Fethiye (Turkey) is a city located in the southwestern part of the country, at the intersection of the Mediterranean and Aegean Seas. The object covers an area of 3 059 km², and its population reaches almost 158 thousand people. Fethiye is 200 km from Antalya, and 125 km from Marmaris. The nearest airport to the city is in Dalaman, 45 km away.
Fethiye was erected by the inhabitants of the ancient Lycian kingdom in the 6th century BC: at that time it was called Telmessos. Due to its geographical location, the object soon turned into one of the main shopping centers of the state. In the 2nd century BC the city came under the control of the Roman Empire, and several centuries later became part of Byzantium. With the arrival of the Ottoman conquerors in these lands, the object became the property of the Turks, who named it by their new name – Makri. Only in 1914 a city with the modern name Fethiye appeared in Turkey, named after the famous Turkish pilot.
It is noteworthy that several centuries in a row the city of Fethiye was decorated with ancient buildings and monuments. But all of them were destroyed during a powerful earthquake in 1957, after which the object had to be rebuilt. Nevertheless, some ancient buildings located in the vicinity managed to partially survive.
Fethiye grew off the coast of a beautiful bay surrounded by mountain slopes dotted with cedars and pine trees. Of course, such a picturesque place could not be missed by foreign tourists. The first travelers to the city as a resort were English travelers, who today make up the bulk of vacationers. But every year Fethiye and Oludeniz discover more and more tourists from other countries. The growing popularity of the resort is associated not only with its pristine natural beauties, but also with the development of tourist infrastructure. And nearby ancient monuments only give one more weighty argument in favor of a holiday in Fethiye.
sights
Among the iconic sites in Fethiye are natural, historical and city attractions. Therefore, every traveler here has a good opportunity to combine a beach holiday with sightseeing walks. And first of all it is worth visiting the following places:
There is one atmospheric place in Fethiye, filled with oriental flavor, but at the same time distinguished by western friendliness. This is the Old Town district with miniature houses running up the mountain slopes, stairs with cats and children playing on the terraces. Quiet and calm streets are literally buried in flowers and greenery. It is here that you can make unique Fethiye photos in Turkey as a souvenir. All lovers of measured relaxation will surely appreciate the cozy cafes and restaurants of the area. There is also a city bazaar where a lot of interesting goods are sold.
Every Tuesday and Friday, a real Turkish bazaar unfolds on the central Fethiye street, which is definitely worth a visit while relaxing at the resort. The market is divided into two parts: in one of them you can buy fresh vegetables, fruits and fish, in the other – clothes, bags and souvenir products. Some products are really cheaper than in other stores, but there are things that are not recommended to be purchased here. For example, fruits and vegetables on the market are inexpensive, and you can try them before you buy.
In the bazaar you will find clothes – copies of modern brands of good quality at reasonable prices. But replicas of wallets and bags to purchase in this market is unprofitable. In addition, the bazaar presents a rich selection of seafood that is prepared on the spot in a matter of minutes. In addition to various types of fish, lobsters, squids, shrimps and octopuses are sold here. By paying 7 TL for preparing one serving, you will receive a beautifully designed dish from the freshest marine life. In general, the Fethiye market can be called another pleasant bonus for relaxing in the city.
The resort of Fethiye in Turkey has a neat miniature promenade that smoothly passes into a picturesque port. Numerous cafes and restaurants stretch on the one side of the embankment, and large and small ships moored on the other side, where you can go on a sea tour. It also offers a tour of the Fethiye Islands for a modest price. In the evening, the promenade is filled with tourists, usually ending their walk in one of the coastal cafes. Most restaurants offer beautiful views of the surrounding landscapes, which are especially nice to contemplate with a glass of local wine.
If you prefer an active holiday to a passive one, then definitely go to the Saklikent canyon, located 44 km southeast of Fethiye. This rather long gorge is conditionally divided into 4 parts. The first section consists of a small bridge, which can be overcome in just 5 minutes. Further, your path will run through the ice river: special ropes are installed along the entire course, holding onto which you can safely overcome obstacles. The third part of the gorge passes mainly on semi-dry clay soil. Well, the last frontier of Saklikent is a combination of steep climbs and descents on the rocks leading to a miniature waterfall.
Having decided to visit this natural attraction while relaxing in Fethiye, do not forget to properly prepare for the tour. First of all, you need to bring comfortable rubber shoes with you. Try to take as few things as possible to facilitate your difficult passage through the canyon. A sealed bag or bag will help you keep valuables from getting wet. It is best to come to the gorge for the opening, because in the daytime a large number of tourists accumulate on the site.
- Address: Aklar Mahallesi, Saklıkent Mevkii, 07960 Kas / Antalya.
