Fethiye Turkey | Fethiye — pros for living, moving, and buying real estate
Fethiye is a town in the southwest of Turkey, which is very much loved by foreign tourists and buyers because of its silence and beautiful virgin nature.
This town has long been chosen by the British and Europeans, and recently, more and more other overseas buyers are actively discovering it for themselves.
Only 45 km from Dalaman International Airport, 285 sunny days a year, the holiday season from April to the end of November, and affordable prices - the Fethiye resort is ideal for relaxing holidaymakers, and also great for moving to permanent residence and investing in real estate in Fethiye.
The history of Fethiye began in the 4th century BC when settlers from Greece arrived at the spot where they founded the town of Telmessos.
It was part of the famous Lycian kingdom and then was taken over by Rome and under the Ottoman Empire's control. The town received its modern name in honor of its resident, the famous pilot Fethiye Bey.
The population of the Fethiye region is about 180 thousand people, whereas almost 85 thousand live in the town itself.
It is hidden inside a cozy bay and surrounded by high mountains that protect the area from the winds. The warm weather sets in here already in early April, and in the winter the temperature rarely drops below +10°C.
The Mediterranean climate attracts tourists to come here, but even in the high season, there are noticeably fewer of them than in Antalya or Alanya, because there are very few large 5-star hotels in Fethiye.
In recent years, this town has become increasingly popular: tourists and town visitors have increasingly become interested in independent travel, without large hotels and agencies, and Fethiye is chosen as one of the towns from the must-do list.
There are many reasons for this: unique natural landscapes, a large number of attractions, and low prices compared to other resorts. There are a lot of English people in Fethiye, local language schools even have a homestay program where everyone speaks English and the learners find themselves in the language-speaking environment 24/7.
Sea and Beaches in Fethiye
Fethiye is located at the invisible junction of the Aegean and the Mediterranean.
There are many beaches here, they are both free and private belonging to the hotels, but regardless of this, they are clean (most marked with the Blue Flag sign) and comfortable, with showers, toilets, and changing cabins.
Here is a list of some of the most popular and well-known beaches:
Ölüdeniz, which is located in the village of the same name, 15 km south of Fethiye. Ölüdeniz Beach is divided into three zones. Free - Belcekiz, here you can sit on rented sun lounge chairs or lie down on your towels.
The Blue Lagoon beach continues along the coastline. It is located in a protected area and consists of small bays among the hills. The third zone of the beach, Kidrak, is separated from the first two by a mountain.
Çalış is a town beach in Fethiye with a coastline stretching for 5 km. The beach is pebbly, but almost all of it is covered with sand from above. And yet, when entering the water, you should be careful, and wearing special shoes will do you good. The best way to relax on the town beach is either in the morning or in the afternoon when the breeze does not raise small waves along with sand from the bottom.
Caretta. This beach got its name from the giant tortoises that live there. The beach is wild, no entertainment is provided here - water transport and attractions can interfere with the main inhabitants of the beach.
Turtles and their clutches are under state protection, and in no case should they be touched. You can only swim during the day.
Karataş. The beach is divided into two parts: the first belongs to one of the hotels, and the second is for the public. If you get bored of lying on the beach, you can go to the hotel and order a set of SPA procedures, and on the free part of the beach, you can take amazing photos against the backdrop of rocks, coniferous groves, and the incredibly blue sea.
If possible, make sure that you visit the excursion to the beach in the Butterfly Valley in Oludeniz. This is a quiet reserved place between the rocks, you can get there by dolmush from Oludeniz or by boat from Fethiye.
Transport Infrastructure in Fethiye
The most convenient way to get to Fethiye is through Dalaman Airport, located 50 minutes away by car.
Buses of the companies HAVAŞ and MUTTAŞ run from the airport to the city, their schedule is stuck to the time of arrival of local flights. The bus stop is located at the arrivals area of the international terminal.
Due to the lack of an exact schedule, it is not always possible to catch a bus, keep in mind that you need to pay the fare in cash in Turkish liras. Therefore, you need to exchange currency in advance. Another important note: buses carry passengers to the Fethiye bus station.
In the town itself, locals and visitors travel mainly on dolmush, which is a name for small shuttle buses. It is possible to rent a car if you have your driving license on you.
The average check for a daily rental is 25-50 euros, the price depends on the season, rental period, and car class.
Education Establishments in Fethiye
If you plan to move to Fethiye with children, you should think about choosing a school in advance. One of the options is to continue studying in their native country, remotely, but it can only be considered if the child does not plan to enter a Turkish university in the future.
There are a big number of schools in the town, they are both public and private. Teaching is conducted in Turkish, the second language is English.
If a foreign child needs to be taken to school, a residence permit is required. Additionally, they ask to translate documents from the previous school into Turkish if the child is already studying.
When choosing between a private and a public school, consider this option: send your child to a public establishment and hire additional tutors in those subjects that appeal to them. Many foreigners do this in order not to pay high fees in private schools and at the same time give their children a good level of preparation for the university.
