Located in the southwestern part of Türkiye, winter in Fethiye is not as harsh as it is in other places. With its steep cliffs that stand as high as 350 meters, the region is not only an attraction centre for those who are looking for sunny beaches but also for adventure seekers who want to climb high and follow the trails of ancient civilizations. So it is not surprising that despite the cold season, Fethiye, located in the foothills of Babadağ (ancient Mount Cragus) is one of the more popular places for adventure-loving tourists.

Ölüdeniz in winter transforms into a turquoise paradise, often framed by dark, looming skies or illuminated by a breathtaking array of colours as the sunset paints the horizon.

Be sure to add a visit to your Türkiye bucket list!

Photos by Hamdi Yaman and Şefik Akkurt

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Stretching from Marmaris in the west and skirting around high mountains to Antalya, the Turquoise Coast is the most dramatic, varied and unspoilt area in Türkiye.

Hemmed in by vertiginous peaks and blanketed with virgin pine forest, the coast is still wild. In places, limestone cliffs rise straight from the waves, creating myriad rocky coves lapped by the clear azure water that gives the region its name.

If you thrive on variety, you’ll enjoy spending a few days touring the Turquoise Coast. There’s plenty to see and do whether you like lazing on the beach, sightseeing from a boat, or exploring ancient buildings.

The Turquoise Coast in four days

Day 1

Morning/Afternoon

Make your way to Dalyan to catch the 10:30am boat departure for a full days’s excursion in the area. (You can take a boat trip organised by the Dalyan Cooperative which departs from the town dock). You’ll take in a river trip, tour the ancient site of Kaunos, spend time on the 7km (4-mile) Iztuzu Beach, visit therapeutic mud baths and have the chance to swim in a freshwater lake.

Evening

Stroll along the traffic-free main street of Dalyan, then dine at a restaurant along the riverbank and spend the night at a traditional pansiyon.

Alternatively, head south to Fethiye from where it’s only a short hop to the places lined up for tomorrow’s activites.

Day 2

Morning

Visit the abandoned medieval settlement of Kayaköy, in the hills above Fethiye, early in the day. Kayaköy was once a thriving Greek village until the population exchange in 1923. The deserted buildings, now resonating only with birdsong, stand on a beautiful hillside overlooking a fertile valley.

When things start to heat up, head to the beach at Ölüdeniz, without doubt, one of the most beautiful settings in Türkiye. If you don’t want to bother with the beach bar food or walking into town for lunch, take a picnic.

Afternoon

After leaving Ölüdeniz, visit the Lycian tombs that are carved into the hillside above Fethiye. The largest, the Amyntas Tomb, is one of the most beautiful along the entire Turquoise Coast, its facade fashioned like that of a Greek temple with carved columns and porticoes.

Later on, stroll along the narrow streets of Fethiyes’ old town (Paspatur) for some top quality shopping before dinner.

Day 3

Morning

Travel south from Fethiye along the D400 to visit the impressive Saklıkent Gorge, an almost surreal landscape of smooth high limestone walls twisting along an 18km (11 miles) path into the heart of the Ak Dağlar mountains, and the ancient cities of Xanthos and Patara, which has a 20km (12-mile) turtle-nesting beach. Eat lunch at the village of Gelemiş, near Patara, where you can try traditional gözleme, a thin bread stuffed with a variety of fillings, made by the Kurdish ladies who run small restaurants here.

Afternoon

Continue to the pretty resort of Kaş, taking in the views along the spectacular coast road, with pine-covered hills on one side and sheer drops down to the turquoise sea on the other. Explore the town centre with its narrow cobbled streets and whitewashed Ottoman houses before having dinner at one of its excellent restaurants.

Day 4

Morning

After breakfast, take a switchback ride along the narrow roads through fragrant pine forests to the small village of Üçağız where you can pick up a boat trip to Kekova Adası. Explore the streets of Simena town and its small fort before eating lunch at one of the small cafes there. Later, the boat takes you out into the bay to view the underwater remains of an ancient city submerged by raising water levels.

Afternoon

Drive to the modern town of Kale (also known as Demre), where you can visit the remains of ancient Myra just north of the town. Return to the town centre to visit the revered tomb of Noel Baba (Santa Claus) in a Byzantine chapel.

There is little to hold you in Myra for the evening, so head east to the coastal town of Kemer, or better still, on to Antalya, about 90 minutes’ drive away, for dinner and accommodation.

The route

Renting a car

For information on renting a car, please read our article below:

Source: AA Guide to the Turkish Coast

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The Turquoise Coast

Türkiye sits at the geographic and cultural crossroads of Europe and Asia. The country’s southwest coast, where the Mediterranean and Aegean seas meet, is known for its exceptional beauty. Nicknamed the Turquoise Coast, the region’s crown jewel is the 62-mile-long Gökova Bay, which once teemed with resident fish and marine life.

