Description

FETHIYE
In history Fethiye was known as the "Untouched Virgin of the Lands Lights" and today it is as if all the magnificence of the entire Mediterranean was concentrated in the bay of Fethiye : Its islands ,coves, long sandy beaches, and the entire riches of its history and natural beauty are before yopu to explore .With its excellent seas, highly developed facilities, and entertainment beyond belief, it is a paradise that caters to your possible requirement for remarkable holiday. The most impressive ancients ruins, the best sites for pragliding and water sports, most magnificent bays and beaches come together at Fethiye, along with mouth watering gastronomy.

Fethiye is a traditional market town set around a beautiful natural harbour. It is a large centre for scuba diving. Boats depart from here for day trips around the stunning coastline. The most popular boat trip is the twelve islands boat trip, which is an extremely relaxing way to spend the day, touring the beautiful coves and islands of the Gulf of Fethiye, with breaks for lunch and swimming. Life here continues all year around, and recently, many British nationals have chosen to make this relaxed area their home. There are a number of hotels in the town itself, which mostly attract older couples, who enjoy the traditional lifestyle and also like the fact that it is flat and easy to get around. There is a greater variety of shops in the narrow streets of the bazaar area, Paspatour, offering more competitive prices than those in any of the resorts. This area is also lively in the evening with a multitude of Turkish bars and live music. There is no beach in Fethiye itself although there are hotels which have access to the sea for swimming. Once the site of Telmessos, all that remains from this ancient city, are the Lycian rock tombs which overlook the modern town, a couple of Lycian sarcophagi and a small Roman theatre.

Ölüdeniz

Ölüdeniz is the archetypal picture-postcard beach backed by dramatic pine-clad hills. Literally translated as 'dead sea', the stunning lagoon is a protected area, ensuring that its natural beauty is preserved. There is a small entrance charge to use the lagoon beach and only non-motorised watersports are allowed. The main resort beach is a long stretch of coarse sand and shingle beach known as Belceğiz. Most of the houses, built in the traditional local Muğla style, are set back from the beachfront. There is a strip alongside the seafront promenade with a number of relaxing  bars and  restaurants, serving local and international cuisine. Shops  stay open well into the night. It is a perfect family resort, great for a laid-back beach holiday, with plenty of facilities but not too much development. Boats depart from the bay for trips around the surrounding coast. Paragliding is a big draw with the descent from the Babadağ mountains to land on Belceğiz beach, rating as one of the best in the world. Hisarönü

Fifteen years ago there were only a few houses here but now it is a lively resort in its own right. Due to the planning restrictions and lack of space to expand in Ölüdeniz itself, many holidaymakers now stay in this lively village. It is in a stunning location, surrounded by stunning pine-clad mountains, and hotels are all built in the local style, low rise, mostly with rooms set in villa-style blocks and decorative wooden balconies. The beach of Ölüdeniz is just a short dolmush ride away (approx. 15 minutes), and the town of Fethiye is also very close, approximately the same distance away in the opposite direction. You can, however, easily spend your time in Hisarönü , lazing by the pool, and venturing out at the night to sample international or local fare in one of the many restaurants or visit its lively bars playing music well into the early hours. There are plenty of shops with a wider range on offer than in Ölüdeniz itself.

Ovacık

Just a short distance from Hisarönü, is the newer resort area of Ovacık, which is essentially a collection of hotels and apartment buildings, blending in with the stunning mountain scenery. It is more peaceful than its neighbour, and all facilities are in the centre of Hisarönü just a short walk or dolmuş ride away. Ovacık makes a good base for those who want to walk in the surrounding countryside.

Çalış Beach The nearest beach to Fethiye is Çalış beach, a pebble and coarse sand beach in a beatiful setting, which can be reached by boat or dolmuş from the town center. The seafront promenade with its hotels and restaurants is closed to traffic during the summer, making it safe for children. The resort has expanded around the beach, and has a relaxed feel popular with families and older couples.

Kayaköy

One of the highlights of a stay in this area is a visit to the eerie ghost town of Kayaköy, literally 'stone village'. Once the Greek town of Karmylassos, it was abandoned in the 1920's. It has recently been the subject of renewed interest as it features as the setting for Louis de Bernières novel, 'Birds without Wings' which provides a fascinating insight into life here and the period of dramatic social change which took place in the time leading up to the foundation of the Republic of Turkey. There are around 400 houses here together with churches and other public buildings. It can be visited by dolmush on foot from Hisarönü or even on horse-back.

Göcek

Göcek is popular with yacthing types who come here for its excellent marina. It is a charming resort with a range of sophisticated hotels and upmarket restaurants and boutiques.

Saklıkent Gorge

Known in Turkish as the 'hidden city' Saklıkent is a stunning mountain gorge some 44 kms from Fethiye, a narrow opening stretching an incredible 18 kms into the rockface of Mount Akdağ. A wooden walkway has been constructed above the icy cold waters of the mountain springs of Gökçesu and Ulupınar. If you are feeling particularly brave you can take a dip here, but otherwise the waterside cafes provide a relaxing break and a chance to enjoy the spectacular setting.  

