Local Area

Fethiye

The nearby town of Fethiye lies at the end of Fethiye bay and is a bustling real town with much to offer.

There are an abundance of restaurants, cafes, bars and shopping opportunities.

The old part of town known as "Paspatur" has narrow streets and many small shops selling the traditional wares of carpets, leather, gold, silver and ceramics - not to mention the opportunity to buy a "designer" t-shirt or handbag.

There are three large supermarkets Migros, Gima and Tansaş. A permanent covered market selling fresh fruit, meat and fish. Every Tuesday there is a huge outdoor market selling a wide range of goods.

There are banks, hairdressers, beauty salons, cinemas and excellent medical facilities.

The town has a small amphitheatre, some sarcophagi, rock tombs and the ruins of a castle which dates back to the Crusaders.

There are boats along the waters edge, and a marina with several hundred boat moorings. It is possible to hire a boat for a day trip or join one of the many public day trips by boat around the 12 islands of Fethiye Bay.

Çaliş Beach

The closest beach to our house (15 minutes), this is a shingle strip of beach with a pedestrianised street behind it on which are situated a variety of places to eat and drink. It enjoys views across to Fethiye and Şovalyer Island. Whilst not the prettiest beach it enjoys lovely sunsets, and often seems to have a cooling breeze.

Ölü Deniz

The most famous beach in Turkey, there is a lagoon surrounded by mountains lying within a nature reserve. It's about a 40 minute drive from Üzümlü.

The highest mountain overlooking the bay is called Baba Dağ (Father Mountain) and this is one of the top places in the world to go parascending. It's also possible to do boat trips starting here and going to Gemiler Bay or across to Butterfly valley.

Kaya Köy

This was once a thriving town called Levissi home to a population of Greeks. When the governments of Greece and Turkey ordered a forceable repatriation of their people in the 1920s, the town emptied over night. Some call it a "ghost village" and it is well worth a visit to wander among the abandoned houses, schools and churches and imagine what it must once have been like. In fact, Louis De Bernieres did just that and wrote his book "Birds without Wings" based on this place.

Within an hour

There are so many sights to see, and things to do that I can't do justice to them all. However, well worth a visit are:

• The archaeological sites at Tlos, Xanthos, Letoon, Patara, Pinara, Dalyan (Rock tombs and Caunos)
• The pretty town of Kalkan
• The small sailing town of Göcek
• The 17 kilometre long sandy beach of Patara
• Saklikent Gorge -only discovered in the 1970s this gorge can only be accessed via a small walkway attached to the rock face. Once in the gorge, it is possible to walk up it for some distance but only after wading through ice melt water - very refreshing on a hot day!

Other "must do" experiences include:

• Take a boat trip - it is the only way to really appreciate the beauty of the Turquoise coast
• Have a Turkish bath
• Men seem to enjoy being shaved by one of the many barbers using a cut throat razor
• Join the locals and eat in a Lokanta - a kind of informal eating place serving home cooked style food
• If you have the time, take a 2 day trip to see Ephesus and Pamukkale