Fethiye Travel Guide: Ölüdeniz, Kayaköy, Boat Trips and the Lycian Way
Dalaman airport transfers, where to stay, the Tomb of Amyntas, Ölüdeniz and Babadağ paragliding, Kayaköy, Saklıkent Gorge, the fish market and the best months.
Fethiye sits on a bay in southeastern Muğla where pine-covered mountains meet the sea. The rock tombs of ancient Telmessos rise directly above the town; a few kilometres away lie the abandoned stone houses of Kayaköy, and beyond that the turquoise lagoon of Ölüdeniz, canyons and a string of Lycian cities. It is the best base on this coast if you want a beach holiday that also includes walking, boat trips and ruins.
Getting to Fethiye
Fethiye has no airport of its own; the nearest is Dalaman (DLM), about an hour and twenty minutes' flight from Istanbul, with many more services in summer and direct charters from Europe.
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From the airport, Havaş and the municipal MUTTAŞ buses run to Fethiye bus station via Göcek according to flight arrivals; the journey takes one hour to an hour and twenty minutes. Taxis and private transfers are the alternatives. Within the area, minibuses (dolmuş) connect the centre with Çalış, Hisarönü, Ovacık and Ölüdeniz. For Saklıkent or the more distant Lycian sites, a rental car makes life much easier.
Where to stay
Fethiye centre and Karagözler for the market, the harbour and the boat trips — everything within walking distance. Çalış for a long beach and famously good sunsets, quieter and family-oriented. Ölüdeniz if you want the lagoon on your doorstep; Hisarönü and Ovacık just above it are livelier and close to Kayaköy. For something remote, Faralya and Kabak Bay — but the roads are narrow and winding and you will need a car.
What to see
The Tomb of Amyntas and ancient Telmessos
Fethiye stands on the site of the Lycian city of Telmessos. Cut into the cliff above the town, the Tomb of Amyntas was carved in the 4th century BC with the façade of a temple — two Ionic columns and a pediment, visible from the streets below. Its inscription names "Amyntas, son of Hermagios". Climb the steps at sunset for the view over the bay.
Ölüdeniz and Babadağ
About 12 km south, Ölüdeniz is known for the still, turquoise lagoon and the beach beside it. Above it rises Babadağ, one of the world's best-known paragliding sites — tandem flights launch from over 1,700 metres and land on the beach. A cable car now runs to the summit for those who prefer to keep both feet on the ground.
Kayaköy
A hillside of several hundred roofless stone houses, empty since the 1923 population exchange between Turkey and Greece. It is a preserved site rather than a ruin field, and walking its lanes and two churches is a quiet, slightly sobering hour. A marked footpath links it to Ölüdeniz over the hill.
Saklıkent Gorge
An 18 km canyon whose walls rise hundreds of metres; the first stretch is walkable on wooden platforms and then through cold, shin-deep water. Bring shoes you can get wet.
Boat trips and the Twelve Islands
Day boats leave Fethiye harbour for the islands scattered across the bay, stopping to swim at several. The Gemiler and Butterfly Valley routes are the other classics — and a gulet cruise from here down the coast is how many people see the Lycian shore.
The Lycian Way
Turkey's first long-distance walking route (roughly 540 km, Fethiye to Antalya) starts just outside town. You do not need to walk all of it: the day sections around Faralya, Kabak and Kayaköy are some of the best on the whole trail.
What to eat
The fish market in the centre works on a simple system: buy your fish from the stalls, and one of the surrounding restaurants cooks it for a set fee with meze and bread. Beyond that, expect Aegean olive-oil dishes, wild greens, and tava-style seafood. Local honey from the pine forests is the thing to take home.
When to go
The sea is warm from late May into October. May–June and September–October are the best combination of swimming weather and walkable temperatures; the Lycian Way is best in spring and autumn, not in the summer heat. July and August are hot and busy. Winter is mild and green, and the trails are lovely, but many coastal businesses close.
Three days around Fethiye
Day 1: The town, the fish market, the Tomb of Amyntas at sunset.
Day 2: A boat trip around the Twelve Islands, or Ölüdeniz and a paraglide from Babadağ.
Day 3: Kayaköy in the morning, Saklıkent Gorge in the afternoon.