24 Hours in Fethiye - the perfect mix of history and modern culture
Taking a stroll around the historical village of Kayaköy, you’ll soon realise this was the best choice to make for your first stop of the day. A difficult decision needs to be made for breakfast. Shall it be home-made gözleme, a Turkish pancake stuffed with savoury items of your choice? Or, what about the traditional Turkish breakfast? Fried eggs served with a huge array of cheeses, olives, jams and enough çay to last you all day. Whatever it is you choose, be sure to take your time in this beautiful village.
Once you have finished your breakfast, it’s time to explore this once highly populated town. Left deserted in 1923 after the Greco-Turkish war, and an earthquake in 1957 that destroyed most of its standing buildings, Kayaköy has plenty of sights to see. Take the White Chapel as an example, located at the top of the village, where you are able to enjoy a 360-degreeview over Kayaköy and some of its surrounding areas. You’ll be able to walk past the old school, abandoned houses (some with original photographs still on the wall) and a few chapels that were used by Christian Greeks.
After taking a short journey, whether it be by taxi, dolmuş or car hire, you will arrive at the top of the steep road heading down towards Ölüdeniz. Once you reach the centre of Ölüdeniz another tough decision needs to made; do you go up the steep, winding road of Babadağ, to watch the paragliders taking off from this spectacular height of 1700 metres. Or do you, take the more relaxed route and find a cafe to sit in whilst watching the paragliders land among the sunbathers. Whichever route you choose, be sure to take your camera to photograph the famous turquoise waters of the Blue Lagoon. Alternatively, you, yourselves can paraglide down the mountain on a sunny day. Be sure to wear suitable shoes, and take extra cash for those ever so important photographs at the end!
A quick trip back to your accommodation may be in need for the evening before heading over to Çalış. Here you can have a quick stroll along the promenade, and perhaps even have a drink in one of the many bars along the seafront, whilst waiting for the sunset to appear. The spectacular colours that light up the sky are truly breath taking, and certainly not one to be missed. Be careful if you spot any small cone shaped ‘’tents’’ made from sticks on the beach; this is a sign that a sea turtle has laid her eggs there. If you’re very lucky you may even spot the sea turtle herself! Continue along the promenade towards Çalış centre, before boarding the water taxi over to Fethiye town. A journey that lasts around 25 minutes, it is sure to bring a smile on everyone’s face. Try and spot the cormorants diving for fish for their dinner!
Once you have arrived in Fethiye there should be enough time to wonder around its old town, take a look at all the stalls selling fresh spices and dried fruit and even some last-minute shopping that needs to be done. Don’t forget to get some Turkish delight for family back home too! With plenty of small back streets to be explored, it’s difficult to lose time here. But don’t fret Fethiye is a town open all year and many of its restaurants (and bars) are open for serving late until the evening. Fethiye has a huge selection of restaurants to choose from; whether you want to try the famous fish market for freshly caught fish and a selection of mezes, or perhaps go out for a more sophisticated evening by the marina to watch the yachts bob up and down on the sea; there is sure to be something for everyone.
Before heading home, a spectacular view over Fethiye needs to be seen (whether it’s during the daytime or night time) and this is the view seen from Aşıklar tepesi. Translating as ‘’lovers hill’’, it is not difficult to see why young lovers used to come here during the evening to gaze over the city below. I recommend going at night time, as the bright lights from all over the surrounding areas can be seen against the night sky, however even in the daytime the scene is beautiful and a definite instagram-worthy shot! Before going up the road to Aşıklar tepesi, you will be sure to pass Fethiye’s amphitheatre or Telmessos Theatre. It is currently under construction, and so no visitors are allowed inside the grounds, however it can still be seen from the road; and brings an excellent historical aspect to this now small bustling city.
