Telmessos: Fethiye is located on the border between Lycia and Caria and in antiquity was known as Telmessos. This very prominent city was dedicated to the god Apollo and was a centre of prophecy. Existing monuments from Hellenistic and the Roman period bear witness to a city life that was rich and highly cultured. Ancient ruins include rock-tombs, Lycian-type sarcophagi, a Roman Theatre and a mediaeval castle.
The magnificent Amyntas’ Tomb is considered by many to be the symbol of Fethiye. Built high on a slope overlooking the bay, the tomb’s façade is in the style of Ionic temple. Amyntas was believed to be either a king or governor of Telmessos during the Hellenistic period.
There are quite a few Lycian-type sarcophagi in the city which have epitaphs in the ancient Lycian script. There is an especially noteworthy and beautiful sarcophagus near the government house bearing relief depicting warriors.
The castle stands on the place where the city was first founded. Its existing walls date from the eleventh century, although portions of walls dating back to the Roman period are still visible. The castle was repaired by the Knights of Rhodes during the 15th Century and was used as a naval base. Ruins of a smaller castle can be found on Sovalye Island.
The Roman Theatre stands opposite the commercial harbour near the centre of town. Typically Roman in style, it was built in the second century on the ruins of a previously built Greek style theatre. The site was excavated by the Fethiye Archaeological Museum in 1993 and the restoration project is under way to renovate the cavea and stage.
The Fethiye Archaeological Museum exhibits numerous archaeological findings from the Lycian, Hellenistic, Roman and Ottoman periods as well as ethnological works of art, typical of the region.
Kaya Köyü: Kaya Köyü is an old Anatolian - Greek settlement 13 kms. from the city centre. It is built on the ruins of the ancient Lycian city Karmylassos and among the approximately 3.500 civilian architectural buildings constructed since the 11th century; there are 2 large churches, 19 chapels, 2 schools, a hospital, a library and many workshops. The village, where people of different cultures lived together in friendship, solideration and peace in the past, was vacated due to a population exchange treaty signed between Turkey and Greece in 1922 after the Lausanne Treaty. At present the Kaya Köyü has an appearance of a “ghost town”.
Kaya Köyü is protected as a prominent sample of the mosaics of the Anatolian cultures. It is re-evaluated within the scope of a project based on a contemporary concept of echo-tourism with the purpose of reviving the exuberance, which transformed into melancholy in the past. The government and civilian institutions are continuing their efforts to complete the restoration and planning operations in the near future to transform the Kaya Köyü as an exemplary centre of friendship, peace, science, culture and art of the world.
Gemiler Bay & St. Nicholas Island: Immediately behind the hills where the Kaya Köyü houses are built, there lies the Gemiler Bay and the Gemiler Island (St.Nicholas Island). On the island, during excavations carried out by the Directorate of the Fethiye Archaeological Museum and a Japanese archaeological team, four churches were unearthed, built in the 4th century in honour of St.Nicholas, the Saint of Mariners. Based on documents found at excavations, it is ascertained that the island was a prominent centre of pilgrimage during early Christianity. On the road to the Gemiler Bay from Kaya Köyü, the Afkule (Yefkulu) Monastery carved into the rocks by a monk during the 19th century is perhaps the most interesting building in the region. The monastery with a splendid view of the Mediterranean bewitches all visitors.
Cadianda: The ancient city of Cadianda whosen Lycian name is Cadavanti, located near Üzümlü Village, about 12 miles to Fethiye. Interesting archaeological ruins to see are the ancient Cyclops Wall, a sports complex, theatre, temple type tombs and Hector’s tomb.
Tlos: Located 28 kilometres from Fethiye. Tlos is one of the oldest residential areas of Lycia and one of the few cities which continued to be inhabited until the 19th Century. It was known as “the sports centre” of the Lycian Federation. Tlos was the home of mythological winged-horse Pegasus and his rider Bellerephon, who crashed to earth after challenging the gods. Bellorophon’s temple tomb is beautifully situated on the cliff face. Other structures remaining from the early period of Tlos include the acropolis, the stadium and bath complex, and the theatre.
Pinara: This was known as the “Beauty Centre” of Lycia. Pinara is on the way to Minare Village and can be reached by taking a side road branching off from the Fethiye-Kas highway.Some of the most interesting structures include the numerous “pigeon hole”simple tombs carved on the slope of the hill, a theatre, and the Temple of Aphrodite.
Xanthos: Xanthos was the political capital of the Lycian Federation and a splendid example of Lycian Civilisation. It stands near the village of Kinik on the Fethiye-Kas highway. Xanthos is commemorated as the place where its inhabitands committed mass suicide to avoid being conquered when the Persians invaded the city in 546 BC. Sir Charles Fellows rediscovered Xanthos in 1838 and carried away many of the beautiful reliefs of the Nereids & Harpy Monument to the British Museum in London.
Letoon: Letoon was the religious centre of Lycia, dedicated to the goddes Leto. It lies 4 kilometres from Xanthos near Kumluova Village. Religious ceremonies were held here by priests of the temples of Leto and of her twins, Artemis and Apollo.
