About Fethiye and Oludeniz
Fethiye and Oludeniz are beautiful towns on the Turquoise coast of Turkey with fabulous beaches and world-class paragliding.
Oludeniz near Fethiye is known as one of the best places to paraglide in Turkey (and in the world!). If you’re into adrenaline-pumping activities, then this will be right up your street!
However, if that doesn’t take your fancy, there are many other things to do here.
If you’re looking for a relaxing time, then the town’s marina is great for that! You can eat by the sea or shop in the streets parallel to it. There are also a few beaches in the area if you feel like getting some sun.
This area’s clear, turquoise waters are known as one of Turkey’s most beautiful.
Top things to do in Fethiye and Oludeniz
It seems like this area of the Turquoise Coast of Turkey has a bit of everything for everyone, so let’s dive into the top things to do in Fethiye and Oludeniz!
1. Go paragliding in Oludeniz
Oludeniz is known as one of the top places for paragliding in the world, so you can’t miss an opportunity to try it yourself if you’re already here!
You can paraglide from almost 2000m straight down to 0m at Oludeniz’s beach. And it’s absolutely the best thing to do in Fethiye!
If you want to try it out, you can head to the main street in the town, where you can find the companies that offer paragliding. We did it with Reaction Paragliding which is one of the top paragliding companies in Oludeniz.
You can also book your paragliding in advance online.
For all the adrenaline junkies, you can even ask them to do some tricks while in the air to make your heart pump. It’s so much fun, trust us!
Travel tip: Make sure to book in advance as this is a very popular activity here. And it’s also weather dependent, so you’ll want to do it in the first days of your stay. It’s a very similar process to hot air ballooning in Cappadocia.
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2. Drive the scenic road towards Butterfly Valley viewpoint
The scenic route with ocean views from Oludeniz to Butterfly Valley is a beautiful drive through the foothills of Babadag Mountain. It’s stunning just before the sunset.
We drove this route a couple of times and never got bored. And you can also stop by a few beautiful beaches on the way.
3. Butterfly Valley Viewpoint
After driving the coastal road towards the Butterfly Valley and reaching the viewpoint, check out the view of the valley below.
Even though you can’t climb down to the Butterfly Valley from this viewpoint, the view is pretty impressive, so it’s worth a short stop.
Travel tip: The viewpoint is pretty popular, so it will be crowded for sure. If you want a more peaceful perspective, just drive about 100 meters further, and you’ll find an equally beautiful view, just with fewer people.
Photo tip: At the end of October, the valley was almost constantly in the shadow. We came three times during different times of the day and never caught it entirely in the sun. So keep that in mind if you want great photos of this place.
Essentially the only way to get to the Butterfly Valley is to go there by boat. You can get a tour in Fethiye, and it usually includes some other spots as well.
Book your Butterfly Valley Boat Trip (with lunch)
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4. Ride the cable car from Oludeniz to Babadag mountain
The cable car takes you from Oludeniz to the top of the Babadag mountain, from where you can enjoy a fantastic 360 view of the area.
It is an excellent, newly opened attraction that will just continue getting better with time.
There are a few different so-called levels of the mountain, and you can even grab something to eat or drink while enjoying the scenery.
The cable car takes you to the first stop at 1200 meters and the second at 1700 meters. From there, you can also get even higher with a chair lift. There is also a path that leads even higher from the chair lift and reaches the top of the mountain, but it was not open when we were there.
Babadag Mountain is also a perfect place to observe paragliders (as they take off from the top of Babadag Mountain).
Even if you might not want to try it yourself, watching them jump and fill the sky is also a fantastic experience.
Price: about $9 for a round ticket per person
Opening time: 7 am-8 pm every day (some stops may close sooner)
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5. Enjoy the beaches of Fethiye and Oludeniz.
Fethiye and Oludeniz have some fantastic beaches (both sandy and pebble ones) with beautiful turquoise water. We couldn’t believe that this color was genuine.
Some of the most famous beaches around Fethiye are:
- Oludeniz/Blue Lagoon
- Belcekiz beach
- Kelebekler Vadisi/Butterfly Valley (accesible by boat)
- Kabak beach
- Kidrak beach
- Calis beach
We chose the small Kidrak beach as it looked terrific while we were driving around, and it had the least people at that time. All others are excellent choices as well.
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6. Shopping in Oludeniz
Like many other coastal towns, Oludeniz also has many shops that sell clothes, souvenirs, and Turkish coffee.
It’s also famous for many fake brand shops with great prices and quality.
Oludeniz is also where you can arrange most of your activities and tours, as many companies have offices here. They’re all located on the main road leading towards the beach.
Also, make sure to go for a drink or food on the street in front of the beach. There you can enjoy the view of paragliders landing right next to you.
7. Explore the ruins of the Kayakoy abandoned village
If you’re looking for something fun to do outside of Fethiye, a great option is to make a trip to the Kayakoy abandoned village.
This village is about a 15-minute drive from Fethiye, and it’s a great place to explore.
The village was abandoned in the 1920s, and it’s now a popular tourist destination. It offers some great photo opportunities, so make sure you have your camera ready!
Travel tip: There is some kind of an opening time, but you can more or less ignore it as you can enter the village whenever you want.
