Introduction
Arriving & Departing
Weather
What to do here
Foods to eat
Where to stay
Getting around
Currency
Map
Is it safe
Conclusion
Introduction
Fethiye is a beautiful, relaxed and easy-going port city located in South Turkey. It is not really a popular tourist location but over the years has attracted many people from around the globe. With it’s many historical sites such as tombs and ghost towns as well as picturesque bays and a close by lagoon, this place is gradually becoming a choice for people when it comes to choosing a destination in Turkey.
What’s unqiue about this place is how diverse it is. Here you will obviously find tourists but you’ll also find turkish people from various parts of the country. You’ll find many businesses here selling a range of products from clothes to shoes to even stationary making it a great place to pick up things at great prices. Not only that but the place offers great places to stay, eat and also see.
Read on below to find out more.
Arriving
If you’re arriving to Fethiye via a plane, most likely you will arrive at Dalaman Airport. Fethiye is located approximately 45KM from Dalaman Airport and can easily be reached via bus and/or taxi. If you have not made any plans yet, I would recommend flying into Dalaman Airport. It will save you a lot of time as well as money.
Once you arrive at the airport, you have a couple of options. Do remember that Dalaman Airport has no rail links so however you choose to get to Fethiye, it will have to be via road.
So, how can you get from Dalaman Airport to Fethiye? Well, firstly there is the recommended, cheapest and easiest choice; take the HAVA BUS.
HAVA Bus
HAVA Bus is an airport shuttle bus service that departs from Dalaman Airport to both Fethiye & Marmaris. Getting to Fethiye will cost you around 15TL whilst getting to Marmaris will cost you around 17.5TL. This may increase to 20TL & 25TL in the summer months respectively. As soon as you exit the airport through arrivals, go down some stairs and you will see the Hava Buses on your left hand side. Buy your ticket from the driver and take a seat. The buses usually leave every hour, however sometime the drivers may wait a little longer to ensure that they have enough passengers. If you are waiting, don’t worry; opposite the bus stand there is a cafe from where you can pick up something to eat or drink.
The HAVA Bus will drop you off at the Fethiye Bus Station; from here you can get a taxi or a Dolmus (local city bus) to your hotel. The price of the taxi will depend upon where your hotel is but a Dolmus will usually cost you around a maximum of 10TL.
Taxi
Taxis are also a safe and convenient way to get to Fethiye but will usually set you back around 250TL. Therefore, unless you really have to, I would recommend taking the Hava Bus.
Weather
Fethiye is generally a great destination if you’re looking for year round sunshine. However, there are a few things to remember. August is pretty much the hottest month in with an average temperature of 28°C (83°F) and the coldest is January at 10°C (51°F) with the most daily sunshine hours at 13 in June. The wettest month is December with an average of 124.4mm of rain. The best month to swim in the sea is in August when the average sea temperature is 27°C(80°F). Click here to see more in depth info about the weather here.
If you’re looking for the best time to visit Fethiye, plan your journey for around May to July or September to October. The city goes through dry spells with plenty of sunshine and blue skies.
What To Do Here
Lycian Tombs
If you dont mind a bit of an uphill trek, then look no further when in Fethiye. Lycian Tombs, also known as Amintos Tombs is a great place to start when in Fethiye. This historical site is the resting place for the Lycians; a group of people that lived in this part of Turkey. These tombs were built in 350 BC! The carved out rocks and tombs can be seen from quite far and can easily be reached from the city wherever you are. About the uphill trek, don’t worry, once you get to the top, you will be rewarded with the below view.
Getting There: You can either walk here, get a taxi or dolmus. If you are to get a dolmus, remember that they will drop you off on either Kaya Cd or Carsi Cd so you’ll just have to walk a further 5 minutes to get here.
Address: Kesikkapı Mahallesi, 117. Sk. No:3, 48300 Fethiye/Muğla, Turkey
Hours: 9AM – 8PM everyday
Price: 15TL (may have gone up or down – we visited September 2018)
Oludeniz Blue Lagoon
A UNESCO Heritage site, this is one of the best lagoons in the world; do not miss coming here if you’re visiting Fethiye. This place is located around 14KM from Fethiye. This is about the actual lagoon and not Oludeniz itself. My focus is the lagoon itself. The water is not at all deep making it a great place for everyone to swim, or simply relax in the water. The beach at the lagoon is not exactly sandy but the surroundings and the water makes up for it. We came here in September 2018, in the early morning hours just after sunrise and found it to be an amazing time to come if you’re looking for some peace and quiet. It starts to pick up after 10AM.
There are changing rooms and showers in the lagoon area as well as toilets and little picnic areas. There are shops, food places and also a parking area for those coming in their own vehicles.
