Ancient Sites, Canyon Hikes & Deserted Cities: Last Days In Fethiye
Things just keep getting better. The more we explore this section of coastline and its scenery, the more we are in awe of its beauty, it really is a breathtakingly gorgeous area. And, after a slow start with food, we’ve fought our way past the tourist restaurants and found eateries which do complete justice to the Turkish cuisine which we already love. Even the weather is playing ball with clear skies, sun drenched days and seas still warm enough for a dip whenever we fancy it. Things just keep getting better.
Our food breakthrough comes when we discover restaurants inside the fish market where not only is the fresh catch fantastic but the meze is everything you would want it to be. The rather perfect drill goes like this: choose your fish from the extensive catch, then choose five meze dishes from the appetising and colourful display which you then eat with pide bread during the period your fish is being cooked. Enjoy both delicious courses while the musicians play traditional folk songs. The food is fantastic, the whole experience is an event, in fact a little slice of foodie heaven.
After Reis Balik, the restaurant in the fish market, it all just falls into place and the uncharacteristically slow start is soon a distant memory; meals are as enjoyable as they always have been on previous trips to Turkey. Some, like at the tiny restaurant Lokanta Fethiye, are even better than that.
Hiring a car for a couple of days to see as much of the area as possible, the drives are dominated by wow moments as we scale twisting mountain roads and magnificent views open up again and again. Each bend in the road seems to bring another fabulous scene. Soaring mountains, plunging gorges, dazzling seascapes, sumptuous coves…it’s all here.
At Çaliş Plaji, the seafront boasts a long run of restaurants and grants impressive views of the sunset. Whilst still clearly a holiday and expat centre, Çaliş is much more relaxed than Fethiye town with the distinct impression of year-round calm compared to the main town’s lively character. It feels a step up – but we are shortly to discover another level in that respect, at the gorgeous town of Göcek.
Before then though, we take an interesting hike through Saklikent Gorge, Europe’s second largest canyon, the longest in Turkey and one of the deepest canyons in the world. What makes this particular hike unusual is that for long stretches we are actually walking in the fast flowing, freezing cold water – this walk can only be undertaken in certain seasons when water levels are low, but it’s enormous fun picking our way through the uneven and unsteady rocks beneath the icy flow. Every footstep feels like a potential disaster! At times the water is knee deep, others less than an inch, but in any event it’s a good job that we’d been pre-warned to wear aqua shoes, no other footwear would be remotely suitable. Our starved feet need some TLC in the sunshine by the time we return for a Turkish tea.
From Saklikent we head to Tlos, where the ruins of an ancient Lycian city are spread across the hillsides. Tlos was in its day a prosperous and thriving city, one of the six principal cities of the Lycian League, powerful enough to be granted autonomy by Rome. The extent of the ruins really takes us by surprise, and as we take a bend in the road and the mighty site appears, we both let out a gasp. It’s a huge site, one of those understated destinations here which just serve as a reminder that Turkey is an almost limitless source of major historical sights, the nation’s claim to be the World’s largest museum is justified over and over again.
Our second day with the hire car brings us to a lost city of a different kind – the deserted homes of Kayakoy, a legacy of the Population Exchange of 1923, when over a million Greeks were effectively expelled from Turkey and a smaller number – up to 400,000 – Muslims brought the opposite way. Kayakoy, a town exclusively occupied by Greeks complete with orthodox churches and cafe neons, was comprehensively evacuated and has never been re-occupied, since that time falling steadily into decay year by year. Clambering through its eerily deserted walkways, it’s still possible to spot on the walls traces of the blue paint so loved by Greek homeowners – a faded reminder of its former life.
Fig and olive trees grow through and around the crumbling walls, descendants no doubt of plants cultivated by the Greek population; finches and flycatchers flit between the undergrowth and the houses, swarms of bees turn odd scented unidentified trees into a cacophony of buzz. For the most part all else is quiet in these homes now deserted for a century, a handful of other curious visitors poring over the remains in this town once no doubt filled with characteristic Greek chatter but now just a series of silent shells.
And so finally to the delightful coastal town of Göcek. As if we hadn’t already become enamoured with Turkey, Göcek unexpectedly takes it all to another level. A beautiful, genteel town nestled inside another deep sea inlet, this little place just epitomises everything which is appealing about the Turkish Riviera, so much so that we find ourselves gazing in property agents’ windows, wondering what it would be like to use Göcek as our base for a year or so. We could happily handle that scenario. Until, that is, we see the price tags on the properties.
