Advice Needed - 7 Days In Southwestern Turkey

Hi,
I'm planning a 3 week trip to Turkey in August 2017 and have a week-long gap I was hoping to get some advice on. Myself and a friend are doing a half Blue Cruise from Olympos to Fethiye, but then aren't sure what we'd like to do in the week after, before we need to be back in Istanbul to head home. We definitely want to go to Pamukkale (likely stay for a night) and would probably also like to see Ephesus (stay for at least a night in Selcuk), but even with travel times figure that will leave us with a couple extra days. Should we stay in Fethiye for an night or two? What is Izmir like (we might choose to fly from there back to Istanbul)? Are there any smaller towns along the coast that are worth visiting for budget travellers? Will it be busy enough at that time of year that we need to book in advance or could we wait until we're there to decide? We're both in our mid-twenties looking for a combination of sun, sights, and social activities.
Thanks in advance!
Y

Fethiye is a decent base for a couple of days after your gulet cruise ,so don't move on immediately.There are several interesting historical sites you can visit and if you want some adrenelin kick then you can paraglide off the top of Babadağ Mountain!Nearby Ölü Deniz with it's beautiful lagoon is also worth a visit but in August it will be very busy.

There are regular buses for the 4 hour ride to Pamukkale and from there both bus and train to move on to Selçuk Ephesus.However,before going on there is a very good site you could visit;Aphrodisias.This is a large and interesting site with an excellent on-site museum too.So that is worth researching and see if you want to slot that in before Selçuk.
Yet another one,which you could do in a long day trip is Bergama.It is 1 hour on the bus from Selçuk to Izmir otogar and then 1½ hours from there to Bergama.So yes,long but defo doable.
I don't want to get you'ruined out' but these are some places really worth seeing if you like history :)

Allow a couple of days in Selçuk as there is plenty to see around the town in addition to Ephesus and the town itself is just so nice,friendly and relaxed.Pleasantly low key tourism too which is a surprise given Ephesus is on it's doorstep.
One important point;Ephesus in August will be INCREDIBLY hot!Be sure you have hats,covered shoulders,plenty of drinking water and comfortable footwear.There is no shade,the sun reflects off the marble and,because the site is in a natural bowl of land the heat gets trapped in there.43-45oC is quite normal at the height of the day so try to get there for gates open at 08.30 and be out by noon or wait until later in the afternoon say,16.00.The only danger is you could run out of time going that late as it closes at 19.00.
And do go to see the Terrace Houses complex within the main site.There is an extra 15 T.L admission but it is worth every cent.You need to pay for this when you buy your ticket for the main site.

By rights in August yes,you need to book accomodation in advance but I think next year you'll probably be able to rock up and find places.We all hope tourism picks up again after this years terrible season but...
What I would suggest is you research accomodation in each place you'll visit,make a shortlist with name,address and telephone number and then you can either just turn up or call ahead just before you leave the prior town.That will save you schlepping around with luggage or ending up in a greasy dive because you arrived too late to find anywhere decent :)

Flights from Izmir to Istanbul are as frequent as buses and often cheaper than them.Those into SAW airport on the Asian side are especially cheap and Pegasus is usually the cheapest.
Hope all this is a help......

Sun in southwestern Turkey during August is a certainty! When along the coast take insect repellant as there are lots of mosquitoes. Compared to mosquitoes in the USA the Turkish ones are smaller but cause many people utterly intense itching that lasts for days. Amazingly, window screens are very uncommon and not all of the treehouse accommodation you've likely heard of in Olympus provide bed/cot screens. The coastal areas are also quite humid but there is usually a nice afternoon wind.

Should you decide you've had enough time on the coast and want something different, consider Eğirdir near the city of Isparta at the SW corner of a lake of the same name. Accommodation is inexpensive, the area is beautiful, the lake has some excellent beaches and you'll among mainly Turkish holiday goers.

If you want an uncrowded sandy beach on the "Turquoise Coast" consider the little village of Gelemiş beside Patara Beach. Accommodation there is also inexpensive. It's about 50 miles south of Fethiye and accessible by public transportation. Patara Beach is protected from development and even during the high season a short walk from the one service area will probably find you alone.

Thank you both! Really appreciate the info and it all sounds super interesting. We'll definitely be taking your advice.

I concur with everything the other two people said - especially how hot it will be - just wanted to add a little more. There's definitely a lot to do in İzmir. It has a coastline with parks and Alsancak, Konak, and Karşıyaka have a lot of pubs and restaurants. Also, if you're looking for a day trip you can go to Şirince, but it's more of a traditional village to that's nice to get away from the bussling and more packed sites. Fethiye and Ölüdeniz are gorgeous by the way and deserve an extra day or two.

I did the blue cruise from Fethiye to Olympos, by the way, and it was one of the best things I've ever done in Turkey. Enjoy!

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