Turkey Guide
The Turquoise Coast
Ölüdeniz and beyond
Ölüdeniz, 10km south of Fethiye, is the azure lagoon that features on every second Turkish travel poster (dawn to dusk; admission to the fenced national park 3YTL per person, 8–13.50YTL per car depending on size; sun-lounger and umbrella rental 5YTL). Its warm, if occasionally turbid, waters make for pleasant swimming even in April or May, and serve as a protected venue for a spin in a rented kayak or pedalo (motorized sports are only allowed in the open sea).
Both Belcekiz and Kıdrak serve as landing-pads for paragliders, who are kitted out by several beachfront outfits for a hefty €85–100 and taken to a point near the summit of 1976-metre Baba Dağı for launching – best visibility is in autumn. Despite frankly inflated rates, the sport goes from strength to strength locally, as it is reputedly the second best spot worldwide to indulge: Sky Sports ( 
0252/617 0511, 
www.skysports-turkey.com ) is the most heavily publicized and longest established outfit. A more predictable repertoire of boat trips – to remote coves, islets and Byzantine ruins – is also on offer.
Practicalities
By far the most attractive approach to Ölüdeniz is on footfrom Kaya Köyü; though frequent dolmuşes (every 15min, 15min journey) make the trip here from Fethiye until late at night. The dolmuşes drop you just behind the beach, between the jandarma post and the pedestrian promenade of Belcekiz.
Most accommodation clusters behind gentrified Belcekiz beach with its broad, landscaped promenade. Of the rough-and-ready bungalow-treehouses that set up shop here for the hippie vanguard during the late 1970s, only one survives: ObaHostel ( 0252/617 0470, www.obahostel.com ), about 300m inland, with a variety of budget accommodation – either plain cabins and a dormitory "treehouse" (€5 per person) or en-suite chalets (Price: €14-24) in a pleasant garden setting – as well as Internet facilities. A trio of tent/caravan campsites abut the north shore of the lagoon, just below the Hotel Meri. The Hotel Meri ( 0252/617 0001, www.hotelmeri.com ; Price: €123 and above; closed Nov– March) is the only bona fide hotel around the lagoon itself, sited on a forested hillside overlooking Ölüdeniz. Cog-and-pinion elevators take you up through the gardens, from the level of the private beach, annexe buildings and heart-shaped pool, to the main body of rooms. These mostly have sea views and large balconies; room rates, though steep, are for full board (Price: €63-93), or May, June or September (Price: €94-123). At Belcekiz, next to the Help Bar but quiet despite this, is the 2004-built 
Oyster Residences ( 0252/617 0765, www.oysterresidences.com ; Price: €123 and above). The sixteen large, wooden-floored rooms with their quality textiles are arranged around a pool with wooden decking; breakfast, featuring smoked salmon and eggs, is a highlight.
In the former orchards behind Belcekiz and on the slopes flanking the road in, there must be three-score other motels, hotels and makeshift camps. Peaceful, good-value choices not monopolized by packages include the Hotel Bronze inland from ObaHostel ( 0252/617 0107, www.hotelbronze.com ; Price: €32-49), with simple but air-conditioned rooms around a pool terrace; and the Aygül Hotel halfway back to Ovacık ( 0252/617 0086, 
info@aygulhotel.com; Price: €25-31), whose plain rooms are offset by the eyrie-like hillside setting and large pool.
Eating out in the Ölüdeniz area is generally bland, forgettable and (predictably) not cheap. A sterling exception is the durable, fair-priced Kumsal Pide, at the east end of Belcekiz pedestrianized esplanade, where the mezes are above average in quality and size, and a düblepide easily feeds two; it's open all year, and has a bowling alley in the basement, surely the only one for miles. Honourable mentions also go to the restaurant at the Oba Hostel, which is tasty enough, gets some Turkish patronage and isn't vastly overpriced; while the Secret Garden, predictably hidden away in the back lanes of Belcekiz, has a good line in tandır kebap and sea bass baked in a salt crust; booking in season suggested on 0252/617 0231.
Nightlife tends to be late and loud. The most obvious beachfront spots are Help Bar-Brasserie (the food's exorbitant), and its nearby first-floor rival, the Buzz Beach Bar.