cappadocia to mediterranenan coast

If you rent a car, youo should note that the deal in Turkey is that you get a gas tank when it's almost empty, and then return the car with an empty tank. THe rental companies will tell you that you'll need about 3/4 a tank to go to Side and back. Not true. Find out about the car the night before, research online how much gas it needs. Gas is nearly 4 lira per litre here so you need to be careful. Note that the gage will point to empty and you'll still be fine - when the red light comes on, you'll still have 20 km or so left.

There does seem to be a lot of inverted snobbery about Fethiye perhaps due to the fact that there are a number of ex pats of various nationalities living in the area but there again you can find expats pretty much everywhere in Turkey.The town is a small working town rather than just purpose built/developed for tourism.It is pleasant and easily walked around and it also makes an excellent base for visiting other beautiful places close by such as Kaya Köyü,Faralya,Kabak,gemiler Beach,Butterfly valley etc. to name just a few.
I firmly believe that Fethiye is still closer to it's 'roots'than such as Kalkan which has fast become Esher-on-Sea!(Esher is a small town in the stockbroker belt of Surrey in England☺)

Fethiye is probably a cut above Kalkan, and it's certainly better than Marmaris or Kusadasi. It's main problem is that there are many great villages and towns on that coast that have infinitely more to offer in at least one respect.
-
Fethiye's historical interest is relatively minimal, aside from its few remaining Lycian tombs. As resort cities go, Bodrum has more life by far, but it also offers one of the world's premier museums in an evocative Crusader castle, the remains of an Ancient Wonder, a clasic theater, etc..
-
Fethiye has the beautiful Oludeniz in close proximity, but it's grossly overdeveloped. Patara has a fine beach backed by spectacular ruins in a beautiful setting, and it's possible to lose the crowds. Cirali is also a less-overrun alternative, complete with ruins and Chimera.
-
You can do day-trips by boat from Fethiye, but compared to what's available from Kas, there's really nothing going on. Kas is also far more compact and pleasant as a small resort, with a brilliant range of good accommodation and food.
-
Fethiye is big enough to be fairly big, but too small to have what a Turkish Med city can offer. Antalya is a much better choice to experience urban Turkey on that coast.
-
There's no snobbery involved. There's nothing terribly wrong with Fethiye (did I mention Marmaris?). It's just that given the alternatives, spending much time there is like going to a banquet, and settling for a burger.