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The coast near Fethiye © Jason Dixon

Overview: The small port town and holiday retreat of Fethiye occupies the site of the ancient city Telmessos, with an impressive ancient theatre and numerous Lycian rock tombs. Situated at the head of a pretty island-strewn bay, Fethiye is a popular holiday destination on the stretch of the Mediterranean known as the Turquoise Coast.

Fethiye town absorbs the tourist traffic and still retains a sense of its old-fashioned rural character, with herds of goats and sheep blocking the roads on market days and the smell of herbs and spices in the air. The bazaar is the biggest in the area and is a must for bargain hunters. Fethiye is home to several remarkable ancient sites. The most conspicuous are the rock tombs dating from the 4th century BC carved in the hillside above the town.

Beside the Fethiye harbour is the Roman amphitheatre and the crumbling remains of a medieval castle built by the Knights of St John. There is a good selection of restaurants on the harbour front and in the narrow streets of the old town. Around Fethiye are numerous unspoiled rocky coves and beaches, crystalline seas, offshore islands, cliffs and pine-covered mountains affording as much holiday relaxation or activity as one chooses.

Gulets (sturdy wooden yachts) can be hired in Fethiye's harbour for day trips around these coastal waters. The beach resort of Oludeniz is just 25 minutes away by dolmus (the local minibuses) and offers numerous activities, including parasailing, pedaloes, banana boating, diving, snorkelling water-skiing; and most famously paragliding.