Mountains plunging into the sea always make for dramatic scenery and when they’re married to a sun-soaked Mediterranean climate you have a perfect destination. For a bonus add small-town friendly people and a gracious smattering of ruins scattered among the hills. We are in Fethiye on the Southwest Coast of Turkey. The hue of the water inspired the word Turquoise, the national color.
There are lots of sights and a variety of ways to see them. One day we glided across the water on a gulet, a wide bottomed, sailboat with a tour group. This is a great way to visit the nearby islands and offered swimming opportunities for those who didn’t mind the cool water.
Other days we opted for private or small group tours. The Turks have a lot of traffic accidents so we didn’t feel like driving, but I wanted to get out into the countryside to photograph at magic hour (around twilight). For the same cost as a car rental, we got a car and driver; problem solved.
Last night we stood at the ancient (400 BCE) Lycian ruins at Pinara as the sun set, the goats bleated, the birds sang and the muezzin chanted the erie call to prayer in the valley below.
There aren’t many tourists at the ruins and the beaches are quiet but as soon as the busy summer season starts in May, this place will be overrun with Northern Europeans. For them this is their semi-tropical Florida, easy to reach via competitive airlines and with attractively priced food and accommodations. We too are finding Turkey to be very easy on the budget
