Fethiye is one of the most appealing towns on Turkey's Turquoise Coast, set at the foot of pine-covered mountains around a wide, island-studded bay. The ancient Lycians called it Telmessos, and their rock-cut tombs still stare down from the cliffs above the harbour. Below them, the modern town is a busy, likeable place — a working harbour full of gulets, a good fish market, and a maze of old-town streets lined with carpet shops and tea gardens.
The real draw is what surrounds it. Ölüdeniz, a lagoon of almost unreal turquoise, sits 15 kilometres to the south. The ghost village of Kayaköy, abandoned in the 1923 Greek-Turkish population exchange, is a short drive inland. Butterfly Valley, the Saklıkent gorge, and a string of ancient Lycian cities — Tlos, Pinara, Xanthos — are all within day-trip range. The harbour runs daily boat trips to the twelve islands of the bay, and longer Blue Cruise gulets depart for multi-day voyages down the coast.
Fethiye itself is more Turkish and less resort-packaged than many competing beach towns. The Tuesday market fills the centre with produce, spices, leather, and fake designer goods. The fish market is one of the best on the coast — you buy the fish from the stalls and the surrounding restaurants cook it for you. In the evenings the harbour promenade comes alive with families, strolling couples, and cats of every description.
The town makes an excellent base for a week or more. It has enough to keep you busy without ever feeling hurried.