The Lycian sites.
The Lycians ruled over this beautiful stretch of Turkey’s coast from 200 BC. Fethiye stands on the site of the important Lycian city of Telmessos. There are plenty of monuments scattered throughout Fethiye but the most famous is the rock-cut Tomb of Amyntas in the south of Fethiye. On Kaya Caddesi, as you walk up the hill towards the tomb, you can see Lycian sarcophagi along the way. More Lycian sarcophagi are also by the town hall in the city center.
Oludeniz Blue Lagoon.
Turkey’s most famous beach is 15 kilometers from Fethiye. The crystal clear turquoise water sheltered from the sea by mountains, with its perfect beach surrounded by dense pine forest is impossibly perfect. Thousands of people have been flocking here for years now. Some of Ölüdeniz’s sheen has been shaken off over the past two decades as package tourism arrived on the scene but the lagoon area has not seen the construction development of other tourism hot spots.
If you don’t want to swim or sunbathe in the turquoise waters then the other big activity here is paragliding. Mount Babadag dominates the scenery and paragliders launch themselves off the peak of this mountain throughout the summer months. You can even have a go with a tandem paragliding flight!
Kayakoy.
Up until the 1920’s Kayakoy had a mixed population of Greeks and Turks who had lived happily together for centuries. In 1923 the population exchange changed everything and the Greeks were sent back to live in Greece and any ethnic Turks had to abandon their homes. The results of this are found in Kayakoy. The Eerie abandoned stone village that sits across the hillside has been left to decay since its Greek owners said goodbye. Among the ruins is a Katapongagia church and Taxiarchis church which both still have beautiful interior decoration.
Butterfly Valley (Kelebekler Vadisi). This stunning beach, secreted between two sharp cliffs, is home to the Jersey Tiger Butterfly. One of the joys of Butterfly Valley is that it is unreachable by road. You either have to trek here from Faralya village, high above on the cliff, or take a boat (during summer they leave a couple of times daily) from Ölüdeniz. Great hiking opportunities are in the lush forested gorge behind the beach, though most people are happy to just stretch out on the sand. The Butterfly Valley boat tour offers a full day cruise from Ölüdeniz, visiting Butterfly Valley to relax or hike, as well as anchoring at other coves for swim stops. This is a great opportunity to take in the coastal views of the area. Lunch is included.