The ancient city of Olympos, which was prominent in Lycian times, is set on the southern side of Mount Tahtalı, surrounded by oleander and laurel bushes. It is in a charming spot set on a 3 mile long beach amidst unspoilt nature, and the ruins include baths, a temple, Roman theatre and necropolis. To the north of Olympos, past the attractive hamlet of Ciralı, high on the hillside is the legendary burning flame of Chimera (Yanartaş), literally ‘burning stone’. Caused by natural gas escaping from the rocks, it is immortalised in the legend of the Lycian hero Bellepheron, mounted on his winged horse, Pegasus, slew the fire-breathing monster the Chimaera. In Byzantine times it was a religious site, and there are remains of a temple here.
