Forget the recent media scaremongering, get on the internet and book your holiday to Fethiye right now! Here’s 10 good reasons to visit Fethiye and it’s beautiful surrounding resorts;
1. THE EXCHANGE RATE….You get far more for your money around Fethiye this summer.
The exchange rate in Turkey at the moment is extremely favourable for tourists. Currently standing at over 4TL to the pound, a rise of almost 16% since January, it means those lucky enough to be visiting Fethiye will have far more money in their pockets!
2. THE PEOPLE… It’s great to be welcomed by a smile, even better with a kiss on both cheeks.
There are few places on earth where the people are as friendly and as welcoming as Turkey. A sweeping generalisation of course, but really, the locals, no-matter where you go in the country, always seem happy to meet you. Fethiye is no exception. Although many Turks around Fethiye speak excellent English (and often German or Arabic), travel out to the villages, stop in a local shop or at a street stall and you often come away astounded at how warm and friendly the little old lady is serving you, the man drinking cay (tea) on the table next to you, or the local family sat opposite. More often than not, even those with no command of English at all will gladly gesticulate, smile or call on someone who can speak a little English (maybe a child) to help them communicate. Call back again and its kisses on both cheeks, they remember what you ordered on your last visit and a gift of whatever’s going in the kitchen…how lovely is that? Would that really happen in the UK where, whilst you’re sat on the Underground, the accepted rule seems to be to bury your head in a newspaper, failing that stare at the floor to avoid eye-contact?
3. GREAT CHOICE OF ACTIVITIES… Not only is Fethiye a gorgeous location, its landscape, history and diversity means you can be as lazy or as crazy as you want.
Laze on the shores of one of the most photographed beaches in the world in Oludeniz, sail the stunning bays and turquoise waters around the coast, take a jeep safari and explore a plethora of historical ruins or paraglide from Babadag Mountain, 6800ft above sea level. It is very difficult to get bored in Fethiye. You would be hard pushed to find a location that offers the range of activities the Fethiye region can.
4. FABULOUS CHOICE OF ACCOMMODATION… Stay in a swim up apartment in Oludeniz or relax in the luxury of a boutique hotel. Enjoy the benefits of an all-inclusive resort or some Turkish hospitality at a family run hotel. Get back to the natural life glamping in Kayakoy or rent a fully kitted villa or apartment with your family for a few weeks…the accommodation choices around Fethiye are endless.
The Fethiye region is unique. Fethiye offers a wonderful range of accommodation to suit every taste and budget due to the diversity of the area. If it’s a lively holiday you’re seeking, the beach resorts of Oludeniz and Calis are great options, as are the hilltop resorts of Hisaronu and Ovacik where a good range of luxury and budget hotels can be found as well as a wealth of private villa and apartment lets. Fancy something a touch more tranquil? Rent a private property 20 minutes inland from Fethiye in the mountain village of Uzumlu. Prefer off the beaten track? Faralya, found 25 minutes along the coastal road from Oludeniz has a growing number of hotels, camping and boutique options, most with stunning sea views. Then there’s the private lets, budget stays, glamping and camping options located in the fascinating ‘Ghost Town’ of Kayakoy, just 15 minutes drive from Fethiye, in the valley between the town and bay of Oludeniz. No matter what type of holiday you are after, have a Google and search the options around these locations, you are sure to find the ideal fit.
5. FOOD, glorious food… Whatever your taste, a foodie with a bulging wallet or keeping your belly filled on a shoestring, Fethiye has a great range of options for you.
There are usually three things people recall when asked how their holiday was; the people they met, the places they visited and the food. Well Fethiye comes up trumps on three counts! Fethiye has had a facelift over the past few years and much of the centre is almost unrecognisable from its former self. The town centre has always been a fascinating, bustling hive of activity no-matter what time of year you visit. Many of the popular tourist eateries were, and still are, located in the Old Town Paspatur and streets surrounding it, towards the rear of the main harbour. A tasty mix of traditional and Mediterranean restaurants and bars can be found alongside a few cheaper kebab, pizza and burger options. The Fish Market is again in the centre. A wonderful foodie find where you buy your fish from the stall in the centre and take it to one of the many restaurants surrounding the courtyard to have it cooked to perfection, served with salad and fresh bread for just a few lira. Then there’s the new Kordon, or Fethiye promenade, stretching along the seafront towards Calis. This is now filled with fabulous restaurants serving an eclectic mix from great steaks at Mancero, to fusion and Mediterranean options at the likes of Matisse and Marine, to cheap toasties, cay and fresh juices at Hello Cafe and Kultur Bufe opposite the Oceanwide Properties Office. Let us also not forget the lokantas (traditional restaurants), pide (Turkish pizza) and road side street stalls selling kebabs, corn, stuffed mussels all for just a few lira. Whatever you tastes and budget, explore Fethiye and you are bound to stumble across something to keep your belly happy.