- Opening hours: daily from 08:00 to 20:00.
- Admission: 7 TL for adults and 3.5 TL for children.
The famous Lycian trail, stretching along the southwestern coast of Turkey from Antalya to Fethiye, is the longest walking route in the country. On the way of tourists, both bright natural landscapes and ancient architectural monuments await. Even beginners can organize a hike along the trail: after all, special signs are conveniently installed along the entire route. You will find more information about the Lycian Way in our separate article .
High in the mountains surrounding the city of Fethiye in Turkey, lies one ancient landmark built during the time of the Lycian kingdom. Her visit should definitely be included in your vacation at the resort. These are ancient tombs carved in the rocks, in which the tsar’s personages found their last resting place, and ordinary townspeople also know. The Lycians believed that the higher the tomb is located, the faster the souls of the deceased will go to heaven, so they always tried to build tombs in the hills or in the mountains.
It is noteworthy that this monument managed to survive, despite numerous earthquakes. The tombs can be inspected independently, and they acquire a particularly atmospheric appearance in the evening, when the backlight turns on. In addition, it offers beautiful views of Fethiye and the surrounding nature. A visit to the object will allow you to plunge into the centuries-old history, which will definitely diversify your vacation.
- Address: Kesikkapı Mahallesi, 117. Sk. No: 3, 48300 Fethiye, Turkey.
- Opening hours: daily from 09:00 to 20:00.
- Cost of visit: 5 TL.
This is another ancient monument in the vicinity of Fethiye, which will be interesting to visit during your vacation. Tlos was built in the 19th century BC and was part of the Hittite empire. Over the centuries, the city passed from the Lycians to the Romans, from the Byzantines to the Ottomans. Today, only ruins remained from Tlos, but some buildings are well preserved. First of all, this concerns the tomb of Bellerefont – the ancient ruler of the city. Partly survived and the walls of the acropolis, located on a hill.
Fragments of once majestic buildings are scattered throughout the entire site: parts of Roman baths, Byzantine basilicas, ruins of an ancient amphitheater. At the very top of the city is the Bloodthirsty Ali fortress, erected by the Ottomans on the site of the Lycian Citadel. From this point you can enjoy soothing panoramas of orchards, mountain slopes and fields.
- Address: Yaka Mahallesi, Seydikemer, Fethiye 48300, Turkey
- Opening hours: from 09:00 to 20:00 (in winter until 18:00).
- Cost of visit: 5 TL.
Staying on vacation in Fethiye or Oludeniz in Turkey, you can look into one of the most mysterious places in the region – the village of Kayakoy. The village was built on the initiative of the Greek community in the 18th century. It had about 3 thousand houses, several pharmacies, a school and a church worked. However, in 1923, when a change of power took place in Turkey, the inhabitants were forced to leave the village, taking with them only the most necessary things. After that, the looters completely looted the houses, the village was empty and fell into decay. And in 1957, the village was finally destroyed by an earthquake.
Despite the relative youth of the ruins, today the ghost village is of great tourist interest. Walking along the ruined streets, the traveler involuntarily imagines a city once boiling with life, and he has the feeling that the Greeks had just left the walls of the houses. Overgrown buildings and wells remind of the transience of time, and emerald hills – the eternal beauty of nature. This place is not distinguished by great architectural monuments, but carries the special energy of eras, for which the village is worth a visit while on vacation in Fethiye.
- Address: Kayaköy Mahallesi, 48300 Fethiye, Turkey.
- The cost of visiting: 5 TL, but you can also enter for free by going through residential buildings.
Accommodation
There are more than a hundred hotels operating in the Fethiye resort in Turkey, but most of them are like hostels or guesthouses that do not have stars. Nevertheless, some hotels of this category have their own pool and offer a number of additional services. On average, you can rent a room in such a hotel in high season for $ 30-40 per day for two. Some offers include breakfast.
Among the few 3 * hotels, you will find quite comfortable options for about the same money. In them for your stay you will pay from $ 30 to $ 60, while the amount may include breakfast (sometimes dinner). Fethiye has the only three-star hotel operating on an all-inclusive system (Yel Holiday Resort). The cost of checking into a double room in it is $ 69 for two per night.
If you are used to relaxing in high-quality fives, you can find a couple of hotels with the “all inclusive” concept in the resort. Prices in them for a double room in high season start at $ 100 per day and vary between $ 150-200. When booking accommodation, be sure to pay attention to the location of the object: many hotels are several kilometers away from the city center.
The choice of accommodation in the first place should depend on the purpose of your trip to Fethiye. If you are planning a beach holiday with a minimum number of excursions, it makes sense to book a room in a high-quality three or five. Well, in the case when you are going to spend your whole vacation traveling to local and nearby attractions, it is most reasonable to rent a budget option without stars.
