Fethiye Info

Fethiye, named in honour of a local pilot and war hero in the 1930s, was originally called Anastasiopolis, honouring a Byzantine emperor, and changing again 100 years later to Makri (Meğri in Turkish) after the Greek people were ousted.  

Fethiye is the largest town and centralised resort situated on the Turquoise Coast . The spectacular lagoon and beach of Ölüdeniz is nearby and has easy access to the renowned Lycian ruins of Telmessos .  Fethiye offers something for everyone from sun soaked beaches to its dramatic coast line, caves and mountains.  It has in recent years become a major real estate industry but manages to remain a Turkish market town. Take a climb up to the main Lycian “rock tomb of Amyntas” and take in the amazing views of Fethiye marina and the whole of the bay.   It’s a perfect base to visit the ghost town of Kaya Köyü or Kayakoy , the abandoned Greek Orthodox village, being a short drive away, or to take a boat trip from the harbour to any of the twelve islands in the Gulf of Fethiye (formerly the Gulf of Skopea) to fish and swim in their many secluded coves.

Population

68,000 people live in Fethiye permanently; however the population increases greatly during summer months.

Climate - Weather

Fethiye offers a mediterranean climate with a very dry, hot, and long summer,  temperatures average 34°C (93°F) in the daytime, with winters being cool and wet, daytime temperature average of 16°C (61°F).

High Season

Beginning of  July to end of September.

Famous For

- Oludeniz Lagoon
- The Lycian Way, the 500km footpath through the mountains of the Tekke Peninsula to Antalya
- Patara Ancient Ruins - Kayakoy - the abandoned Greek Orthodox village
- Tomb of Amyntas
- The longest and best beach in Turkey
- Breeding place of Loggerhead Turtles, i.e. Carretta carretta

Things to Do

- Enjoy the Calis , Oludeniz and Kirdak beaches, all conveniently nearby. 
- Paraglide over Oludeniz lagoon to capture its full beauty
- Take a daily boat tour to visit the close by coves and beaches 
- Visit the Fethiye Museum

Places to Visit in Fethiye

Kadyanda

Kadyanda is 24km from Fethiye centre, in a beautiful remote setting. This mountain top city dates back 2500 years and only in the last ten years has been open to the public.

Calis beach

Calis beach gravelly sand beach is 5km north of central Fethiye and is 2km long. It can be very windy there with big waves.

Kaya Koyu or  Kayakoy

Kaya Köyü is the largest late-medieval deserted settlement remaining in Asia Minor.  Abandoned in 1923 by the exiled Greek Orthodox Christians who settled there in the 18th century, and named it Levissi, had a population of over 6000.  It is roughly a two hour walk from Fethiye using the 9km paved road or cobble path that climbs up behind the castle. There are a few accommodation places on the outskirts of the village and slightly beyond.  A dozen or so cafés and simple restaurants are available for meals and drinks.

Af Kule 

Af Kule is the site of a ruined monastery, largely remaining intact but roofless and is1km from Kınalı.

Gemiler

Gemiler beach is 8km southwest of  Kayakoy and is fairly isolated. Amenities are sparse with a few snack places available. There are a few small jetties and sun beds are available. It does offer good snorkelling in the autumn and is popular with kayakers and canoeists.

Aya Nikola 

Aya Nikola ( Gemile Island or Gemiler Island or  St Nicholas Island ), offshore from Gemiler beach is the main destination of the local boat trips.  It is believed to hold the original tomb of St. Nicholas (Santa Claus) and relics and remains from several eras can be found there.

Ocakkoy

Ocakkoy an abandoned Ottoman’s hamlet, climbing up a pass southeast out of Fethiye, once served as a winter quarters for the village of Ovacik.  It has since transformed and the thirty uniquely styled, restored, stone cottages that can be rented there give wonderful views over the plains to Babadag or Baba Mountain, the ancient Mount Antikragos.

Ovacık

Ovacik is a small village made up of mainly small hotels, private houses and villas. There are a few restaurants and bars and it’s much quieter than it neighbouring Hisaronu. The village is set on a small plateau at the foot of Babadag and is favoured by paragliders from all over Europe.