6. HISTORY IS EVERYWHERE… If Fethiye was good enough for the Romans, Lycians, Persians,
Ottomans and Greeks, surely it’s good enough for you?!
Fethiye has a rich and diverse history spanning many centuries and evident throughout the town centre and surrounding villages. Originally called Telmessos in ancient times, it was a centre of prophecy pledged to Apollon. During the Hellenistic and Roman years it was a thriving city and today monuments and ruins can still be seen throughout the centre including a roman theater (currently being renovated) by Paspatur Old Town, a fortress sat on the hillside above the bay, Lycian rock tombs dating back to 3rd Century BC and sarcophagi simply wandered past outside the central government building.
7. EASE OF ACCESS AND TRANSPORT…you can reach pretty much all over Turkey, and also enjoy a day out in Greece from Fethiye.
Fethiye is just a 35 minute transfer from Dalaman Airport and only a 4 hour flight from the UK. There are many cheap charter flights found online and the airport runs frequent direct flights to UK airports and many European destinations throughout the summer months and via Istanbul off season. Fethiye’s main bus station is a hive of activity running luxury coaches, buses and local services throughout Turkey, you can even get the hovercraft to Rhodes for the day for less than £50. If you like to explore, use Fethiye as a base and see all this fascinating country has to offer.
8. FETHIYE’S NOT JUST A SUMMER RESORT… START THE DAY SLEDGING IN THE SNOW OF SEKI AND END IT PADDLING IN A FAMOUS LAGOON OFF SEASON.
Fethiye is not just a summer holiday location. Although all but a handful of bars and restaurants in Oludeniz and Calis close during the winter months (from November to April), Fethiye remains very much a lively and charming Town year round. There’s nothing better on a warm January day than to sit and enjoy an Efes along the promenade and take in the beauty of the area. The town is surrounded by snow capped mountains, the bay calm and still and, although cold at night, it’s often T-shirt weather during the day. Off season you get to see a different side of Fethiye, the more traditional side. There are fewer tourists so the staff in restaurants are happy to spend time talking to you and where else could you travel 45 minutes away to Seki and ski during the morning then paddle in a blue lagoon at sunset?
9. COME TO FETHIYE AND TURKEY…DON’T GIVE IN TO THE RECENT MEDIA HYPE AND SCAREMONGERING.
There has been a spate of recent alarmist headlines in the UK tabloids suggesting holidaymakers should steer clear of Turkey for fear of ISIS and a similar Tunisian tragedy. One article in particular appeared in the Express last month with the heading “Shock Warning: Terror threat to Millions of holidaymakers as ISIS target Turkey”. This kind of report is simply scaremongering. The reporter had blatantly given no thought to the after effects of their badly researched words and content. It is true that there are problems towards the Turkish/Syrian border but for those unfamiliar with Turkey, these are at least a 20 hour drive from Fethiye and located 100’s of miles away. In essence, the beautiful coastal areas along the Aegean and Mediterranean remain as stunning and as welcoming as ever. The only effect we have noticed is that tourism is slow, most probably as a result of this ridiculous media hype. It’s a terrible thing to see last season’s popular bars and restaurants in the local resorts virtually empty. All these reports have done is put good, hardworking peoples livelihoods at risk and scare holidaymakers away from visiting Turkey. In reality, let’s face it, they are probably at far more risk sat in their London offices.
In light of the Express’s article, Richard Moore, the British Ambassador in Turkey, Tweeted these reports were “alarmist and inaccurate”. On June 10th 2015 the British Commonwealth Office (FCO) updated their travel advice for Turkey saying that it was “substantively unchanged”. The only update was regarding Diyarbikir and they suggest British citizens steer clear of the Syrian border. They advise all but essential travel to Mardin, Sirnak, Sanliurfa, Hakkari, Siirt, Tunceli, Gaziantep, Hatay and Kilis provinces (again many, many hours from Fethiye). So please, don’t be scared. Simply come and enjoy all that Turkey, and in particular our lovely region of Fethiye, has to offer.
10. THERE’S JUST NOWHERE BETTER THAN FETHIYE TO VISIT OR CALL HOME!
As the local’s well know, most that visit this area once are sure to return. Many of us foreigners love the area so much, we end up with a property in Fethiye and call this lovely town our permanent home!
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(Main image from Annabel Farley on Flickr)
