Welcome to Fethiye

In 1958 an earthquake levelled the seaside city of Fethiye (feh-tee-yeh), sparing only the remains of the ancient city of Telmessos. More than half a century on, it is once again a prosperous hub of the western Mediterranean, and a major base for gület (Turkish yacht) cruises. Despite its booming growth, Fethiye is low-key for its size, due mostly to restrictions on high-rise buildings and the transitory nature of the gület business, which brings travellers flocking here between April and October.

Fethiye’s natural harbour is perhaps the region’s finest, tucked into the southern reaches of a broad bay scattered with pretty islands, including Şövalye Adası, glimpsed briefly in the James Bond film Skyfall. Fethiye also makes a good base for visiting Ölüdeniz, one of Turkey’s seaside hot-spots, and many interesting sites in the surrounding countryside, including the ghost town of Kayaköy (also called Karmylassos or Levissi) just over the hill.