Things to do in Fethiye
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12-Island Tour
Many travellers sign up for the 12-Island Tour, a boat trip around Fethiye Bay (Fethiye Körfezi). The boats usually stop at six islands and cruise by the rest. Some are booze-cruise-style tours so check you're getting what you want. Hotels and agencies sell tickets or you can negotiate a price with the boat companies around the tourist office at the marina.
The normal tour (Fethiye Körfezi) visits Yassıcalar (Flat Island) for a stop and a swim, then Tersane Island for a dip in the turquoise waters and a visit to the ruins, followed by Akvaryum (Aquarium) for lunch, a swim and a snorkel. Cennet Köü (Paradise Bay) is next for a dip, followed by Klopatra Hamamı (Cleopatra's…
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Fethiye Museum
Reopened after a two-year refit and focusing on Lycian finds from Telmessos as well as the ancient settlements of Tlos and Kaunos, the museum exhibits pottery, jewellery, small statuary and votive stones (including the important Grave Stelae and the Stelae of Promise). Its most prized significant possession, however, is the so-called Trilingual Stele from Letoön, dating from 358 BC, which was used partly to decipher the Lycian language with the help of ancient Greek and Aramaic. The garden surrounding the museum contains an excellent lapidary of mostly Lycian sarcophagi and Roman tombstones, some of them portraying early Christian symbols and angels.
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Yakamoz Restaurant
A pleasant 1km walk from town along the promenade, this is a great place to head for a sunset drink and dinner. It's a traditional Turkish menu and the fish can be pricey, but there's plenty of atmosphere and an attractive outdoor area with big cushions down by the water.
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Café Oley
Run by the dynamic Atilla, the Oley offers the best breakfast in town serving everything from bacon and Cornflakes to Vegemite and pancakes. It also does good salads and sandwiches. Customers have free internet access and there's a book exchange.
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Meğri Restaurant
In a beautiful old stone house decorated with traditional artefacts, this place serves a varied menu in a nice atmosphere. With Turkish, Italian and French food all on offer, it might suit bickering couples who can't agree on where to go.
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Ocean Turizm & Travel Agency
Next to the tourist office, the Ocean Turizm & Travel Agency sells boat tickets and organises parasailing (TL125 for 45 minutes), day-long rafting trips (TL85) and half-day horse-riding excursions (TL50) along with lots of other water sports including so-called blue voyages.
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Hilmi et Balık Restaurant
Set inside the fish market building, this place does meat dishes as well as fish (its speciality) and is a firm favourite locally. You can also bring-your-own.
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Tomb of Amyntas
Behind the town is the Tomb of Amyntas, an Ionic temple façade carved in the sheer rock face in 350 BC. It gets crowded at sunset in summer, the most pleasant time to visit. It's a steep climb up steps to get there; on a hot day it's worth first considering how much Lycian funerary monuments really mean to you. Other smaller tombs lie about 500m to the east.
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Sarcophagi
Throughout the town you will notice curious Lycian stone sarcophagi dating from around 450 BC. There's one north of the belediye and others in the middle of streets or in private gardens - the town was built around them. All were broken into by tomb robbers centuries ago.
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Club Bananas
Any venue where staff set fire to the bar then dance on it is hard to overlook on a big night out. Bananas is Fethiye's premier party joint – expect foam parties and random remixes.
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Paşa Kebab
Considered locally to offer the best kebaps in town, this unpretentious place has a well-priced menu complete with useful little photos of dishes. Try the Paşa Special (TL12.50), a gigantic (and delicious) concoction of beef, tomato and cheese. There's also pizza (TL9.50 to TL13.50).
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Crusader Fortress
On the hillside behind the town, just north of the road to Kayaköy, notice the ruined tower of a Crusader fortress built by the Knights of St John on earlier foundations dating back to perhaps 400 BC.
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Meğri Lokantasi
Looking for us at lunchtime in Fethiye? We're here. Packed with locals who spill onto the streets, the Meğri offers excellent and hearty home-style cooking at very palatable prices. Choose from the huge glass display window of meze and savoury mains or try one of their types of güveç (casserole; TL17 to TL20).
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Ottoman Dancing Bar
Decorated to the extreme á l'Ottoman, this is a long-time favourite with both locals and travellers who come to drink or smoke a nargileh (water pipe) on the comfy outdoor seating.
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Almila Boat Cruise
Run by a Turkish-Australian couple, who own two superior boats and offer the popular 12-islands cruise. Numbers are limited to 10 people and the food has garnered good reports.
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Interyouth Hostel Tours
This tour from Marmaris, organises high-quality cruises on its own boat to Fethiye, stopping at the Dalyan mud baths and the 12 islands. Numbers are limited to 12 people.
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Dalyan Tour
The Dalyan Tour includes a shuttle to Dalyan, a tour of the lake, mud baths at Sultaniye, Dalyan town, tombs at Kaunos and beach at İztusu.
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Saklıkent Gorge Tour
The Saklıkent Gorge Tour, which includes the ruins at Tlos as well as walking, trout tickling and a trout lunch, is highly recommended.
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Nefıs Pide
Stark and simple but sparkling clean, this popular place right next to the mosque (no alcohol) offers delicious pide, pizza and döner.
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Olympos Yachting
Olympos-based outfit offers a four-day/three-night cruise direct from Olympos beach to Kaş.
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Imagine Bookshop
Sells foreign newspapers and magazines, English-Turkish dictionaries and books and maps on Turkey and Turkish CDs.
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Özsüt
Serving the usual tantalising Turkish puds and pastries, this excellent chain also sells good ice cream.
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Car Cemetery
British boozer–meets–club, this place with the whacko deco and live rock music at the weekend is particularly popular with locals.
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Theatre
Behind the harbour you'll see the excavated remains of a theatre dating from Roman times.
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Big Backpackers
A newish venture run from Ideal Pension in Fethiye and offers the Fethiye-Kale cruise.
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