Patara: Patara was the principal port of Lycia, famed for its oracle of Apollo and as the birthplace in the fourth century AD of Saint Nicholas, Bishop of Myra, better known as Santa Claus. Today, however, the area is better known for its 18 Km long huge white sand beach, with pensions, bars and restaurants in the village of Gelemis almost 3 kilometres inland.
Ölüdeniz Lagoon - Belcekız Beach - Kidirak
There is a natural park at each end of the 2 km. long Belcekız Beach. The Ölüdeniz Lagoon, also called Kumburnu, is a natural wonder with pine trees and white sands embrace the turquoise sea. By paying an entrance fee, you can spend your day at Kumburnu Natural Park, take part in water sport activities and can make use of the available facilities.
The Kidirak Natural Park at the other end of Belcekız Beach serves as a camping place for tent tourism.
The Saklikent Canyon is an incomparable natural wonder, at a distance of 50 km. from Fethiye. 300 meters deep and l8 km. long, the canyon acquired the present-day appearance as a result of erosion of rocks by rivers flowing down from mountains for thousands of years. Because the level of water rises during winter months, visitors can enter the canyon only in the summer. If amateur photography is among your hobbies, you can snap splendid shots in the unspoiled panorama of Saklikent and its environs.
Saklikent is a centre of attraction also for geologists and cave researchers. Within the 18 km.-long canyon, you can go as far as 3 km. through water and climbing over rocks. If you should plan to go further and experience an adventurous trekking, you must have professional equipment and suitable clothing necessary for difficult conditions.
28 Km to Yaka Village where the ancient city is located, Yaka Park is a work of art created by natural water sources and nature itself embroidered by the human hand.
As you sip your cold drink at one of the open-air bars in the park, the trout in the canal passing through in the middle of the bar counter seem to joke with you, slipping through your hand playfully. You may wish to stop the time here in this splendid scene that human hand has created in nature with the surrounding pools, original water mill, flowers, trees, and tiny waterfalls among the greens where the summer sun embraces the spring chill.
Pieris Rapae, Euglapia Quadripunctia, Danaus Chtysippus and others... The “Butterfly Valley”, one of the most beautiful bays of Fethiye, is situated on a plain of ten hectares at the foot of a steep and deep valley. In the valley, where all sea-level butterflies of the Mediterranean can be observed all at once like an open-air museum, it is possible to witness the life scope of 30 species of daylight and 40 species of night butterflies for nine to ten months, from springtime onwards.
The Butterfly Valley of Fethiye, and its fauna, is within the same ecological system as the Butterfly Valley at Rhodes. It is altogether another experience to observe the Jersey Tiger butterflies, which draw special interest of nature addicts and fauna-flora researchers, in this heaven located right next to turquoise waters...
The Çalis Beach, which is at a distance of 5 km. from the centre of Fethiye, is one of the prominent regions of accommodation and entertainment. It is opposite the Sövalye Island, which may be deemed as the entrance to the Port of Fethiye. In addition to Municipality buses and dolmus, Çalis Beach can be reached with small dolmus boats by sea, which offer great facilities to holidaymakers. The cool evenings of hot summer days is a privilege of those choosing to spend their holidays at Çalis.
The shoreline of Çalis, which is 6 km. long, is also a significant reproduction area for Caretta-Carettas existing in the Mediterranean for 95 million years. The eggs laid by Carettas into the sandy beach at nights in the months of May through September are continuously watched and protected by volunteers of nature and other organizations concerned.
Discovering the lovely historical bays, coves and islands in the turquoise-blue waters of the Mediterranean is not just a dream. Anyone can enjoy a holiday, sailing by yatch or traditional wooden gulet into beautiful bays known only to local sailors until 40 years ago.
For lovers of the active life, sailing in the clear waters offers great opportunities for swimming, fishing, waterskiing, snorkelling, surfing and scuba-diving.
The Blue Voyage from Fethiye can take you either to the northern Aegean or the eastern Mediterranean.The Marmaris route generally starts in Göcek,exploring the islands and bays that include Tersane Island (Dockyard), Lycian Bay, Cleopatra’s Bath, Ag Limani, Ekincik Bay and Dalyan’s famous Turtle’s Beach. The Antalya route includes the sights of Gemiler Bay, St.Nicholas Island, Ölüdeniz Blue Lagoon, Butterfly Valley, Kalkan, Kas and the sunken ancient city of Kekova.
The Fethiye-Mugla highway branches off to this camping ground at about 15 kilometres from Fethiye, Katranci has numerous picturesque little bays, a sandy beach, and is an ideal place with good facilities for camping.
Günlüklü (Liquid Amber Bay)
This is a camping ground operated by the Directorate of National Parks, famous for its liquid amber trees which are indigenous to the Mugla region.
Kalkan, which was named as Kalamaki by the Greek population during the Ottoman Period, is at a distance of 100 km Kalkan, there is the Kaputaş Canyon, resembling a cracked fault among steep rocks. About 150 meters below this canyon there is the Kaputaş Beach. As you look down the road to this beach, you cannot help but admire the most attractive shades of turquoise blue in the sea.
