Olu Deniz
Olu Deniz, a beautiful inland bay area which is famous for its magnificent long curved beach and clear blue lagoon.

Photographs of the lagoon of this astonishing crystal-clear lagoon and a beautifully photogenic grey-white beach adorn almost every Turkish travel brochure.

Olu Deniz is now in a conservation area and new development is strictly controlled. A small entry fee is charged to the lagoon beach itself, which is well suited for children and has shaded areas, pedaloes, cafés and showers.

On the other side of the sandbar, Belçekiz beach is a crescent-shaped stretch of pebbles and sand set in a backdrop of beautiful pine-clad mountains. The seafront has unrestricted free access with plenty of shops, bars and restaurants, many with roof-top terraces.

The resort of Oludeniz appeals to both the young crowd as well as retirees and families. There is a astonishing diversity of activities and interest to cater for all tastes.

Why is it called Olu deniz ?

Olu Deniz literally means “Sea of the Dead“, and it’s name is attributed to the following legend:
Once upon a time …a father and son were out on a fishing trip and got caught in a vicious storm. They were in mortal danger of sinking. The son claimed that if they approached the rocks ashore they could take shelter in a cove that he knew of. The father on the other hand asserted that their boat would be driven onto the rocks and get smashed by the breaking waves and that they would both die. The father was convinced that there were no coves around nearby. In his terror of running around on the rocks, the father knocked his son (who was at the helm) into the sea with an oar and took over the helm himself. Just as the ship was about to hit the rocks on the cape, she turned into this calm, smooth watered bay. The son drowned in the stormy waters and thus the cove was named Sea of the Dead – or Olu Deniz.

The Mediterranean resort of Oludeniz is situated just a few minutes drive from Fethiye and offers spectacular scenery in conjunction with an active night life making it a lively place to spend a holiday.

Perched on the mountain plateau overlooking Oludeniz, the resort town of Hisaronu is packed with bars, nightclubs, gift shops and restaurants. With their beautiful, rugged surrounds, both Oludeniz and Hisaronu are fast becoming realised for their potential as an outdoor activity destination: the beach at Oludeniz offers a huge variety of water sports, there is para gliding from Babadag Mountain onto the beach below, and a selection of boat trips depart regularly from Oludeniz or Fethiye for a day exploring the scenic coastline. The numerous paths that wind their way along the hillsides offer fantastic views and sights, including the fascinating Greek Ghost Village of Kayakoy, which was evacuated during the Turkish-Greek population exchange of 1922.

Shopping: Oludeniz has several souvenir shops sprinkled along the Belcekiz beach seafront, and many of the resort hotels and apartment complexes boast their own gift stores. For better value, however, catch a dolmus into nearby Hisaronu or even Fethiye, where it is possible to enjoy haggling for bargains. Good buys are leather goods, carpets, jewellery and fake designer sunglasses, watches and the like.

Restaurants: No-one need go hungry in Oludeniz, no matter what your taste in food, and if you do manage to exhaust the resort’s possibilities, there is always Hisaronu just a few kilometers away inland with a vast array of different nationality restaurants. Some recommendations are the White Dolphin, for sunset views and cheap, delicious fish dishes Buffalo’s Steak House, renowned for its T-bones; Blue Star Pride, offering good Turkish cuisine; and the Belcekiz Beach Club A la Carte for an exclusive Mediterranean night out.

Nightlife in Oludeniz is more low-key than in the nearby resorts, concentrated more on chilling out in beach side terraced bars than frenetic clubbing. Those looking to party the night away can take a short trip to Hisaronu or a little further to Fethiye and find plenty of action. Among the most popular seafront bars are Buzz Beach Bar, the Sugar Shack and Crusoe’s. Most of the local resort establishments offer live evening entertainment for guests as well.

Oludeniz with its stunning blue lagoon is renowned as the most beautiful beach in Turkey and therefore the water is the main attraction, particularly for para gliders who come from all over the world to glide over the turquoise waters from atop the Babadag Mountain. Most visitors are tempted to try out the sport with reliable local operators. Diving and snorkelling are other popular activities. If water sports and sunbathing is not for you, there are dozens of possibilities for excursions in the surrounding area, including a 12-island boat trip, visits to various interesting Greek and Roman archaeological sites, the famous ‘Butterfly Valley‘, the Secret City of Sakl?kent or the ghost town of Kayakoy. Another essential experience is to enjoy a Turkish Bath, available in many of the resort hotels.

