Ölüdeniz, near Fethiye, Turkey

Ölüdeniz Beach is Mediterranean Turkey's most beautiful, also its most famous and popular. (More photos)

Ölüdeniz (ur-LEW-deh-neez, "dead" or calm, sea"), only 8.5 km (5.3 miles) south of Fethiye over the mountains, is big enough to handle the crowds of swimmers and sunbathers, but not always the number of cars and buses that cram the narrow access road.

Paragliders leap from nearby mountaintops, soaring and floating above the beach and the sea, finally landing right on the beach. Tandem paragliding, where two people fly together in the same harness, is very popular.

The fertile alluvial plain behind the beach is now filled with small hotels, pensions and restaurants, and any further expansion has been relegated to the nearby hilltop towns of Ovacik and Hisarönü.

The beach takes its eerie name from the secluded lagoon at the beach's western end by the Hotel Meri. Protected by hills and entered by a narrow channel, the lagoon is calm during even the worst storms.

The Lycian Way, a 500-km (311-mile) rustic footpath, starts in Fethiye and wanders through the hills, descending to Ölüdeniz before ascending again above Kidrak and Faralya, passing the head of Butterfly Valley and the access road to the Tohum Eco-Center before wandering southeastward toward Patara and, ultimately, Antalya.

To get away from it all, consider the Villa Mandarin in Faralya, past Ölüdeniz along the coast.

If you plan only a short stay at Ölüdeniz beach before moving on, you might want to stay in Fethiye, where prices tend to be lower, and take one of the frequent minibuses to Ölüdeniz for the day. All intercity buses operate out of Fethiye's otogar (bus terminal).

For distances from Ölüdeniz to other places, see the distances on the Fethiye page, and add 8.5 km (5.3 miles).

Here's a source of inexpensive Ölüdeniz holidays.

Fethiye

Lycian Way

Tohum Eco-Center

Turkey's Best Beaches

Mediterranean Turkey

Where to Go

Above, the beach at Ölüdeniz.
Below, fun in the sun.