From grades 9 to 12 in Fethiye, you can choose the Anatolian secondary school for training, which is conveniently located next to the town stadium. The school has a huge library, there are laboratories for research in biology and physics, a gym, and a cafeteria.
Higher education in Fethiye is also available: the Faculty of Business Administration of Muğla University (Muğla Üniversitesi Fethiye İşletme Fakültesi) operates here. Among the major courses are economics and finance, tourism business, international logistics and trade, and business information systems.
Medical Care in Fethiye
Everything is fine with the quality of medical services and care in Fethiye: emergency assistance will be provided in any ambulance - ACIL. An ambulance reacts and comes only to calls for serious reasons; you still have to go to the hospital on your own with the symptoms of a fever or poisoning.
Among private clinics in Fethiye, foreigners usually choose the Lokman Hekim Esnaf clinic, which has departments of cardiology, neurology, gynecology, oncology, general and cosmetic surgery, and an ENT department. Many people go to Antalya, Izmir, and Mugla to consult narrow-specialized professionals.
In public hospitals, the level of medical care is not worse than in private medical centers. But sometimes you have to wait several days to see the doctor needed to solve your health problems. At the same time, the cost of some examinations, analyses, and consultations of specialists in a private clinic may be even lower.
Tourist Attractions in Fethiye
Both in Fethiye itself and in its vicinity there are quite a lot of sights and simply beautiful places where you can take a break from the hustle and bustle and relax, enjoying the beauties of nature.
What is left of the town of Kayakoy is located 8 km from Fethiye. Previously, the Greek town of Karmilissos flourished on this site, and in the 18th century, Livisi (in Greek) was built. After the forced eviction of the Greeks during the "population exchange" between Turkey and Greece, Kayakoy got deserted and turned into a haunted town.
30 km from Fethiye, there is a beautiful Saklikent gorge with a shallow but fast mountain river. People come here to go rafting, and fans of a relaxing holiday - to drink hot tea in one of the tea houses on the shore, sitting on soft multi-colored cushions.
The gigantic tomb of Amyntas, a noble Lycian who lived in the 4th century BC, is carved into the rock. The height of the tomb is about 12 meters! Historians still do not know who Aminatos was, his name is not found in other sources. One thing is clear: only very rich people could afford such a structure.
In general, there are plenty of good things about the surviving traces of ancient civilization in the vicinity of Fethiye: this is the Roman amphitheater built in the second century BC, and the ruins of Xanthos, the capital of ancient Lycia, and the ruins of the town of Tlos with a necropolis, a restored amphitheater, and Agora.
Districts in Fethiye
In Fethiye, the difference between the districts of the town and the suburbs is quite noticeable: in the center, most often housing is bought as an investment, in Ölüdeniz and Ovacık it is bought for a comfortable permanent residence.
The district should be chosen to take into account its pros and cons:
Karagözler is an area near the embankment, on which the yacht marina is located. The real estate is represented mainly by the secondary market, these are apartments with a magnificent view of the sea and villas in Fethiye. Of the minuses, there are not very good roads, not designed for heavy traffic, and difficulties with parking.
Patlangıç is a residential area, actively built up, despite the remoteness from the center. Excellent transport interchange allows you to quickly get to the beaches of Oludeniz, and to the shopping center "Erasta". Real estate here is taken mainly by locals for long-term rent or residence.
Taşyaka is a large and popular area with both locals and foreigners. It is green, and cozy, with lots of new buildings. But not all houses can boast of a good location and convenient car entrances, so it is better to look at the apartments in Fethiye before buying in person, and not in the photo. Many objects are sold out at the construction stage, and the choice on the secondary market is small.
Foça is an area near the town beach of Calis. There are especially many English-speaking foreigners here. Next to it, there is a beautiful embankment with picturesque views and a farmers' market, which is open on Sundays. The area is not cheap, and renting here is extremely in demand all year round. There are villas and apartments in the residential complex with swimming pools.
Akarca is an area that has begun to be built up relatively recently, so there are not many real estate objects in it yet. Prices are high, largely due to good infrastructure: there is a large Migros hypermarket, a state hospital, many coffee shops, and pastry bakeries, and the Chalysh beach is 1-15 minutes by car.
Tuzla is an area with expensive real estate and respectable establishments. Tourists rarely drop in here, for them there is no entertainment, except a couple of restaurants.
But the locals love the area: there are no sloping roads, so walking and riding a bike is comfortable. Banks, a post office, a private clinic, and an embankment are within walking distance. There are a lot of apartments for sale in that area, and as well as villas, there are posh premium duplexes.
With the right approach to choosing the area, Fethiye will be your ideal place to live in. The friendliness of residents, developed infrastructure, beautiful nature, and excellent environmental conditions - all this is just a small part of what foreigners choose Fethiye for.
It conquers at first sight and becomes a home where you always want to return.
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