Beaches
Fethiye’s photo often features picturesque clean beaches. But how many of them are actually in the resort? Together with the nearby town of Oludeniz, there are at least 5 beaches suitable for a comfortable stay. Fethiye itself is worth a visit to Calis Beach.
The Calis coast stretches over 3 km. This is a calm and comfortable beach, where almost always crowded. The coast is mostly covered with small pebbles, mixed at individual points with sand. The entrance to the water is smooth, sometimes large stones come across at the bottom, but in general, special bathing shoes are not required. Although the beach itself is clean, the sea is unclear due to the constant waves (medium size). Those who prefer clear waters can head to neighboring islands.
In the equipped beach area, everyone can rent deck chairs with umbrellas for the whole day (15 TL per person). There are public showers and changing rooms on the shore. Numerous bars, cafes and shops lined the coast. The beach is located in the center of Fethiye, you can get here either by dolmush (3 TL), or by water taxi (7.5 TL).
While relaxing in Fethiye, you can also visit the beaches of the nearby resort of Oludeniz. They are clean and well maintained, and some of them are part of the conservation area. The coast of Oludeniz attracts with its special picturesqueness: turquoise sea waters, emerald hills, and in some places with white sand. You can find more detailed information on the beaches of Oludeniz in our separate article .
Weather and climate
It is best to plan your holidays in Fethiye from June to September. After all, it was at this time that the resort observed optimal temperature indicators of air and water in the sea. The height of summer falls on the period from July to September, when the thermometer does not fall below 30 ° C. At the same time, you can catch the warmest sea. In October, the air temperature at the resort begins to gradually drop, although the water remains quite comfortable for swimming. If the main purpose of your visit to the city is excursion walks, then it is quite possible to arrange a vacation here in March-May. You can study the detailed weather forecast for Fethiye for months in the table below.
| Month | Average daily temperature | Average night temperature | Sea water temperature | Number of sunny days | Number of rainy days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 12.3 ° C | 5.8 ° C | 17.9 ° C | eighteen | 5 |
| February | 14.6 ° C | 6.8 ° C | 17 ° C | nineteen | 3 |
| March | 17.1 ° C | 8.4 ° C | 16.8 ° C | 23 | 3 |
| April | 21 ° C | 11.3 ° C | 18 ° C | 26 | 2 |
| May | 24.9 ° C | 14.9 ° C | 20.9 ° C | 27 | 3 |
| June | 29.7 ° C | 18.7 ° C | 23.9 ° C | 29th | one |
| July | 33.4 ° C | 22.1 ° C | 26.8 ° C | 31 | 0 |
| August | 33.6 ° C | 22.2 ° C | 28.3 ° C | 31 | one |
| September | 30.3 ° C | 19.7 ° C | 27.3 ° C | 29th | one |
| October | 24.9 ° C | 15.5 ° C | 24.6 ° C | 27 | 2 |
| November | 19.6 ° C | 11.2 ° C | 22 ° C | 25 | 3 |
| December | 14.9 ° C | 7.8 ° C | 19.6 ° C | 22 | 4 |
How to get there
If you decide to go on vacation to Fethiye in Turkey, then the information on how to get to the resort will definitely come in handy. The easiest way to get into the city is from Dalaman Airport, which is located 45 km northwest of Fethiye. In summer, at the height of the tourist season, direct international flights are carried out to this air harbor, but in winter you can only fly here with a transfer in Istanbul. Among Turkish air carriers, Turkish Airlines and Pegasus Airlines operate daily Istanbul-Dalaman flights.
In order to get from Dalaman Airport to Fethiye, you can use either a taxi or public transport. The first option is the most convenient and fast, but such a trip will be more expensive. On average, a taxi to the resort will cost 125 TL. Although if 4 passengers are typed, then this option will not bring any special losses.
Also, tourists get to the Fethiye resort from Dalaman’s air harbor by Havaş bus. The cost of such a trip is 17.5 TL per person, and the journey takes about 1 hour. A detailed schedule of routes can be found on the official website of the company www.havas.net/en/.
Output
Now you know all the necessary information about the city: we figured out which sea in Fethiye, identified the main attractions of the resort, brought practical information. You just have to decide whether this area in Turkey is suitable for your vacation. The indisputable advantages of the city from a tourist point of view are clean beaches, picturesque nature, a small number of vacationers, the presence of remarkable objects.
Among its obvious shortcomings can be called the late opening of the bathing season and the meager selection of 4 and 5 * category hotels operating on an all-inclusive basis. If you already liked the Mediterranean resorts of the country, but would like to get a new unique experience, then a vacation in Fethiye (Turkey) may be a real discovery for you.
