Xanthos-Letoon Historical Site

Address: Xanthos-Letoon archaeological complex, near Kınık and Letoon villages, Fethiye/Kaş district, Muğla Province, Turkey

Website: https://whc.unesco.org

Hours: Daily 8:00am-7:00pm (seasonal; check local signage)

Admission: €3-€6 (site entry fees vary; combined museum ticket may be available)

Xanthos-Letoon is a paired archaeological World Heritage property in southwestern Turkey comprising the ancient city of Xanthos and the sanctuary of Letoon, both key centres of Lycian civilization. The sites preserve civic, funerary and religious remains from the classical, Hellenistic and Roman periods.

At Xanthos visitors encounter city walls, tombs and a Roman-era theatre that illustrate Lycian urban and funerary practices. Letoon provides the remains of temples dedicated to the goddess Leto and associated cult installations, representing the region’s religious architecture and inscriptions.

Xanthos served as a regional capital of ancient Lycia with continuous occupation and monumental building from the first millennium BC through the Roman period; Letoon functioned as its religious sanctuary. Both sites contain inscriptions and architecture that document Lycian institutions and artistic exchange with Greek and Roman cultures.

The sites lie near each other inland from the Mediterranean coast in Muğla Province, southwestern Turkey, set among agricultural plains and low hills and reachable from coastal towns such as Fethiye and Kaş.

• Visiting both sites: The two adjacent archaeological sites are best visited together; trails link the ruins and signage explains major monuments such as the theatre at Xanthos and the temple foundations at Letoon.

What to See#

• Xanthos: Xanthos - the ancient Lycian capital with remains including a citadel, funeral monuments and a Roman theatre illustrating the city’s political and funerary architecture.
• Letoon: Letoon - a nearby sanctuary complex dedicated to Leto, with temple foundations and votive finds that attest to its role as a religious centre in Lycia.

Nearest larger towns are Fethiye and Kaş. From Fethiye or Kaş, hire a car or take local buses to reach the Xanthos archaeological park (approx. 70-120 km depending on origin). Combine visits to both Xanthos and Letoon with a rented vehicle; signage at the sites is limited.

• Bring sturdy shoes; the Xanthos acropolis and Letoon ruins require walking on uneven ancient stones.
• Hire a local guide in Kaş or Fethiye to contextualize Lycian inscriptions and the site's Roman and Lycian layers.
• Visit early morning to avoid midday heat and the tour-bus crowds that arrive from nearby resorts.