8. Hike through the Saklikent Gorge
The Saklikent Gorge, meaning a hidden city, is an 18 kilometer long and 300-meter high canyon. It’s one of the deepest canyons in the world!
Even though it’s 18 km long, only around 4 km is walkable.
The first part of the path (very short) is on a wooden boardwalk, and in the second part, you walk through ankle-deep water. Although the water can get up to knee-deep, depending on the season you visit.
The gorge is about a 45-minute drive from Fethiye, and it’s well worth the trip. The scenery is absolutely stunning, so don’t miss out on this unique attraction!
Travel tip: Even though you can rent out their rubber shoes, we suggest taking your own. Maybe take something you don’t feel that much sorry for, or that can survive walking through water and clay/mud.
Price: around $1 per person
Book your Saklikent and Tlos Ruins Day Trip
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9. Check out the Lycian Tombs of Fethiye
A short visit to the Lycian Tombs (also called Amyntas tomb) right inside Fethiye is a great way to explore ancient ruins.
The Lycian Tombs were built in the 4th century BC, and they provide a great example of Lycian architecture. Plus, you can see a beautiful view of the marina from the top.
The tombs are carved into a rock and look impressive, but unfortunately, they are not really well maintained. There is graffiti all over them and all kinds of carvings which is so sad to see.
Price: around $1 per person
Travel tip: You can see it pretty well from the street, too, if you don’t want to climb up (it only takes a few minutes, though).
10. Hike a part of The Lycian way
The Lycian Way is a marked long-distance trail that stretches from Fethiye all the way to Antalya.
Altogether it’s around 500 kilometers in length. The trail follows the coast of ancient Lycia and offers some of the most amazing views.
Of course, you don’t need to hike the whole trail (unless that’s what you’re in Fethiye for), but you can walk a small part in each of the coastal cities on the route. We’d definitely recommend it if you like chasing amazing views.
Travel tip: Be on the trail above Oludeniz for sunset, and you’ll see the sun setting down directly into the ocean.
Unfortunately, we came on the trail too late and didn’t manage to get to any good viewpoints before the sun came down, so we had to turn back.
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11. Day trip to Pamukkale
Pamukkale is a fascinating natural wonder in Turkey and is easily reachable from Fethiye or Oludeniz.
You can make a day trip there by car or go on a tour, and it should take you around 4 hours to get to Pamukkale from Fethiye.
You can explore its incredible white travertines and hot springs, as well as bathe in the pools or stroll around the ancient city of Hierapolis.
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12. Day trip to Patara, the longest beach in Turkey
Patara beach is the longest beach in Turkey, and it’s surprisingly still not built out, but what makes it so unique are the sand dunes at one part, plus the ancient Patara city nearby.
And not just that, this is also one of the last few beaches in the world where endangered Caretta sea turtles still lay eggs. That’s why this area is also a protected National Park.
The Patara beach is about a 1-hour drive from Fethiye.
Make sure you plan for at least 4 hours at the beach so you have enough time to enjoy it. Unfortunately, we only made a short stop as we arrived very late.
Time to see turtles: between May to October
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13. Admire the Lycian Rock Tombs of Tlos
Tlos Ruins are one of the less-visited in the area, so they’re perfect for avoiding crowds and still seeing some beautiful ruins.
The tombs are located on a hill overlooking the village of Tlos. The Lycians built the tombs in the 4th century BC, and they’re a fascinating example of Lycian architecture.
Make sure you plan for at least half an hour to an hour at the tombs so that you can explore them properly!
The drive from Fethiye to the Rock Tombs of Tlos takes about 35 minutes and is a scenic one, and you can see some great views of the countryside.
Price: about $1.5
Opening hours: 09:00-20:00
Book your Saklikent and Tlos Ruins Day Trip
RECOMMENDED TOURS
14. Take a cruise from the Fethiye harbor
The harbor in Fethiye is a starting point for a few cruises of the area. Here are a few different tours that you could take from there:
- A cruise featuring stops at Butterfly Valley and Yali Beach
- A full-day boat excursion
- A Turkish lunch cruise to sample some delicious local food
Book your Bays Cruise from Fethiye
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How many days should I spend in Fethiye?
Fethiye and Oludeniz are our favorite places on the Turkish coast, as there’s quite a lot to do there.
We’d suggest at least two up to 4 full days in Fethiye and Oludeniz, depending on your interests.
More things to do in Fethiye and Oludeniz:
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Where to stay in Fethiye
Fethiye has a lot of different accommodations to offer, so if you’re interested in staying in a resort, you can do that, but if you would like to save money (and maybe have a car), then an apartment would be a good choice.
Booking accommodation a bit out of town will get you a better deal, and you will still be able to reach anything very fast, as it’s not a big area at all.
Book your stay: Fethiye & Oludeniz top-rated Hotels
We stayed in F48 Apartments, which wasn’t really close to the town center or the beach, but it was very well equipped with everything we needed.
How to get to Fethiye
There are two ways of getting to Fethiye and Oludeniz by air – one is via Antalya Airport (AYT), and the other is via Dalaman Airport (DLM).
There are buses from both Antalya and Dalaman that go to Fethiye.
You can also rent a car in either Izmir or Antalya and then drive yourself to Fethiye. It should take around 3 hours to drive from Antalya and about 4-5 from Izmir.
Book your Transfer from Antalya.
Book your Bus to Fethiye.
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