Villa Kalecik

Villa Kalecik is located in a quiet neighbourhood of Fethiye. Fethiye is a buzzy tourist hotspot where many leave on gulet cruises having meandered through the bustling markets. Much of Fethiye is modern, thanks to the post-earthquake build, but the Old Town is the charming place to explore the narrow, cobbled streets brimming with whitewashed mosques, restaurants, cafes and gift shops. The fantastic fish market is a great experience where you can choose and buy your fish and have it cooked at one the surrounding restaurants. You won’t get much fresher than the sea bass, sea bream and octopus on offer here! You can enjoy some local wine and meze while you wait for them to cook it. There are plenty of stops for sweet, strong Turkish coffee. On Tuesdays, there is a fabulous market selling souvenirs. You are fully expected to barter for the carpets, ceramics, jewellery and clothes. You can enjoy delicious cocktails and house music in some of the bars as well as local raki and bellydancing. The pretty marina is perfect for an evening stroll. Fethiye has some wonderful Turkish baths. You can visit many for a cheerful, authentic scrub and massage. Many hotels will let you use their facilities.
 
Butterfly Valley is a boat trip away from Fethiye and a excursion. With white sands, plunging cliffs and lots of butterflies, it is very popular. It is only accessible by boat and the steep cliffs overlooking it are unbelievable. The tiger butterfly species arrives in June and remains until late October.

Calis Beach boasts a wonderful array of watersports and a surf school. There is a fun waterpark for children. The Calis Carnival is very colourful with floats decked with bunting and balloons, colourful costumes, marching bands, food tastings, Turkish dancing and craft stalls. There is also a Tomato Festival in Fethiye. It is on the second Sunday in May and starts with tomato picking, then families throw their homes open for tomato based meals. There is dancing and drinking into the night.

The dazzling white sand beaches and turquoise waters of the stunning Oludeniz make for one of the most breathtaking natural spots often seen on posters. You can paraglide over this fabulous site to see the blue lagoon in all its glory.

Read more about Fethiye

Situated on the ancient city of Telmessos, Fethiye is named after one of its most famous ‘sons’, the aviator Fethi Bey. An earthquake in 1957 damaged central Fethiye, so many of its buildings have been built since then.You can, however, see a Lycian theatre, Lycian tombs (including the rock tomb of Amyntas) and visit the Fethiye museum for more history and artefacts. The centre of Fethiye boasts a covered market area, half of which is given over to the local fish market where you can choose your catch from one of the centre stalls and then get it cooked in any of the surrounding restaurants. The whole of the area is shadowed by the mountain of Babadag where paragliders take to the skies, landing on the beach at Olu Deniz.

Fethiye’s Tuesday market is worth a visit. Traders come from the outlying villages to sell the wares from their smallholdings. Furrowed browed men with cloth caps, and ladies in floral bloomers will sell their produce amongst the lads trying to get you to buy their designer fakes! It’s all in good humour. Try a little bartering and see if you can do some good business. Go to the spice stall and you will get some amazing spices. Look for the Kar Serbeti, like a cinnamon slush or Ayran, a salty yoghurt drink both guaranteed to cool you down.

Olu Deniz & Calis are where people tend to flock for a beach but there are now a few private beach clubs along the coast between Olu Deniz and Fethiye which are worth a visit. There are also beach clubs situated around the lagoon, all with sunbeds, restaurants and drinks service. Hisaronu is more commercialised and hosts a large selection of bars, restaurants and gift shops.