Fethiye Olu Deniz

By Author: Stuart Harris
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Fethiye is a major town on the Mediterranean coast of Turkey. It is situated in a naturally sheltered bay with little islands dotted around its stunning coastline. 6000 feet high mountains lie in the rear of the bay; they are a part of the southwestern spurs of the Taurus Range. The woody slopes are covered with refreshing sage, thyme, pine and laurel trees.

A 100-hectare incense forest is special feature of the Fethiye Resort. Balsam from incense trees is used to fumigate mosques and churches; it is also used in pharmaceutical and cosmetic preparations. It is popular as a picnic spot as well as a campsite.

Fethiye enjoys the Mediterranean climate; its winters are warm and wet but summers are dry and hot. The temperatures are around 85°F in summers and rarely lower than 55°F in winters. Except for very few rainy and cold days, it is possible to enjoy the sea all the year round since the seawater temperature is hardly below 63°F.
Fethiye Resort is close to many of the great beaches in the area. The famous "blue lagoon" beach of Olu Deniz is only 25 minutes ' dolmus ' (minibus) ride away. The famous ...
... Calis Beach is also just round the bay; here you can lounge in the sun soaking in your beers on the long stretch of sand and pebbles. Water sports like windsurfing and kite-surfing are available. Make sure you don't miss seeing the dazzling explosion of colors - pink and orange - in the sunset in Calis.
Don't forget to take a ' dolmus ' (minibus) ride Dalyan to see the nesting site of turtles. The beach here is one of the few nesting sites of the rare loggerhead turtles; they come up here to lay their eggs late in evenings; the beach is closed to public after 8:00 pm. You will also see the largest variety of wildlife in Turkey here; some of the bird species you see here will not be found else where in the world.

Overlooking the city is a fortress which was built by the Knights of Rhodes. It is well worth visiting it to see the fortress, and the elaborately carved and remarkable rock tombs for which Fethiye is known; these tombs were carved into faces of the cliffs by the Lycians and were intended for the kings. There is also a fabulous Roman amphitheater which is worth a visit.

There are a number of good hotels at Fethiye Resort. One of the popular hotels is the 1500 bed Club Letoonia Hotel situated at less than 3 miles from Fethiye center. All rooms are air conditioned, and are well appointed with shower, bathtub, TV and telephones, etc. Baby sitters are available. The general facilities such as Turkish bath, sauna, hairdresser and massages, shopping center, market, gift shop and jewellery shop are on the premises.

There are extensive sports and recreation facilities available. Children will be happy with the children's playground, children's swimming pool, water slide, etc. An outdoor swimming pool as well as facilities for pool games is available. Other recreation facilities such as volleyball, table tennis and football are available. Windsurfing, pedaloes and watersports are available on the beach.

Fethiye Resort is well connected to all major cities by three highways. Dalaman and Antalya International Airports are within 2 to 3 hours drive from Fethiye. It is well connected by the national airlines with all major destinations in the region. As such it is a convenient and enjoyable tourist destination.