The Turquoise Coast/Lycia region
The Turquoise coast situated between the Aegean and Mediterranean areas in the South West corner of Turkey. Hisaronu is a lively resort 50 minutes from Dalaman airport, 4km from The Blue Lagoon at Oludeniz and 10 km from the bustling harbour town of Fethiye.
Local places of interest include, Saklikent Gorge, Pamukkale, Lycian Tombs, Fethiye Fish Market, Dalyan delta, Ghost village at Kaya Koy and of course the Blue Lagoon at Oludeniz.
Hisaronu
HISARONU
A lively resort that has a varied nightlife and a quiet day time feel. There are facilities here to change currency, bank ATM’s, pharmacies and an emergency medical clinic. There are 2 supermarkets in the village centre and a weekly market (Mondays). Hisaronu also has a children’s funfair and go-karting track open throughout the season.
All types of cuisine is available from local Turkish fare to the good old British breakfast. The village has a small shopping centre, a nightclub and bars are open until late.
There is a bus service to Fethiye every 5 minutes and to Kaya (Ghost village) every 30 minutes.
The surrounding area offers a ruggedly beautiful landscape, ideal for holidaymakers keen on walking, and a coast filled with secluded bays and coves accessed through winding forest paths. Being set at high altitude the village also has the advantage of being cooler and less humid than the coast, a pleasant refuge to retreat to after a day in the summer sun.
Adventure
Babadag Mountain
Bring out your inner James Bond: parachute from the top of the soaring Babadağ mountain and slowly glide down onto Olu Deniz beach – Daniel Craig famously did it in Skyfall. You can also take a tandem paraglide with an expert, so you can comfortably take in the breathtaking views of pine-covered mountains, the protected lagoon, and even as far as Rhodes. For underwater activities in Olu Deniz, take a dive with qualified instructors. You can get up close to ghostly underwater shipwrecks, or peer inside stalactite-filled caves – the visibility in the clear waters is superb.
FETHIYE
Fethiye is 8km (10 minutes by bus) and has an outstanding and busy marina. You can see a fortress on the hill overlooking the city which was built by Knights of Rhodes. Fethiye is known for its rock tombs carved into the faces of the cliffs by the Lycians. These are elaborately carved and remarkable. One of them is the tomb of Amnytas dating from the 4th century BC. Other historical places in the city are several sarcopaghi, theatre and the Fethiye tower.
OLUDENIZ
Oludeniz is situated in a valley surrounded by pine covered mountains on three sides and facing the turquoise waters of the Mediterranean Sea. The Beach is a mixture of pebbles and fine shingle/sand. Oludeniz is in a conservation area so you won’t find high rise Hotels, so it keeps it’s natural beauty. The Lagoon end of the beach is a National Park Area and costs a minimal fee (about 50p) to enter, it is probably the most photographed beach in Turkey. Oludeniz bay harboured the Roman galleys of Pompey which were there to eject pirates from Gemiler. There are numerous activities on the beach ie:-water skiing, snorkelling, scuba diving, para sailing, banana boat, pedalo’s, canoes in fact something for everyone. You will find there is a good number of bars and restaurants along the front of Oludeniz and in the various roads leading from the beach. Here you can have any food you desire, from a kebab to a three course meal. In the evening the bars offer a variety of different music and entertainment. Oludeniz has also become something of a Mecca for Paragliding, and enthusiasts come from all over the world to take part in the sport. Towards the end of the season, usually around October time there is a big Paragliding competition (Airgames) which is worth seeing as there are numerous paragliders in the air at the one time. It is possible for anyone to take a Tandem flight with an experienced pilot from the top of Babadag mountain, landing on the beach at Oludeniz, an experience not to be missed.
Butterfly Valley has waterfalls flowing across it where thousands of butterflies, exhibiting tremendous shades of colours, fly amongst the pine forest bordering the beach and is only accessible by boat from Oludeniz or as part of a daily trip.
KATRANCI
This place is a uniquely beautiful cove with its azure sea and fine sandy beach, on the Fethiye to Mugla highway at a distance of 17 kms away. A car or jeep is required. You all drive past this beach on your way to Hisaronu and Oludeniz but not many of visit. The hilltops are covered with red pines, eucalyptus tress and cyprus acacias. The cove derives its name from the period where tar was boiled in large cauldrons under the shadow of the trees. Another feature of this cove is the camping site for holiday makers (mainly Turkish) to set up their tents. From the month of May to the end of October. From the pathway along the shoreline, crossing over the hill, the Kizlar cove is reached again covered with pine forests on three sides, these coves are more peaceful and quiet than the ones in Oludeniz – DONT MISS IT.
GUNLUKLU
In the same style of Katranci this is another beautiful cove and is approx 23 km from Hisaronu. A jeep or car is required. Again on the Fethiye to Mugla highway, you pass this on route to Hisaronu from Dalaman and once again miss out on a fantastic beach, secluded and no tourists other than turkish ones. The cove is once again unique, it is covered with perfumed storax trees (liquid amber). It is almost impossible to see the sky due to the density of the trees. It is another ideal place for camping in tents under the stars and once again we would advise you to pay a visit and get lost in the real Turkey.
KIDRAK
This cove is located about one kilometer to the east of Belcegiz (Olu beach) and has an impressive natural beauty. It is also the most popular camping area in Fethiye. The beach whilst small shingle is stunning and the water has so many shades of blue you cannot count them. Once you have reached the end of the road at Oludeniz you will need to get a taxi or car to take you left (NOT RIGHT TO THE LAGOON) approx 10 minutes later you will arrive at Kidrak. Very easy to get to and not crowded whatever time of the year you go – but don’t tell anybody about it or it will not remain that way for long.
EPHESUS
Ephesus is available to visit as part of a 2 day trip including Pamukkale. Ancient Ephesus was a great trading city and a centre for the cult of Cybele, the Anatolian fertility goddess. Under the influence of the Ionians, Cybele became Artemis, the virgin goddess of the hunt and the moon, and a fabulous temple was built in her honour. When the Romans took over, Artemis became Diana and Ephesus became the Roman provincial capital.
Of Turkey’s hundreds of ancient cities and classical ruins, Ephesus is the grandest and best preserved. Indeed, it’s the spunkiest classical city on the Mediterranean and the ideal place to get a feel for what life was like in Roman times.
In 356 BC the Temple of Cybele/Artemis was destroyed in a fire set by Herostratus, who claimed to have done it to get his 15 minutes of fame, proving that modern society has no monopoly on a perverted sense of celebrity. The Ephesians planned a grand new temple which, when finished, was recognised as one of the Seven Wonders of the World.
Pamukkale, 19 km (12 miles) north of Denizli, is Turkey’s foremost mineral-bath spa because of its natural beauty: hot calcium-laden waters spring from the earth and cascade over a cliff. As they cool they form dramatic travertines of hard, brilliantly white calcium that form pools.
Pamukkale (Cotton Fortress) has been a spa since the Romans built the spa city of Hierapolis around a sacred warm-water spring. The Sacred Pool is still there, littered with marble columns from the Roman Temple of Apollo. You can swim in it for a fee.