Unfortunately, the Mediterranean is the most overfished sea in the world, and threats to Türkiye’s fragile marine ecosystem are acute. In addition to overfishing—both legal and illegal—communities on Türkiye’s shores are facing plastic pollution, unsustainable coastal development and tourism infrastructure, invasive species, and warming seas. The combined force of these various threats has had a profound effect on both marine life and the region’s fishing economy.

In recent decades, local fish populations have been depleted and critical habitats for endangered Mediterranean monk seals and loggerhead turtles have been destroyed.

Due to warming waters, invasive tropical fish – such as the carnivorous lionfish pictured – have entered the Mediterranean via the Suez Canal. These prey on native species and overgraze vegetation, posing an additional threat to the ecosystem. 

According to the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization, the Mediterranean is the world’s most overfished sea, due in part to industrial-scale fishing fleets. Discarded fishing nets (shown here) are also a danger to marine life.

A Marine Enthusiast and Advocate

Zafer Kızılkaya, 53, is the president and founder of Akdeniz Koruma Derniği (the Mediterranean Conservation Society), which he launched in 2012. A civil engineer by training, he grew up in Ankara watching Jacques Cousteau documentaries and became enamored with the sea. Soon after college, he decided to become an underwater photographer and commercial deep-sea diver. He spent several years as a marine researcher and photographer in Indonesia and led expedition teams in the tropical Pacific. On returning to Türkiye, he was shocked at the level of marine degradation in Gökova Bay and committed himself to saving Türkiye’s waters from destruction.

In 2012, he established the country’s first community-managed marine protected area in Gökova Bay.

Working with local fishing communities – whose livelihoods had been affected by the dearth of fish – Kızılkaya and his team established no-take zones around the bay.

They trained locals as marine rangers who could patrol the area and alert the Coast Guard to illegal fishers. 

Thanks to this work, Gökova Bay’s marine ecosystem has made a tremendous comeback. Seagrass is flourishing, fish populations are increasing, and so are the incomes of local fishers.

Gökova Bay has become a model example of the benefits of marine protected areas, and in collaboration with local fishing cooperatives and Turkish authorities, Zafer Kızılkaya has expanded Türkiye’s network of marine protected areas (MPAs) along 310 miles of the Mediterranean coast.

The newly designated areas were approved by the Turkish government in August 2020 and include an expansion of the MPA network by 135 square miles (350 sq. km) of no trawling/no purse seine, and an additional 27 square miles (70 sq. km) of no fishing zones.

Türkiye’s marine ecosystem has been severely degraded by overfishing, illegal fishing, tourism development, and the effects of climate change—and these protected areas help mitigate these challenges.

Zafer Kızılkaya was awarded the prestigious Goldman Environmental Prize 2023.

Sources: https://edition.cnn.com/2023/04/24/world/gallery/goldman-environmental-prize-zafer-kizilkaya-turkey-c2e-spc-intl/index.html

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A turquoise given by a loving hand carries with it happiness and good fortune.” – Arabic proverb

Stretching from Antalya to Marmaris, the Turquoise Coast is the most dramatic, varied and unspoilt area in Turkey.

Hemmed in by stunning mountains and blanketed with pine forests, the coast is still natural and even wild. In places, limestone cliffs rise straight from the waves, creating myriad rocky coves lapped by the clear azure water that gives the region its name.

The Turquoise Coast is a succession of stunning panoramas, glorious beaches, dramatically sited ancient ruins, charming resort towns, coastal villages that remain relatively undisturbed and, inland, some of Turkey’s most beautiful rural spots.

But don’t take our word for it. Have a look at these videos that show the Turquoise Coast in all its glorious beauty. Live the Turquoise!

Did you know?

The name “turquoise” comes from the French “pierre turqueise”, meaning “Turkish stone” because it was first transported to Europe via the Turkish nation.

Ancient yet always at the heart of current fashion – such is the extraordinary quality of the gemstone Turquoise. The brilliant sky-blue stone is one of the most beautiful semi-precious stones and a favourite of all jewellery makers and gemstone aficionados. In fact, it is remarked many a time that no other opaque stone is as stunning and admired.

The powerful and opaque stone of protection is soothing to touch, healing for the eyes as if it is a speck of the azure heaven passed down to earth. The unique hues of blue, or blue-green, attribute to the name ‘Turquoise’.

You can see why they call it the Turquoise Coast!

Source: Jewel of the Nile

This article was first published on 28 July 2021.

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