ABOUT FETHIYE

The town dates back to Lycian times when it was known as Telmessos. Later known as Anastasiopolis in Byzantine times, then Megri and finally Fethiye this century after Fethi Bey, a local pilot and war hero. He was the first pilot in Turkey and he died when his plane crashed in this area.

Despite being a popular English package tourist centre, Fethiye makes a good base to visit the surrounding sites and beaches.
 

In the town itself is the recently excavated amphitheatre next to the marina and the impressive Lycian rock tombs (Amyntas Tomb) which are floodlit at night. For more culture, visit the town’s small museum which contains some interesting exhibits from nearby archeological sights.

There are some impressive Turkish Baths to experience. There are 4 ‘hamam’ - one in the old town (Traditional Old Turkish Bath), one by the otogar which will take a group booking (Kaya Hamami) and 2 in hotels (Ata Park & Letoonia). It’s a great idea to go for a nice relaxing afternoon.

The town has an excellent Tuesday Market. This is the best place to buy all those cheap fake designer labels and also good for souvenirs, cheap CDs and endless food/fresh fruit sellers. Best just to go for the experience - hundreds of Turkish village folk descend on Fethiye for market day to buy and sell their goods.

Fethiye is the third best area in Turkey for scuba diving. There are several companies operating certificate and daily courses. (Divers Delight and European Dive Centre). The nearest beach in Fethiye is Calis Beach, which can be reached by a short dolmus, bus or boat trip. It’s not a particularly good beach, it does get full of package tourists in high season, but it’s convenient. For a more secluded, peaceful swim, head to one of the secluded bays on the outskirts of the town, Katranci Bay, Günlüklü (Kargi), Aksaz and Boncuklu. These are popular with locals and can be reached by local dolmus.

ÖLÜDENİZ

This is the famous beach and blue lagoon that features on every travel poster of Turkey. The long, sandy beach is really spectacular and it shelters the lagoon from the sea. By the lagoon there’s a national park - it’s an excellent place to swim. Be warned though, in summer, the main stretch of beach is full of sun loungers, umbrellas and hundreds of English package tourists. Opposite the dolmus stop there are lots of daily trip boats waiting to hassle you! Escape them at the swimming Tonoz pool bar. For the price of a drink or a snack (even a cola) you can pass the afternoon spread-eagled on a sunlounger plunging when the mood takes you! It’s open till midnight with poolside cocktails and raves! Another great bar is the legendary Buzz Bar - with cocktail specials (try the ice-cream cocktails). But be warned - if you’re on a tight budget, the tourist restaurants and grocery stores can be a bit expensive because they’re geared towards package tourists. Eat at the pansiyon/hostel to save money.

Paragliding in Ölüdeniz is the best spot for paragliding in Turkey. For a reasonable price you will be whisked off in a jeep for an hour up to the summit of Babadag mountain (1975m). The tandem paragliding will take approximately half an hour back down to the beach (donut forget your camera)! Check out the prices first, but remember cheapest is not always best - go with a reputable company that follows all safety precautions - Focus, Sky sports, Pink Team (book from Fethiye and they can pick you up). Other waterspout options include parascending (from boats on the beach) and pedals (for hire on the lagoon).Around Ölüdeniz The daily boat trips will take you cruising around the nearby bays including Soguksu (Cold Spring Bay),

Gemiler (St Nicholas Island) which has an ancient ruined city on the top of the hill. Here you can walk along the old cobbled market streets - it’s an excellent setting to watch the sunset with a drink or two! The church is dedicated to St Nicholas who was born at Patara, and is immortalised forever as Noel Baba (Santa Claus).

Kaya Köyü (Kaya ghost town) is a deserted ghost town. Until 1923 it was known as Levissi when it was built by and inhabited by Christian Greek Orthodox. They left as a result of the population exchange when all Christian Greeks were forced to move to Greece. The Macedonian Muslims that were sent to Kaya, believed that its previous inhabitants had left a curse on the hillside village and instead built their houses on the surrounding flat land. Now the hillside is still covered with the ghostly ruins of 1500 cottages. There are three churches worth looking at - the Panayia Piryiotissa basilica, the main church, still has murals, mosaic floors and marble altar screens. In the south-west corner of the church precinct is the charnel house piled high with human leg bones - the departing Greeks took the exhumed skulls of their ancestors away with them. Best time to go is late afternoon when it starts to get cooler, and the mass tourists have left - take some drinks and watch the sunset from the top of the hill - it’s an eerie haunting feeling as the sun begins to set. There’s a good restaurant next to the dolmus stop complete with bar-b-q and swimming pool for customers. Dolmuses run direct from Fethiye, or change at Hisaronu (the village before Ölüdeniz). If you are feeling energetic, you can walk along the ancient road that leads from behind the tombs in Fethiye, direct to Kaya (7 km). Or walk from Ölüdeniz, a 3 hour trek along the mountainous coastline (although it makes more sense to walk down from Kaya to Ölüdeniz).

KELEBEK (BUTTERFLY VALLEY)

This valley is named after the hundreds of Jersey Tiger Moths that live in the limestone canyon every summer. From the beach you can climb up the stunning waterfalls of the national park. It’s a tough climb, with only a rope ladder in places, so take care. But the waterfalls definitely make it all worthwhile, especially on a hot summers day. Continue climbing up to the village at the top if you want to stay in one of the pensions there, or back down to the restaurant on the beach which has wooden platforms to sleep on. Remember to check the times of the returning boats, and take some liquid supplies if you are planning to spend the night.

About GÖCEK

The Gulf of Fethiye is thought by many sailors to be second only to the Indian Ocean in terms of the beautiful seascapes it offers. Until a few years ago the only land based option for those wanting to enjoy this magical corner of the world was the characterful, but hardly tranquil, town of Fethiye. However, in recent years a small amount of accommodation has become available in the pretty village of Gocek. Set at the deepest point of the gulf of Fethiye, Gocek nestles at the foot of the pine clad mountains looking out over the '12 islands' of the bay.

With a large natural harbour Gocek has grown up to cater to the needs of yachtmen. One of the pleasures of a visit here is a stroll around the Marina to admire the array of boats of all shapes and sizes moored here. The waterfront is lined with bars and restaurants. Inland life revolves around the pretty market square which is lined with little shops selling antiques and crafts as well as the more usual carpets.
In the daytime it is possible to swim from the small town beach, but you will probably prefer to take a trip to one of the beaches in the local nature reserves or a boat to one of the lovely islands in the bay. Thought this area is called the 12 islands there are, in fact, far more than that and you could easily explore a different one each day of your holiday. On some you will find a simple restaurant, on others fragments of classical or Byzantine ruins, on others nothing but glorious peace and quiet.

If you are tired of exploring the immidiate area Gocek is well sited for other parts of the coast. The bustling port of Fethiye, or the pretty town of Dalyan with its mud baths and the Carian city of Caunos can both be reached in under an hour. A little further afield you could visit the ancient sites of Letoon, Patara and Xanthos, or the spectaculargoge at Saklikent. An overnight trip to Ephesus and Pamukkale is also possible.