Daily Chimera Tour from Manavgat – Eternal Flames of Yanartas & Olympos

Chimaera Flames Day Trip from Manavgat – Yanartas and Olympos

Our daily Chimera tour from Manavgat takes you to one of the most unusual natural sights on the Turkish Riviera: the flames of Yanartas, which have been burning out of the rocky hillside for thousands of years. This guided daily tour combines a gentle uphill walk, time beside the fires and a descent toward the ancient Lycian site of Olympos, with hotel transfers in Manavgat included.

• Yanartas (Chimaera): natural gas vents that keep small fires alight on the mountainside day and night
• Hillside walk: roughly an hour of climbing to the flames at about 350 metres above sea level
• Time at the fires: around an hour to watch, photograph and hear the legends of the place
• Olympos: a descent of about an hour toward the old Lycian city set among pine forest
• Expert guiding: a professional English-speaking guide throughout the daily excursion

Yanartas, whose Turkish name means burning rock, is a cluster of vents where gas seeps through cracks in the stone and ignites. Scientific analysis has shown that the escaping gas is rich in methane, which is why the flames never go out. In antiquity sailors are said to have used the glow as a landmark, and the site was tied to the myth of the Chimaera, the fire-breathing creature slain by the hero Bellerophon on his winged horse Pegasus. Seeing the fires flicker between the rocks is a memorable part of this day tour, especially for families and curious travellers.

Olympos was one of the leading cities of the Lycian League, and its ruins lie scattered along a wooded valley close to the sea. The walking part of the Chimaera visit lasts about three hours in total, so comfortable shoes and water are recommended. Lunch is not included in this Chimaera day trip; entrance fees for the sites in the programme are covered, and transport is in an air-conditioned, non-smoking coach from Manavgat and back.