You are nearly in Olympos, just a 20-minute ride down a serpentine route to the tree houses.

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Life in Olympos, one of the 23 ancient Lycian towns, some 100 km from Antalya, is simple.

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And along the mountain river in Olympos that falls into the sea, there are remains of Roman baths from the 5th Century BC.

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From Antalya central bus station there are shuttle buses running to the towns of Phaselis, Kas and Fethiye that will stop by Olympos.

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Visitors who make the effort to reach Olympos are rewarded with a laidback spirit mixed with romantic history that gives it a timeless lotus-eaters quality.

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Remains of their watch towers, temples and fortresses built around the bay still dot the beach, part of the Olympos Natural Park, and can be explored independently or with a guide.

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Olympos still shows evidence of the ancient Lycians.

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Peel off into the mountains for the steep and well-fortified ruins of Termessos, a city founded by indigenous Anatolians, or continue along the coast to the rocky, brilliant blue beach of Olympos, complete with its own ruins that date back to the Lycians.

BBC: An epic ancient ruins road trip