Getting There: The best way to get here is to take a Dolmus from Fethiye around early morning from Gaffar Okkan Cadessi just behind the Yeni Hamidiye Mosque. There are Dolmuses going to Oludeniz from here almost every hour starting around 7AM. It will cost you around 10TL one-way each person. The journey takes around 45 mins to an hour. The drive there is awesome.
Address: PTT – Ölüdeniz Şb., Ölüdeniz Mahallesi, 48340 Fethiye/Muğla, Turkey – this is the entrance for the Blue Lagoon.
Hours: Opens around 8AM everyday but not sure what time it closes. Definitely some time after sunset.
Price: 15TL just for entry fee. If you have a vehicle I believe there may be an extra charge. Not sure what that is, but it wont be a lot more. There may be free car parks close by but not entirely sure as we arrived by Dolmus.
Kayakoy Ghost Village
This ghost village lies a short distance from the popular resorts Fethiye and Oludeniz in the southern part of Turkey. Known as Levissi to the Greeks and Kayakoy to the Turks.
Throughout the beginning of the 19th century, this place thrived as a community and had schools, mosques, churches, businesses and more. Both the Greeks and Turks lived in this village side by side.
They put their religions to one side and aimed to work with each other to create a life of harmony and work with each other. Today visitors try to relive those historical moments of harmony by walking side by side when visiting this place.
There is a small village nearby with restaurants, souvenir shops, camel rides and more.
Getting There: Take a Dolmus from Cumhuriyet Mahallesi, 97. Sk which is located behind the Yeni Hamidiye Mosque.
Address: Kayaköy Mahallesi, 48300 Fethiye/Muğla Province, Turkey
Hours: Daily from early morning till late evening.
Price: 10TL
Marina
This was definitely one of the highlights of our trip to Fethiye. There were days when we used to simply walk over to the Marina and sit there for hours staring across the horizon. Watching the boats sail off and the people walk by, it felt relaxing and nice just watching life go on whilst taking in the amazing view.
Getting There: The Marina can be accessed by walking here or taking a taxi depending on where you are in Fethiye. Here are Google Maps directions.
Address: Karagözler Mahallesi, 48300 Fethiye/Muğla Province, Turkey
Hours: Open all hours
Price: Free
Water Taxis To Calis Beach
Taking a water taxi or any boat in Fethiye is a great way to get some great views of the city from a distance; views that are quite breathtaking and remarkable. There is a water taxi that takes you from the Marina for which you can buy your ticket from the stand opposite where the boat stands. The water taxi boat that takes you to Calis Beach looks like the boat above in the picture. It will cost around 10TL one way each person. The boats are available to take mainly throughout daylight hours with a few limited rides after sunset. Arrive at the Marina locations for which can be accessed by clicking here. Once you’re here you should be able to locate a boat that looks like the one above; remember, you’re looking for the Calis Beach Water Taxi.
Fethiye Museum
A free Museum! This is a small Museum which contains quite a bit of history related to Fethiye. It has artifacts dating from 3000 B.C. to the Byzantine period displayed in 2 halls & an open-air gallery.
Getting There: You can walk here, get a dolmus or take a taxi depending on where you are in Fethiye. Here are Google Maps directions. If you are getting a Dolmus, get it to Fethiye Center Ataturk Middle School and from there it’s a 1 min walk to the Museum. Address: Kesikkapı Mahallesi, 505. Sk. No:4, 48300 Fethiye/Muğla, Turkey.
Hours: 8AM – 5PM Daily
Price: Free
Visit The Parks Near The Marina
A great way to unwind, relax and enjoy Fethiye is by admiring the beautiful parks in the Downtown area near the Marina. This area is filled with pretty and ornate trees, architecture and water fountains. You’ll see may different types of flowers and trees here. You will want to stay here all day with food places close by, public toilets within a walking distance and amazing views of the sea.
The park we definitely recommend you visit is Uğur Mumcu Parkı. This park is located just opposite McDonalds on Gaffar Okkan Caddesi. Click here to see it on Google Maps.
Visit The Yeni Hamidiye Mosque (The White Mosque)
Also known as the White Mosque, this is the main Mosque in the Downtown area of Fethiye. Not only a great place to sit back, relax and enjoy a hot or cold drink, this is a place open to Muslim and non-Muslims alike. Visitors can enter the Mosque to admire the ornamental architecture within. The Mosque has an open courtyard where you can sit and relax. There is also a small cafe on the left hand side of the Mosque if you are feeling hungry or thirsty. The Imams (religious ministers) here are very friendly and can answer any questions you may have about the Mosque. At every prayer time, the Muazin calls people to prayer oh so beautifully; definitely worth listening to.
