Fethiye is located in the southwestern part of Turkey and is known as the Turquoise Coast port city. If you’ve heard about Fethiye it’s probably because of the iconic Tomb of Amyntas and its magnificent views. A natural harbour, Fethiye was once a part of ancient Lycia where you can go on beachy adventures, and explore the Lycian culture. There are just too many beautiful things to do from this coastal city like – discover the beaches of Ölüdeniz, Tlos Ruins, the butterfly valley and many other day trips as well. It’s conveniently located for you to relax and go on endless sightseeing as well! Sit tight and scroll through to read about the top things to do in Fethiye.

The butterfly valley — Image credits: Unsplash

7 Best Things to Do in Fethiye Turkey

Ölüdeniz Beach
Tomb of Amyntas
Saklıkent National Park
Tlos Ruins
Fethiye Old Town
Kayaköy
Butterfly Valley

1. Ölüdeniz Beach:

This beauty is located 10 kilometres south of Fethiye’s old town. Just picture a crescent beach with mountainscape on its margin, white pebbles and glowing turquoise water. This beach has its way of charming you. You can plan a day at the beach and an evening hike to the Babadağ which is a 2,000 metres mountain on the end of the beach. Another part of this beach is a deeper blue lagoon that is a protected nature reserve, head towards the north end to explore them. This area is underdeveloped as compared to the beach area, but one of the top things to do in Fethiye.

A snap of the Ölüdeniz Beach: Things to do in Fethiye — Image credits: Unsplash

2. Tomb of Amyntas:

Fethiye has been ruled over by the Lycians during the 200 BC and ever since this coastal city has been a vital part of the city of Telmessos. You can see plenty of scattered ruins from Fethiye’s southern boundary and the most important one of the Lycian sites is the Tomb of Amyntas. Visiting this tomb carved out of stone back in 350 BCE and located on Kaya Caddesi is one of the best things to do in Fethiye. All you have to do is walk up the hill to discover the traces of ancient Telmessos. You will find an inscription that will interest you here towards the side saying “Amyntou tou Ermagiou” that stands for Amyntas, son of Hermagios.

3. Saklıkent National Park:

This National Park that came alive in 1996, located about 30 kilometres from Fethiye is one of the best things to do in Fethiye. Nestled deep inside the Akdaglar Range this canyon is 18 kilometres and is 300 metres deep. This natural wonder is home to endless walking trails, serene waterfalls and beautiful caves. This canyon barely receives any sunlight, and so it acts a great getaway for the locals and tourists to blow off steam. It’s chilly and serene! Pick out a nice safari tour or you can even go on canyoning and rafting trips if you want to indulge in some fun. Not a lot of people add this nature park on the list of things to do in Fethiye, be the first one to wing it.

4. Tlos Ruins:

A trip to this ruins works great along with a visit to the Saklıkent National Park and Patara beach. Another one of the prominent Lycian ruins which was home to Romans, Byzantines and even the Ottoman Turks. These ruins were shaped about 4,000 years ago and a very tricky part about this attraction is to discover which era each of these ruins belongs to. And if you are interested to decode the history of the ruins, this Lycian city should be on top of your list of things to do in Fethiye. The fortress on top, the stonework inside, rock tombs and its roman theatre all of it are a sight to a pair of historic eyes.

The Tlos Ruins: Things to do in Fethiye — Image credits: Google Pictures

5. Fethiye Old Town:

This part of Fethiye’s old town is towards the east of the marina where you can find beautiful alleys filled with shops. You will find shops selling souvenirs, Turkish carpets, tea sets, spices, and even a wide variety of cafes and restaurants with terraces. Keep an eye out for this Old Mosque from the 18th-century, and to find yourself exploring the local life head over to the fish market nearby. You can also proceed towards the west to see the Hellenistic theatre of Telmessos right above the marina. With plenty of things to discover, the old town should surely be on your list of things to do in Fethiye.

6. Kayaköy:

This ghost village is located 8 kilometres from Fethiye, once was home to Greek Orthodox Christian who was kicked out during the 20th century. Up until the world war I, it was home to the Ottoman Greeks. But by the end of 1923, there were exchanges of Population which lead to a lot of heartbreak and trauma. This stone village on the hillside oozes of monuments that have great interiors – Katapongagia Church and Taxiarchis Church. Apart from that, you do have the Lycian-style tombs. Beautiful hilly countryside with a lot of things to do? Make this a priority on your list of things to do in Fethiye.

The Kayaköy Village — Image credits: Unsplash

7. Butterfly Valley:

Towards the end of the canyon, there is an inaccessible beach by land that has rocky walls and is located South of Ölüdeniz. The name is derived from the sole fact that this valley is home to more than 80 species of butterflies. It is popularly done as a day trip by boat from Ölüdeniz. This beach is simply magical and is surely worth a visit especially for the seasonal butterflies during between June and September. You can also plan a hike to the waterfalls here, which might be an even more fun thing to discover. Another fun activity you can plan from the coast of Ölüdeniz is to go on a Tandem Paragliding from the summit of Babadağ overlooking the lagoons. Add more fun things to do in Fethiye to make your trip memorable!

Paragliding over the butterfly valley: Things to do in Fethiye — Image credits: Unsplash

More on things to do in Fethiye would be to visit Fethiye Harbour, Çalis Beach, Roman Theater, Fethiye Museum, Xanthos, Letoön and Pinara. With a lot of Unesco sites, this coastal town of Fethiye is just too beautiful to miss. Be sure to add at least 3-4 days here while you plan your Turkey holiday packages. Oh, and don’t miss to check out the vacation packages on Pickyourtrail to find your best vacation plan. Ping us on WhatsApp in case of further information or queries.