Fethiye, Turkiye – You won’t want to leave

Fethiye, Turkiye

Fethiye is a beautiful town on the southwestern coast of Turkey, along the Mediterranean Sea. It’s known for its stunning natural beauty, including crystal-clear turquoise waters, dramatic cliffs, and lush landscapes. Need I say more? We spent 18 days in Fethiye and loved it, I didn’t want to leave. Why Fethiye? I went for some much-needed dental work, I detailed my dental experience in this post.

There is so much to do within an hour or so of Fethiye. The list below is a good starting point for any visitor. If you need visual inspiration, I have videos on my YouTube channel from this trip to Turkiye. However, I have included some of them below, check out my YouTube channel for more.

What Does Fethiye Have to Offer?

1. Ölüdeniz Beach: Often referred to as the Blue Lagoon, it’s famous for its calm, clear waters and breathtaking views. It’s a popular spot for paragliding, offering spectacular aerial views of the bay and surrounding mountains. Due to my fear of heights, that was not on my list of things to do.

2. Fethiye Harbor: The marina/harbor area is great for strolling and offers a variety of restaurants, cafes, and shops. It’s also the starting point for boat trips around the picturesque coastline. The area had some great pubs for enjoying a libation or a meal.

3. Lycian Rock Tombs: These ancient rock-cut tombs are carved into the cliffs overlooking the town. They’re an impressive historical site and provide a glimpse into the region’s ancient Lycian civilization. They are located a short walk from the downtown and marina area.

4. Kayaköy: Known as the “Ghost Village,” Kayaköy is an abandoned Greek village that was left behind after the population exchange between Greece and Turkey in the 1920s. It’s a fascinating place to explore and offers a glimpse into the past. It was quite crowded when we visited on a weekend (like idiots do), so a weekday might be a better option.

5. Fethiye Market: The local market is a vibrant spot where you can find fresh produce, local crafts, and a variety of goods. It’s a great place to experience the local culture. This market was a block from our apartment and had an excellent selection of fruit and veg, I went multiple times each week. They have a large market on Tuesday and a smaller one on Friday. It might be the best market in Turkiye.

Timing is Everything

Fethiye offers a mix of beautiful natural landscapes, historical sites, and vibrant local culture, making it a wonderful destination for visitors looking to explore Turkiye’s Turquoise coast. Warning: The Turkish Riviera/Turquoise Coast is a popular destination (party area) in the warmer months so either go to the party or plan your visit around those wild activities. While Fethiye is more relaxed, Ölüdeniz is typically a younger crowd and more of a party town. Luckily, we were there in April and it was still quiet and very enjoyable.

How Do I Get There?

You have a couple of options for airports in the area. I would recommend Dalaman as it is less than an hour away and is a smaller international airport. You can also use Antalya which is a much larger international airport (1100 flights a day). However, it is a 3-hour drive from Fethiye. We flew into Dalaman and rented a car there. It took about 90 minutes after landing and we were in Fethiye in our apartment.

A car is not necessary most of the time as it is a very walkable town. However, you will need to use public transportation, Uber/taxi, or a rental car to reach some areas outside of town and to/from the airport. Since we had a rental car it made it very easy to explore on day trips. If you like to explore off-the-beaten-path locations, a rental car is your best option. Our rental car was fairly reasonable, we had it for 36 days, and was only about $1000. However, we rented in Dalaman and returned it to Istanbul. There was a one-way fee of about $300 in that amount. Therefore, the daily rate was about $20-22 with the one-way fee excluded.

I Don’t Speak Turkish

Luckily there are enough English-speaking locals that you should never have an issue communicating. As I mentioned above, we were there for 18 days and never had an issue communicating with locals. Due to being a tourist area, many locals rely on tourism for their livelihood. Therefore, many in the service industry will speak multiple languages fluently. A lot of the vendors at the market were fluent in English and would even joke with you. Self-checkout in many stores offered English, German, French, Russian, and Turkish as a language option. At the market and smaller stores, vendors would show the price on a phone or calculator if there was a language barrier. Watch my video at the Tuesday market, you will hear English and languages other than Turkish.

Is It Safe?

Yes, it is very safe in Fethiye. For instance. we saw a woman leave her laptop, purse, and phone unattended on a table in Starbucks while she went to the bathroom.  On multiple occasions, we walked back to our apartment at night (10-20 minutes) and never felt unsafe. Turkish people are friendly and helpful. However, as with any other tourist location, some pickpocket and other minor crimes exist. There are a few bad apples, but that is everywhere. You still need to be aware of your surroundings and should be prepared to make necessary adjustments.

Is Fethiye Affordable?

I covered our expenses for the 2 months we spent in Turkiye in my itinerary post. For reference, our apartment was only $540 for 18 days. It was a comfortable 2 bed, 2 bath apartment with 2 balconies. The apartment was located a block from the weekly market, a 10-15 minute stroll from the marina area, and had 3 grocery stores within a 3-5 minute walk. In addition, there were several family-owned restaurants nearby that offered great food at an affordable price.  We enjoyed pide (Turkish flatbread pizza) at Esnaf Lokantası around the corner from the apartment. We ate for under $10 for both of us and had leftovers.