Time is almost up in Fethiye, as we are about to move approximately three hours along the coast to our next destination, where the Mediterranean meets the Aegean. Did we go paragliding? No, in the end, we didn’t. Maybe we decided it’s a good idea to keep our limbs intact, we might just need them.
Dusk descends, the orange sunset pales into darkness and the call to prayer once again echoes over the rooftops. Filling in this section of the coast which we bypassed on our last visit four years ago has so far been just what we hoped it would be: another delightful stay which has further enhanced our already strong affection for Turkey.
As ever though, the feeling as we prepare to move on is one of excitement at what we may discover next….
32 Comments
restlessjo
We got as far as Calis but missed out on Gocek, though I had heard of it. Very expensive? Somehow it looks it. We’ve done the Samaria Gorge in Crete but with less water. The market looks a fab eating place and you two certainly look like cats that got the cream.
Heyjude
The food looks good. Cheap? And what wonderful pomegranates. A shame Kayakoy was not lived in after the evacuation.
Phil & Michaela
Actually not as cheap as most of Turkey, I think there must be an expat micro economy. Kayakoy is a shame indeed but it makes for an eerie and interesting wander.
Heyjude
Looks like a good place for your next birthday celebrations.
restlessjo
77! I don’t want to think that far ahead xx
Phil & Michaela
Yes, we didn’t get to check rental prices but we couldn’t see a single property in Göcek for sale at under a million euros…!
restlessjo
Ah! Good job I like it here.
Monkey's Tale
Glad you found some good food in Fetiye, I don’t remember my meals there at all, which doesn’t say much. Saklikent Gorge looks like an interesting hike and Göcek does look like a nice place to settle down. There are so many reasons to return to Turkey. Maggie
Phil & Michaela
Especially how different the various areas are from each other. So much to love!
Heyjude
My comment appears under Jo’s. Annoying doing this on a phone!
Lynette d'Arty-Cross
I was a UN peacekeeper in Cyprus and understand well the extremely strained relationship between Turkey and Greece.
Glad you were able to find good restaurants; Turkish food is so good. I agree that Turkey is a giant museum. It would take a lifetime to explore all of it. Amazing.
Phil & Michaela
Yes I remember you telling me about that when we were in the Turkish half of Cyprus last year, it must have been an interesting role. Turkey has so much to offer the traveller, in so many ways.
Miriam
Sounds absolutely amazing. Love the look of the market and all that delish authentic food. The canyon looked spectacular but probably not great for me with my recovering fracture lol. One though for the list. The country looks beautiful!
Phil & Michaela
The canyon was a fall waiting to happen so probably best avoided if you’re already carrying a “war wound”. This whole area is so beautiful.
Latitude Adjustment: A Tale of Two Wanderers
Awesome post folks. Fathiye and the surrounding area looks like its worth a weeks visit. Saving this. Thanks!
Phil & Michaela
…but probably not in high season….
Historical Vagabond
I love a good fish market!
Phil & Michaela
Don’t we all 😄😄
Lookoom
I imagine that if the ruins of Tlos were restored a little to give them a bit more meaning, there would be great potential for tourism.
Phil & Michaela
I suppose that when a nation has literally hundreds of such sites, sone will remain understated.
Annie Berger
What a goldmine you found in the Fetiye area with great restaurants, the fabulous gorge, historic sites, and warm water to pamper your feet!
Phil & Michaela
Especially after the icy waters of the canyon….
Helen Devries
You cracked the food scene, then! What a wonderful trip you are having…it took me back to our all too brief holidays in Turkey
Phil & Michaela
As we said before, Helen, an absolutely lovely area but obviously better out of main season.
Toonsarah
The food looks and sounds delicious 🙂 The canyon walk would definitely not be for me but I like the look of Tlos where I could probably wander around for several hours happily taking photos. And in Karakoy too – the Turkish equivalent of the ghost towns we visited in Calig=fornia!
Toonsarah
Agh, typing too quickly – California of course! I have no idea where Calig=fornia might be 😆
Phil & Michaela
I think it’s close to Arig=zona 😂
Phil & Michaela
Turkey is rammed full of places of interest of different types, endlessly interesting…
Christie
Kayakoy must have been so sad, the history has it’s own sad episodes isn’t it? But hiking through Saklikent Gorge was such an adventure! Glad your feet are intact😍
Phil & Michaela
Deserted cities have their own sense of eeriness
grandmisadventures
Hiking through a beautiful gorge, exploring ancient ruins, and eating your way through great food- sounds absolutely fabulous 🙂
Phil & Michaela
Not bad huh….