Acccommodation

Set amid pine forests, Ovacik and Hisaronu are two resorts that became popular in the recent years. Ovacik is 6 kilometres from Fethiye and 5 kilometres from Oludeniz and has all creature comforts with newly built resorts and hotels. Because of its location between Oludeniz and Fethiye, it is preferred by those who would like to have a tranquil holiday at a secluded place away from the crowds of the town. Hisaronu is at an intersection on the highway, and is considered as the starting point of the Lycian Road. There are regular minibus services to and from Fethiye.

Activities and Sports

Paragliding Interest in paragliding, being performed by 6 travel agencies from the top of 1975 meters high Mount Babadağ in Fethiye, has been increasing day by day all over the world. Because of its rich and spread thermal points, characteristic of flying ascending after jumping, vegetation diversity in the environs, beautiful scenery of Ölüdeniz (Blue Lagoon), slight slope to the sea and many more reasons like these, Babadağ is a paragliding centre unrivalled in the region.
Scuba Diving Diving tours are being organised by many diving training centres and clubs in Fethiye.
Rafting Rafting and Canoe trips in Eşen and Dalaman brooks are being organised by travel agencies.

Trekking-Safari
Trekking on the 504-kilometre long Lycian Way has become popular in recent years and it is quite an experience. The network of paths connecting Lycian cities during antiquity is known as "Lycian Way". The trekking route starts from Fethiye, and crossing settlements of antiquity such as Faralya, Dodurga, Pinara, Letoon, and Xanthos, leaves the county boundaries to continue in the counties of Ka§ and Kemer connecting several Lycian sites and mountain top villages. The route reaches to Antalya. Trekking is a unique opportunity to learn the rich flora of Fethiye. The jeep safari and quad bike tours to the ruins and natural beauty spots may remain the happiest memories of your holiday.

Climate

Mediterranean climate, which is hot and dry during summers and warm and rainy during winters, is dominant in the region. Temperature, which is approximately 30 degrees during the summer months, is generally over 10 degrees during winter. Sea water temperature never decreases under 16 degrees during each season.

Eating and Entertainment

The staple of the local cuisine, spiced with the herbs and greens of the Aegean and Mediterranean, is fish. Many of the local herb and wild plants of Fethiye and its environs are used in dishes. Some of them are kiyisak, labada (dock), kormen, gavirotu, ebegumeci (mallow), turpotu (wild raddish), gimkisak, nunii, inek memesi, ecibici, devetabani (foalfoot), esek turpu, kayazak (sickle weed) and kokulu ot. These herbs and wild plants are sauteed in cooking oil with onions, and served cold with tomato paste and ground pepper. The Balikpazan (Fish Market) is the place at the centre where you can find most variety in sea food and fishes. You buy your fish or crustaceans from the stalls of the market, and small fish restaurants are happy to prepare them for you in consideration of a small charge. There are fish and grilled meat restaurants in Paspatur Market. The Paspatur Stream, where ducks play their antics under the thick shade of the large trees, makes your time at those restaurants quite enjoyable. Another option is to have an al fresco dinner in one of the restaurants sited along the  beach while enjoying the sunset.

Hisaronu and Oludeniz serve international cuisine as an alternative to the traditional Turkish cuisine. Eating a few gozlemes in small restaurants and stalls lining the roads around Saklikent is also a pleasure. In small and large restaurants of Yakakoy the main speciality is wild trout fried in butter. Moreover, you could catch your own fish from the pond.
The bars and discos situated in the Paspatur Market in the centre of Fethiye present varied options catering to all styles and alternatives. Also you may have a drink or two in one of the bars and restaurants sited along the Calis Beach during the sunset to get rid of the tiredness of the day and get yourself invigorated for the live music performance of the night. You may also enjoy traditional Turkish music performances in a wool tent erected towards the Fethiye end of the beach. Hisaronu is mainly frequented by foreign visitors and has entertainment lasting till sunrise. Belcekiz Beach of Oludeniz is a nice place to sit in the fading light and watch paragliders coming down from Babadag, preparing you for a remarkable evening.

Geography

Fethiye has the atmosphere of an open air museum created by the tombs cut in the steep rock face very high up, and tall sarcophagi with intricately carved reliefs standing above ground. The grave of Amyntas, which is accepted as the symbol of the city, is immediately noticeable on the rock face back drop of the city centre. The grave is believed to have been constructed in memory of King Amyntas who was the ruler of Telmessos. On the southern peak there are ruins of a fortress, which was built by the Knights of St. John's over the foundations of the acropolis of Telmessos. The fortress was renovated by the Knights of Rhodes in the 15th century.

Shopping

The shopping venues in the centre are Balikpazari (Fish market) and Paspatur Market. There you may find any thing you like from hand woven textiles to pieces of art, from clothing items to reasonably priced groceries. The Tuesday Market of Fethiye is a must for shopping enthusiasts. There you can find fresh products as well as gift items, and household goods. Similar markets operate in Gunlukbasi and Gocek on Sundays and in Hisaronii on Mondays. Hisaronu has lots of stalls and shops squeezed between bars and restaurants selling small gift items, carpets, leather goods, and jewellery.