Ancient History in Fethiye
You don’t have to travel far to experience ancient history in Fethiye as there are a number of archaeological sites right here in the city. Find out more about these attractions on our ‘Historical Fethiye’ page.
Ancient History close to Fethiye
You could spend weeks on holiday in Fethiye exploring ancient, and not so ancient, ruins. You may find tours available to some of the better known and more popular but the best way to explore is by hiring a car and making your own way. Our ‘Fethiye Driving Tour’ gives you a suggestion for a spectacular driving tour taking in some of the best of this beautiful area.
Popular places to visit include a large ghost town called Kayakoy. Abandoned in 1923 by the Greeks who used to live here (as part of the exchange of populations between Turkey and Greece) it’s stood empty and decaying ever since. If you’ve ever wanted to see a ghost town this is the perfect one to visit as it’s the largest of its kind in Asia-Minor. For ancient ruins there’s Tlos, the oldest city in the Lycian region, as well as Xanthos and Letoon.
Excursions on the water
The beautiful Turquoise Coast (as this area is known) is perfect for boat cruises and tours and you can enjoy several different excursions from the harbour. A holiday in Fethiye is not complete without seeing at least some of this spectacular coastline. Join one of the boat tours that visit some of the twelve islands within the Gulf of Fethiye. You’ll be given the chance to explore a couple of the islands on foot, and boat cruises often include a meal in the price.
For more freedom you may even be able to charter a boat and explore the islands in your own time. This is likely to be more expensive buy if you’re on holiday in Fethiye with a group of friends or family this could be an option.
Another popular excursion is to take the hydrofoil to the Greek island of Rhodes. These usually run a couple of days per week and the journey takes around 90 minutes.
Fethiye Area Attractions
As well as Fethiye’s own historical attractions, right inside the city, the area surrounding Fethiye has many excellent attractions too. Not only is there more ancient history to discover, there are extremely beautiful places to visit, including one of Turkey’s most photographed destinations.
Oludeniz
Oludeniz is a popular tourist destination in its own right, but it’s close enough to Fethiye that you could just visit for a day trip, and you’ll be glad that you took a day out of your Fethiye holiday to do so! The main feature of this small town is the stunning lagoon, protected from the sea by a sweeping narrow peninsula that features beautiful beaches on either side. Standing admiring the picture perfect turquoise blue waters against the white sandy beach you probably wouldn’t argue if someone told you this was somewhere in the Caribbean! Watch out for all the paragliders making their way off the steep mountain, or even join them for some of the best paragliding in the world!
Butterfly Valley
About 20 miles from Fethiye, and less than half that distance from Oludeniz, is Butterfly Valley. Here you’ll find a scenic canyon opening up onto a beach and a bay, and on top of the canyon a small village. It’s a very scenic place and was named Butterfly Valley because of the large number of butterflies seen here through most of the year.
Saklikent
Gorge
Situated around 30 miles from Fethiye is Saklikent Gorge. This too is a beautiful place and well worth a day trip while on holiday in Fethiye. It’s located up in the mountains above Fethiye and the steep sides of the gorge make this a refreshingly cool place to visit on a hot summer’s day. You could take a picnic with you or make use of one of the basic restaurants here.
Tlos
The ancient city of Tlos is the oldest city in the Lycian region of Turkey and was also known to be one of the most important religious centres. It dates back to before 2000BC and like the rock tombs you’ll see when on holiday in Fethiye there are Lycian rock tombs here too. Other ruins include a Roman amphitheatre and an Ottoman era castle.
Xanthos and Letoon
Xanthos and nearby Letoon are listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for their cultural importance. There’s an amphitheatre, columns and other ruins at Xanthos, whilst Letoon offers three temples dedicated to Leto, Artemis, and Apollo.
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