Things to Do in Turkish Riviera

Sitting atop the ancient city of Telmessos, the most important city of Lycia, whose history dates back to the 5th century BC, modern Fethiye is one of Turkey's most popular tourist destinations, drawing visitors from around the world.

Despite its enormous popularity, however, Fethiye has managed to maintain much of its village charm. Particularly popular with British travelers, Fethiye (along with Ölüdeniz) was chosen as the best tourism center in the world by The Times and The Guardian newspapers in 2007. It’s easy to see why: the marina is excellent, living is inexpensive and there is a bustling nightlife scene during the summer.  Scuba diving, paragliding off mountain peaks and hiking ancient trails are just a few of the activities possible in and around Fethiye.

In Fethiye’s town center you’ll find an antique theater that dates to Roman times, as well as a two-story sarcophagus. A ruined Crusader tower, constructed by the Knights of St. John, stands on a hillside east of the city, while on the cliffs above town there are a number of rock-cut tombs, some dating as far back as the 4th century BC.

Beyond the attraction of the town itself, Fethiye has a number of great options for day trips to the surrounding region. Not only does Fethiye mark the beginning of the Lycian Way, a gorgeous 500-km hiking trail that runs along the Mediterranean coast all the way to Antalya, but it is also the starting point for popular cruises during the summer. These consist of three to six days of utter relaxation and sparkling blue waters aboard a Turkish gület, which will take passengers from Fethiye to Olympos and back, or around to a number of the area’s nearby islands. There's also a day-long 12-island yacht cruise of the bay, with stops at such sites as Gemiler Island, which is full of Byzantine ruins.

Also nearby is Ölüdeniz, also known as the "Blue Lagoon," one of the nicest beaches in Turkey and a center for extreme sports such as paragliding. Butterfly Valley and Kabak are also relatively close; both are isolated canyons bordering the sea to the south of Fethiye, and both feature waterfalls and secluded beachfront campsites.

The Kursunlu Waterfall is a small cascade set amid a cool, pine forest. While not as impressive as the more visited Duden Waterfalls, the Kursunlu falls feel a little more remote due to their setting and access via a short and pleasant walk through the forest.

Only 20 minutes from central Antalya, the surrounding area offers plenty of walking opportunities, especially along the Aksu river. While the falls are more of a trickle in the summer months, it is sometimes possible to spot trout and turtles in the pools that form here.

Capping the green peninsula south of Kusadasi, Dilek National Park (known locally as Milli Park) protects a lovely stretch of coastline and forest.

Kusadasi locals come here to escape the crowds and stretch out on the park’s acclaimed white sand and pebble beaches, and splash in the pristine water.

Make your way to the park’s lovely bays, including Icmeler, Kavakli and Karapinar, and pack a picnic to enjoy as there are tables, benches and facilities. Keep your eyes peeled for wild pigs, and colorful wildflowers in spring and summer.

Mountain trails thread through the park, and the park’s trees come right down to the water’s edge to create a verdant backdrop to the beaches lined with striped shade umbrellas.

Kusadasi is a resort town located on Turkey’s Aegean Coast that is best known as a jumping off point for visits to Ephesus, the best preserved classical city in eastern Turkey. Just a few decades ago, it wasn’t much more than a small seaside village, but the growth of the local tourism industry has brought modernization and commercialization.

How to Get to Kusadasi

It is an easy walk from the cruise ship terminal to downtown Kusadasi.

One Day in Kusadasi

Chances are you won’t be spending much time in Kusadasi itself as most cruise passengers join half or full day excursions to nearby Ephesus. If you do stick around, think of it as a chance to kick back and relax for a day. Try a Turkish bath, head to the beach to soak up some sun or cool off at the wave pools and water slides at one of the city’s aqua parks. You may also like to take a walk out to the small hilltop fortress on Pigeon Island, accessible by a footbridge just across from the port.

If you want to get a glimpse of historic Kusadasi, head to the Kaleici neighborhood, just north of Barbaros Hayrettin Caddesi, the main pedestrian street in town. Wander the narrow streets and visit the Kaleiçi Camii, a mosque built in 1618, and the Öküz Mehmet Pasha caravanserai, built the same year.

Of course, you shouldn’t leave Kusadasi without checking out the bazaars, the perfect places to try your hand at haggling and do some souvenir shopping – carpets, copper goods, jewelry and ceramics are all popular.

Port Information

The cruise ship terminal is part of a modern mall with a variety of Western-style shops and eateries. The official currency is the Turkish lira, although Euros and US dollars may be accepted at some stores. Turkish is the official language, but locals may know some English.

Modern-day sun lovers worship Didyma’s golden beaches, but in classical Ionian times this was the legendary site of the Temple of Apollo.

In its heyday, Didyma’s famous temple was the home of the oracle of Apollo, who provided the Hellenic world with divine predictions from the gods. The sanctuary at Didyma was the most significant temple in the territory of the legendary city of Miletus, approached via the Sacred Way. It was renowned for its wealth and sacred spring, a revered site predating the era of the Greeks.

The symbol of Didyma is the beautiful stone heads of the Medusa that crown the temple’s Ionic columns. Monumental steps lead to the remains of more than 100 equally huge pillars, two of which are linked by a sole surviving architrave.

Recent excavations have unearthed other temples, including one dedicated to Artemis, destroyed by fire and earthquake over the millennia.

Take a wander around the site and you’ll come across innumerable fragments of giant toppled columns and marble shards as you begin to grasp the tremendous scale of the original temple site.

The Duden Waterfalls make a pleasant side trip from Antalya and its surrounding gardens are a popular picnic spot with locals.

The Duden river extends from the Taurus mountains all the way to the Mediterranean and creates two cascades know as the Upper and Lower Duden Waterfalls.

The Upper Duden waterfall is 15m (49ft) high and 20m (65ft) wide and set in a pretty valley. A natural cave has formed behind the falls and it is possible to sit here and watch the cascades. There are restaurants, boardwalks and picnic tables in the gardens immediately surrounding the falls to help you make the most of this scenic spot.

The ghost town of Kayaköy – a cluster of about a thousand centuries-old stone houses scattered across a hillside – has a poignant history. Formerly inhabited by Greek citizens of the Ottoman Empire and known by the Greek name of Levissi, it was abandoned in 1923 after the Greek-Turkish population exchange that took place after the founding of the Turkish Republic.

The story of the village (renamed “Eskibahçe”) and its inhabitants has been fictionalized by Louis de Bernières in Birds Without Wings, a sweeping novel that takes place during the late Ottoman Empire and WWI.

Walking among the crumbling, empty houses and through the narrow lanes can be rather eerie, but the deserted village has a surreal beauty to it. There are a couple of churches and chapels, of which the most significant is the Panayia Pyrgiotissa (built in 1888), where a few fragments of frescoes and mosaics can still be seen.

Several cafes and restaurants are housed in atmospheric old buildings on the edges of the village.