Fethiye & Ölüdeniz: the back story

About Fethiye & Ölüdeniz: the back story

By the ULTIMATE Istanbul Editorial Team

Editor-in-Chief: Jai Michael

Fethiye sits on a wide bay in ancient Lycia, with rock-cut tombs in the cliffs above the town. Nearby are the turquoise lagoon of Ölüdeniz, paragliders drifting down from Babadağ, the abandoned village of Kayaköy and the start of the Lycian Way.

Fethiye

The town, ancient Telmessos, has a busy harbour where gulets set out on twelve-island cruises, a lively market and, cut into the cliffs above, the temple-fronted Tomb of Amyntas from the 4th century BC.

Ölüdeniz

The lagoon at Ölüdeniz, sheltered behind a sandbar under pine-covered mountains, is one of Türkiye’s most photographed beaches. Paragliders launch from Babadağ high above and land on the beach; the Lycian Way long-distance trail begins nearby.

Come in spring or autumn for walking; in midsummer go early to Ölüdeniz before the crowds.

Kayaköy and beyond

In the hills between Fethiye and Ölüdeniz, Kayaköy is a village of hundreds of roofless stone houses, abandoned in the 1920s, haunting at sunset. Further afield, Saklıkent gorge cuts deep into the mountains.

Our advice: stay in the hills or by the bay rather than on the busiest strip, swim at Ölüdeniz early, and keep an evening for Kayaköy at sunset.

Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change, so please check with Fethiye & Ölüdeniz: the back story before you go.