Click here for a map with location markers of all the above places
Foods To Try
Below are some recommending places to eat at when in Fethiye:
Borsa Brothers
If you’re after some good quality Kofte, look no further. The Borsa brothers go out their way to provide great quality meat as well as extra tasty pizzas, burgers, soups and much more. This place is a great stop and right in the middle of town. Plenty of seating available with a great ambience. We dined here once and found the food to be very good. (Google Maps Location)
Doner King
A great place to eat at affordable places, this place offers the usual food such as donner, wraps, burgers and pizzas that you’d find in many parts of Turkey. We dined here once and found the food to be good. (Google Maps Location)
Piknik Cafe
This place is bustling with people; it seems that it’s the choice for the locals. When you see locals in a place then you know it has to be good. The place was extremely busy when we went (weekday evening) but we were attended to very well, our food was made quick and the food was great. This place does similar food to Doner King and Borsa Brothers. (Google Maps Location)
Sultan Pastanesi
If you’re after some good quality desserts, look no further. This place looks exquisite and definitely does serve some exquisite food. Priced quite well, this place offers milk desserts, baklavas, cakes, pastries, turkish biscuits, patties and cookies. We tried some of their home made rice pudding and found it to be delicious. Ofcourse they do serve the usual hot food but what makes this place unique is their desserts. Be sure to come here if in Fethiye. (Google Maps Location)
Pasamzade
We made a quick decision to eat here one day whilst walking past. The place looked empty on a weekday evening but we thought we’d give it a shot anyway. No regrets! Although the food took a while to get to our table, it was worth it. We ordered some of the local traditional lentil soup and a plate of grilled meat. The soup was really nice and light and the meat went along with it quite nicely. Some tiger bread is served alongside this. We also ordered a meat fatayer which was average in taste. The cost was slightly more expensive than the places above but still inexpensive. (Google Maps Location)
Mercan Pastanesi
Another great dessert spot, we ended up getting baklava and local turkish biscuits from here virtually every night. If you are to come here, make sure to try an assortment of baklava because they really take pride in the taste of their baklavas here. (Google Maps Location)
Where To Stay
Fethiye is a great place when it comes to accommodation. You can find budget, mid-range and luxury hotels all in great locations.
To get a good feel of Fethiye, I would recommend staying in Downtown Fethiye close by to the attractions, great food places, money exchange shops and the marina. For that reason, below I’ve mentioned budget, mid-range and luxury hotels that I would recommend within Downtown Fethiye.
These are hotels I would recommend:
- Hotel Feryil Centrum (budget) – located close by to the Lycian Tombs, the Fethiye Museum and many other attractions, this hotel is actually a pretty impressive hotel for a budget hotel. Price usually includes breakfast and the hotel offers a terrace with extraordinary views. If you just need a simple, yet affordable, clean and safe place to stay, I would definitely opt for this place. One night, breakfast inclusive will set you back around £17 approx.
- Yeniceri City Hotel (mid-range) – located in the Downtown area, this hotel is 100 yards from the Fethiye beachfront. Its rooms feature private balconies with sea or mountain views and the price includes breafast. The rooms are extremely spacious and the service and reception is one of a kind here. The staff are extremely helpful and will go out of their way to ensure you have a great experience. One night, breakfast inclusive will set you back £41 approx.
- Alesta Yacht Hotel (luxury) – this hotel features an outdoor pool and uniquely a private beach. Another unique thing about this 4 star hotel is that it is located just opposite the Fethiye Yacht Marina. The hotel offers facilities such as a spa and a wellness center, sauna and a hammam. Rooms include balconies with tremendous unforgettable views. The hotel is kept very clean and the staff here are very helpful. One night here, breakfast inclusive will set you back £40-£47 approx.
If you want to search for hotels in general in Fethiye, head over to Booking.com. The above links are affiliate links which means that if you click on them and book a hotel, booking.com will pay me a commission without any extra charges to you. Thanks for the support.
Getting Around
Getting around Fethiye is easy as many places are within walking distance and transport is readily available from early earning until late at night if you’d like to take the bus or taxi.
An inexpensive way of getting around is by using the Dolmus which is basically the local buses. There are bus stops located around the city and the tickets are cheap. The buses are clean, have AC and are quite comfortable. What I liked about it the most is that the Dolmus are small so they do not get packed with passengers. They are quite frequent so you wont find yourself waiting around for long.
Currency
Turkish Lira [TL]
To find the latest exchange rates, click here.
Map
Click here or on the map below to see a map of places you can visit and eat at.
Is It Safe?
Fethiye is a safe place in general. It’s a place filled with families, school children and elderly folks and so the overall vibe is family friendly.
Conclusion
Fethiye is a beautiful place to visit. It has many places of natural beauty and also places of historical significance. Food and shopping is affordable and overall the place is great for the entire family. For Muslim travellers it’s ideal as halal food and mosques are readily available. It’s the epitome of peace and tranquility and so is ideal for a relaxing holiday.
If you’ve been to Fethiye, comment below. If you have any tips or comments, please comment below. Thanks for reading this and please subscribe to our site.
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