisarçandır can be considered for your trip in terms of two main focuses: hikes that start or pass through the village, and historical points of interest. The routes differ in length, elevation, and trail character. Cultural sites include ancient settlements, a registered road, and a Yörük cemetery. This can help you decide whether to plan your trip around a particular hike or the historical sites.

The Lycian Way and archaeological sites

The Lycian Way leads from Hisarçandır past the archaeological settlement of Typella toward the archaeological settlement of Trabenna. Another hiking corridor between Sarıçınar and Göynük Gorge runs within the boundaries of Hisarçandır and Beldibi. This corridor includes an ancient road registered as an immovable cultural asset worthy of protection.

Near Gederler in Hisarçandır, the ancient settlement area is registered as a first-degree archaeological site. There is a Yörük cemetery in the Gederler cemetery. The historical sites therefore also differ in type: Typella and Trabenna are archaeological settlements, Gederler is registered as a first-degree site, and the cemetery is a distinct cultural point of interest.

Yayla and Sarıçınar: trail character

The section of the Lycian Way between Sarıçınar and Hisarçandır passes through a yayla settlement with several houses and reaches Hisarçandır via a paved road. At the same time, the trail climbs through a valley toward the summit of Mount Sarıçınar. Both a settlement and a valley ascent are therefore part of the route described. These features add concrete indications of the character of the trail section to the place names.

Hikes between Hisarçandır and Elmayanı

The Hisarçandır–Elmayanı hiking route is considered a one-day hike and covers a total of 14 kilometers. It starts at an elevation of approximately 900 meters above sea level; Elmayanı Yayla is named as its endpoint. From the yayla, the route returns to Hisarçandır via the slopes of Mount İnceeriş. The mountain is listed as being 1,635 meters high. This provides several useful reference points: an approximate starting elevation, a named endpoint, and an elevation figure for the return route.

Another option is the route to Dastaratacağı Chasm. It starts near Elmayanı Yayla in Hisarçandır at an elevation of approximately 1,300 meters, is about 7 kilometers long, and follows forest roads and trails. Its difficulty is rated 2 out of 6. In terms of length, the route is about half as long as the 14-kilometer Hisarçandır–Elmayanı hike. Distance and difficulty rating are different reference points: one describes the length of the route, while the other indicates its rating.

Cedar, juniper, black pine, Turkish pine, oak, and maquis grow along the route to Dastaratacağı Chasm. This vegetation adds another specific aspect of the hike to the information about elevation and trail surface. Check current trail conditions before hiking the Hisarçandır–Elmayanı route.

Road information for your planning

To reach the Hisarçandır–Elmayanı area, the road route goes from Hurma Mahallesi via Altınyaka Road to Hisarçandır. Check current road conditions before setting out. Together with the different route lengths, this information helps you plan your drive and hike as separate parts of your trip.

Discover more destinations: Konakli, Gazipaşa, Tekirova, Serik, Döşemealtı, Kargicak, Gelemiş Köyü, Duacı

For the broader travel overview: Antalya.