Hisaronu

Hisaronu was originally a very basic village and since 1990 has grown into the main resort that it is today. In 1992, the road through here to  Kayakoy was paved for the first time.  Most of the night life, bars and clubs are situated here and is very popular with British tourists. Consequently most of the establishments have British names, and much of the food on offer is catered to the British palate e.g. steak and chips and priced in pounds sterling!

Oludeniz

10km south of Fethiye, it’s one of the most photographed beaches on the Mediterranean. Click to read more on Oludeniz The  Lycian Way - The  Lycian Way’s long distance trail, approximately 500km, runs from much of the Turquoise Coast, starting at Ölüdeniz, ending at Hisarcandir 20km from Antalya, and is listed in the Sunday Times as one of the top 10 walks. Click to read more on the  Lycian Way

Top Tips

Fethiye has a vast amount of accommodation to meet all tastes and budgets. Vacancies can usually be found even at the height of season.  Divided into two parts, Birinici (first) and Ikinci (second) the quiet neighbourhood of Karagozler has the oldest community of hotels and bed and breakfasts in Fethiye, although the area is a fair distance from the restaurants and bus terminal.  
The bazaar area extends two blocks either side of Carsi Caddesi and can be noisy, even during the night, and there are fewer options here for accommodation. The Dolgu Sahası district offers quieter but more expensive alternatives. 

History

Fethiye sits on the ancient site of the  Lycian city of  Telmessos.   Telmessos was not part of the  Lycian Federation and actually fought against the Lycians in the 4th century BC.  Pericles, a  Lycian hereditary ruler, pacified the Telmessans by allowing them into the Federation.  In 333-4 BC Alexander captured  Telmessos only to lose it shortly after and it was again recaptured by Nearkhos the Cretan.  It is also home to the Tomb of Amyntas, a large and beautiful tomb built in 350 BC by the Lycians.  Fethiye was named after local war hero Fethi Bey, one of the first pilots of the  Ottoman Air Force killed on an early mission in 1930. Prior to that it was called Anastasiopolis, which honoured a Byzantine emperor, and changed again 100 years later to Makri (Meğri in Turkish) after the Greek people were evicted from there.  Due to two major earthquakes in 1857 and 1957 much of the ancient and medieval city was destroyed and the rubble from this can be found under the present quay and shoreline boulevard.

Fethiye Nightlife

Almost all of Fethiye’s bars and drinking establishments will be found in the old bazaar while the clubs and discos are mainly found in the  Hisaronu area. Fethiye is a more traditional authentic Turkish resort. 

Food

The Fish and Produce Market in the central courtyard offers very reasonably priced fresh fish that you can buy and one of  the many meyhanes (restaurants) there will cook it for you (for a small fee) and have on offer a vast range of hot and cold mezes along with drinks. The market here is traffic free and with views of the castle.  There are more expensive restaurants along the sea front and the Çarşı Caddesi has numerous options to suit all pockets and palates. Alternatively, you can check the City Guide Entertainment section to find a restaurant close by.

Price Range

Fethiye offers a good holiday experience for all budgets. 

Getting To Fethiye

Dalaman Airport

Dalaman International Airport has no public transport linking it to local towns and resorts and all transport to and from the airport is by road.  The airport is approximately 58km from Fethiye and transfer by bus takes around one hour. There are Havas buses available but only from the domestic terminal, prices are reasonable especially if you are travelling solo or as a couple. Havaş is the official airport bus for passengers of Turkish Airlines and other domestic flights. Alternatively, the nearest bus station (Otogar) is in Dalaman town, which is a short taxi ride away and there are regular buses into Fethiye from there. 

Fethiye Otogar

It is 2km from the east side of the town centre at the junction of the Oludeniz Road. Dolmus run frequently from here to the popular Karagozler area. From the dolmuş garage, 500m east of the central market area, you can easily get Oludeniz , Gocek , Saklikent Gorge , Calis beach and Kayakoy .

By Sea

During the season take the hydrofoil from Rhodes to the main marina and the regular dolmus boats link Fethiye and Calis from the seafront behind the Belediye.