FETHIYE – MUGLA
In 1957, an earthquake razed the port of Fethiye to the ground, leaving only the remains of the ancient Telmessos. Just over sixty years later, Fethiye is once again a thriving city, and has established itself as a major crossroads in this part of the Mediterranean. It is the departure point for many gület cruises. Despite its size and strong growth, the city remains relatively peaceful. This is mainly due to the fact that most of the visitors who come here from April to October are just passing through before setting sail. There is a beautiful promenade along the shoreline, which is particularly pleasant at the end of the day.
The natural harbor of Fethiye, nestled in the south of a large bay (Fethiye Körfezi) dotted with charming islands such as Sövalye Adas, is perhaps the prettiest in the region. 15 km to the south is the large seaside resort of of Ölüdeniz, while on the other side of the hill stretches the ghost town of Kayaköy (Karmylassos), one of the many sites of interest in the of interest in the region.
Iconic places
There are few remains of ancient Telmessos. In the city, there are several stone Lycian sarcophagus dating from around 450 BC, all of which were looted centuries ago. The most notable of these are located in Atatürk Caddesi, just east of the town hall (belediye), and in the middle of Kaya Caddesi. There are others, less well preserved, in a vacant lot in the vicinity.
Fethiye Museum
This museum is dedicated to Lycian archaeological finds from Telmessos, as well as the ancient sites of Tlos and Kaunos.
It contains pottery, jewellery, small statues and votive stones (including the important “funerary stelae” and “stelae of promise”). The centrepiece of the collection is the trilingual stela of Letoon, dating from 358 BC, which helped to decipher the Lycian language, thanks to its inscriptions in Greek and Aramaic.
Tomb of Amyntas
The most famous site in Fethiye is the enormous Tomb of Amyntas, an Ionic temple facade carved into a rock face in 350 BC in honour of Amyntas, son of Hermapias. This tomb, located south of the city centre, is particularly beautiful at sunset. Other smaller tombs lie 500m to the east. Unfortunately, the site is disfigured by graffiti.
Roman Theatre
Behind the harbour, in the town centre, are the ruins of the 6,000-seat Roman theatre of Telmessos, dating from the 2nd century BC. Long neglected, this theatre has been undergoing work for some years now. the last few years.
Çalış Beach
About 5km north of the centre of Fethiye, the narrow gravel beach of Çalış is lined with hotels, pubs and chip shops frequented by British expats. Part of the Skyfall James Bond film was shot here. It is served by dolmus (every 5-10 min, all day) from the minibus station next to the mosque.
ÖLÜDENIZ (4900 INHABITANTS)
With its sheltered lagoon on the edge of a lush national park, its long sandy beach and the silhouette of Baba Dağ (Mount Baba) as a backdrop, Ölüdeniz, some 15km south of Fethiye, is a small paradise. Unfortunately, mass tourism has greatly disturbed the tranquillity that used to be the charm of the place.
Nevertheless, Ölodeniz remains an excellent place for a day at the beach, and one of the best destinations in the country for a tandem paragliding flight! In addition, the starting point of the wonderful Lycian Way, which passes well above the hustle and bustle, is nearby.
Culinary specialities
Fethiye also has culinary specialities such as: homemade pies, original seafood dishes and traditional baklava.