The Villa
We bought this villa in 2005 following numerous visits to the surrounding area over the previous five years. Having holidayed and fallen in love with the area, we suffered the cramped hotels families are forced to use and realised the villa was both large and ideally located to access the numerous activities and resorts in the immediate vicinity. Unlike many properties in this mountainous area it provides largely level walks into the town of Hisaronu. Hisaronu means 'Front of the Castle', and refers to a local ruin. Hisaronu is popular with walkers who love to visit the nearby deserted, 'ghost town' of Kayakoy, or the secluded bays and coves, reached by the winding forest paths. The modern town has many restaurants, bars and facilities, which provide all the facilities for a lively holiday. It also has ready access to the excellent and cheap Dolmus (bus) service, which runs every ten minutes in the warm months untill 1am, between Olu Deniz and Fethiye. This combination of easy access means a car is not required, however should you wish to hire a car, our local agents can arrange competitive rates. Although only a short walk from town, the villa also provides a relaxed, tranquil and relatively private base from which to holiday, that is great for families. The layout of the villa enables one family to use the first floor and another to use the lower ground floor, with respective shower and toilet facilities, whilst sharing the lounge, kitchen, terrace and pool area at ground level. This degree of privacy is unusual in many villas in Turkey and is supplemented by air conditioning in all four bedrooms and the lounge area. We have equipped the villa with all the luxuries of home so you can relax and enjoy your stay here. The lounge has television, dual dish satellite system and DVD player, which can also play MP3 CDs. The Kitchen is fully equipped with gas and electric hob, electric oven, extractor, fridge/freezer, kettle, toaster etc. We have even arranged for a local shopping service, which will deliver (each morning) whatever staples you require. Their prices are competitive and probably less than local supermarkets and mean that not only can you have fresh bread; the chore of carrying water, beer, soft drinks etc. is removed. We have equipped the terrace with a dining suite for eight and a bbq. This enables you to maximise both the space in the villa and the opportunities for al fresco dining. Lounging round the pool whilst barbecuing your chosen cuisine is, as it should be, a relaxed and convivial affair. The pool, although small, is incredibly relaxing with its overflow design providing trickling water at your feet as you relax in the sun. We have also ensured there are sufficient cushioned loungers, tables and parasols to meet your needs. The small and friendly aparthotel across the road is happy to welcome our guests and provides reasonably priced breakfasts and snacks if you can’t be bothered to cook your own. There is also a courtesy bus, which stops outside the villa at approximately 11am, which will take you to a private beach for the day returning you to your villa at approximately 6pm.
Olu Deniz Beach and Blue Lagoon
Olu Deniz is probably the most photographed and famous beach in turkey. Olu Deniz is a large and attractively sandy beach, which has numerous restaurants, bars and sports facilities. You can paraglide from the 6500 feet high Mount Babadog, fly in microlights, scuba dive, windsurf, arrange boat trips, shark fishing, jeep safaris, horse riding, canoeing, white water rafting and quad biking. The bay forms the dreamlike Blue Lagoon, known as "a paradise that God granted to Earth", with three km of natural beach and crystal blue waters in enchanting surroundings. It is a protected area of outstanding natural beauty. If all you want to do is unwind and soak up the sun, watch the sunset, and plan your next lazy day then it provides a truly relaxing location in scenic surroundings that cannot be beaten. Another name for this heavenly place is the somewhat disturbing description, “Sea of the Dead" this is attributed to the following legend. A father and son were caught in a storm and were in danger of sinking. The son claimed that if they approached the rocks ashore they could take shelter in a cove. The father on the other hand asserted that their ship would be driven onto the rocks and break up because there were no coves around. In his terror of running aground on the rocks, the father knocked his son (who was at the helm) into the sea with an oar and took over himself. Just as the ship was about to hit the rocks on the cape, she turned into this calm, smooth watered bay. Hence the “Sea of the Dead”, however with the pine clad sandy beach stretched out like a tongue, Paradise Bay would be more fitting. The Blue Lagoon has calm, crystal clear waters, which makes it ideal for a variety of water sports and a very safe place for children to swim. Part of the lagoon is now a protected area and is a national park. A must for visitors to this area is a cruise on a traditional Turkish gullet. It is hard to imagine a more relaxing day than a sail along the attractive Turquoise coast spent in unashamed indolence and indulgence as the crew take care of the sailing and navigation and present you with delicious meals and as many drinks as you care to order. The major daily decisions are whether to swim, snorkel or windsurf, go ashore and visit an inviting archaeological site, pretty beachside village, or just drift and dream on your comfortable deck mattress.
Fethiye
They say Turkey is where East meets West and nowhere is this more apparent than in Fethiye where traditional goods and services sit side by side with global brands such as Sony. Fethiye rests on a broad Mediterranean bay boasting some of Turkey's best beaches and yachting. Visitors enjoy the 12-Island yacht cruise of the bay, especially the stop at Gemile Island, covered in un-restored Byzantine ruins. Boats depart every day in the season from Fethiye's busy harbour. Fethiye is now a traditional Turkish working market town full of deals with a picturesque marina and historical monuments. These include the old fortress built by the Knights of Rhodes and Lycian tombs and sarcophagi, which date back thousands of years. Fethiye is located on the place of ancient Telmessos, some 2400 years ago, Fethiye was the prominent town of Telmessos, but earthquakes have left only a few of the Lycian stone sarcophagi from the old town, along with the dramatic Tomb of Amyntas carved into the sheer rock cliff high above the town. The astonishing cave tombs are located in the cliff face east of the village, the biggest and most impressive being the Tomb of Amyntas. This huge facade was cut out of the solid rock around the 4th century BC. The old fortress stands where the city was first founded and the existing walls are from the 11th Century. At some places, portions of walls from the Roman period can be seen. The fortress was repaired by the Rhodesian Knights during the 15th Century and was used as a naval base. The Telmessos Ancient Theatre stands opposite to the commercial quay in Fethiye town. This typical Roman theatre was built in the 2nd century on the remains of a previous Greek one. The site was excavated by the Fethiye Archaeology Museum in 1993 and a restoration project was made to renovate the theatre’s cavea and stage. Fethiye Archaeology Museum exhibits numerous Archaeological findings from the Lycian, Hellenistic, Roman and Ottoman periods as well as ethnological works of art typical of the region. A must is a visit to the Tuesday market, where a hard days haggling can result in you leaving with bags full of designer fakes or genuine Turkish artefacts; whichever is your preference. Fresh fish is readily available, and restaurants surrounding the central fruit and fish market offer a particularly good service. These restaurants will cook whatever fish you have just bought in the market and serve it with green salad and garlic bread for 4YTL about £1.75.