A few kilometers from Fethiye, over the pine covered hills is the enchanting “ghost village” of Kaya Village or Kayaköy also known as Karmylassos and Levissii.

Getting there:
From Fethiye, there are two routes to get to Kaya Village – or Kayaköy. If you have your own transport or have hired a car , jeep or motorcycle then the easiest and most pleasant route is to go from the back of Fethiye town centre and take the road up past the famous rock tomb of King Amyntas.

The road is sign-posted with the brown “historical interest” sign-post to Karmylassos. This is the old Greek name for Kayakoy. Driving on the one-way street from the center towards the fire-station, you will see the sign post on your right hand side.

Then follow the road up past a tomb in the middle of the road and keep going straight up the hill and follow the zigzag climb up and then down to find the kaya village valley.

The alternative route is to get on a dolmus at the central (big white) mosque. Ask for kayakoy dolmus and it will take you there via the Ovacik - Hisaronu route.

Why its there:
The ancient settlement of the Lycians was called Karmylassos ( or Karmillassos or Carmylessus) . Pretty much all of the building work from that very early period, with the exception of the old tombs, were destroyed over the years by earthquakes, erosion and newer settlers using them as building material.

Kayakoy (Greek: Levissi ) was built on the site of the ancient city of Carmylessus (Karmylassos) in the 1700s. It experienced a surprising renewal after nearby Fethiye which at that time was known by the name of Makri or Meğri, was devastated by an earthquake in 1856.

Again in 1885 Maki (Fethiye) was hit by a furious fire that damaged most of the buildings and there fore again many moved to Levissi. Most of the present stone buildings appear to date back to around the time of these disturbances i.e. 1860-1890. Certainly small church is dated at 1888.

Outside the larger church there is a sign that states it is a seventeenth century church. It may have been built that early but it is more likely to be later than that. Definitely the courtyard was not completed until 1910 as there is a date written in the pebbles.

What’s there:
Among the some 3000 buildings have been found 5 doctors, 3 pharmacies, 1 school, 2 big churches and more than 10 small monastries. The stone houses, churches and chapels, schools and work shops we find are a typical example of Mediterranean architecture. These old villages were often built on top of the slopes in such a way that sun light was not deprived from the neighbours and the narrow roads all connecting with one another.

In fact at Kaya Village we have a magnificent open air architectural museum of earlier times.

Why its empty:
In January 1923, there was a population exchange agreement between the Turkish and Greek governments. The intention of the agreement was to try and avoid future cival disturbances. The agreement led to the Greek people living in Turkey being sent to Greece and the Turkish people in Greece being transported to Turkey. The Turks that arrived from the Western Thrace part of Greece preferred to settle nearer the land that they farmed and as there were fewer of them, this was allowed.

The great earthquake of 1957 which destroyed much of Fethiye also damaged some of the old Greek houses in the village of Kaya koy, however as they are built on solid rock, the damage was very minimal. In fact many of the old chimney stacks are still present and even the roof rafter settings are visable. It seems that the timber roofs were all removed or rotted.

You can enjoy a afternoon ramble among the paths that wind around the old buildings. Some of the old Greek stone houses have been carefully restored to provide very atmospheric and interesting holiday homes. In fact some of the stone houses in kayaköy are available for renovation and would make for an unusual but interesting place to live.

As you tour through the ruins of Karmillassos or Levissii, now known as kayakoy, notice that some of the walls still have the remains of brightly painted rendering on the outside of the houses. You will see bright reds, pastel blues and greens as well as yellow.

You will also see the mosaic floors that were meticulously laid by the craftsmen of Kaya Village – especially in the top Church Yard.

Now just for a moment, imagine how colourful and charming his little community must have been : it’s narrow streets filled with activity and the laughter of children coming back from school. Or at harvest time when all laboured together in the fields and in the evenings came back to these homes and shared meals of fish and wine !

After an afternoon of adventure among the ruins you can relax at one of the many small typical Turkish cafes where your are assured of a warm welcome. Sit and enjoy one of the many varieties of Gözleme (traditional Turkish pancakes) on offer with a refreshing Ayran (cool natural yogurt drink) or a hot Elma Çay (apple tea). On the other hand – its also a fine opportunity to enjoy the refreshing and restorative powers of a glass of Effes:)