Villa Esma

Villa Esma is nestled in the mountains of the tourist town of Hisaronu, sixty five kilometres or an hour’s drive from Dalaman international airport, and is located betwixt and between the bustling town of Fethiye, and the tourist destination Olu Deniz, both just fifteen minutes away. Local shops and restaurants are just a three hundred metre walk away, for provisions and refreshment. Hisaronu is home to a host of supermarkets, cafes, bars, and restaurants and some super souvenir shops too. Take a short trip to the holiday hot spot of Oludeniz, where you will find one of the world’s best golden sandy beaches, the iconic and much photographed lagoon and spit, lively seashore restaurants and bars, and exclusive shops. From here you can hop aboard a water taxi to Butterfly Valley, or alternatively cross the sea to Gemile Island aka Aya Nikola, a natural protected area, that is now an open-air museum. For the thrill seekers, head up the hill and take the cable car to the top of Mount Babadag, at almost two thousand metres you can jump off and paraglide solo or in tandem and land on Oludeniz beach. For shopping and the city Fethiye is your go-to destination. Fethiye is a harbour town with yachts moored the length of the coastline, home to an ancient amphitheatre, historical museum and rock tombs, and an embarkation point for the obligatory Twelve Island boat trip. There is a foodie-heaven fish market for a catch of the day fabulous feast, super souvenir shops selling all of your favourite designer brands, and famed for its large local Tuesday market selling everything from home grown organic produce to arts and artefacts. A walk around the newly paved panoramic coastline will take you to the town and beach of Calis, home to more restaurants and bars, and a local market.

If it is history you are after, you’ve come to the right place, hike the Lycian Way and take a trip through time. Trace the past with trips to Xanthos, the ancient capital of Lycia, and home to the oldest republic in the world, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, discover mosaics, amphitheatres, agoras, and an acropolis. Walk the ancient ruins of Patara, the birthplace of St Nicholas, better known as Santa Claus, and lose yourself its twenty kilometres of sandy beach, home to the famous Turkish breeding turtles. Explore the rock tombs of Tlos, carved in the façade of the ancient city ruins, where you will find a necropolis, Roman baths, and an Ottoman Basilica. Head for Letoon to see the mosaic of the goddess Leto, as you wander through the Temple of Apollo. Whilst the honeycomb cliffs of Pinara hosts nine hundred rock tombs and a theatre in verdant setting. In Fethiye you will find ancient sites dating back to two hundred years BC, the Lycian city of Telmessos, and the rock tombs of Amyntas, as well as sarcophagi, and a theatre immediately opposite the harbour, built to hold six thousand spectators, climb to the top for some fabulous sea views. Bring all of this together in the Fethiye Museum, full of local history, culture, and ephemera, most notably the Trilingual Stele, excavated at Letoon and inscribed with the languages of Lycia, Ancient Greek and Aramaic.

Read more about Fethiye

Situated on the ancient city of Telmessos, Fethiye is named after one of its most famous ‘sons’, the aviator Fethi Bey. An earthquake in 1957 damaged central Fethiye, so many of its buildings have been built since then.You can, however, see a Lycian theatre, Lycian tombs (including the rock tomb of Amyntas) and visit the Fethiye museum for more history and artefacts. The centre of Fethiye boasts a covered market area, half of which is given over to the local fish market where you can choose your catch from one of the centre stalls and then get it cooked in any of the surrounding restaurants. The whole of the area is shadowed by the mountain of Babadag where paragliders take to the skies, landing on the beach at Olu Deniz.

Fethiye’s Tuesday market is worth a visit. Traders come from the outlying villages to sell the wares from their smallholdings. Furrowed browed men with cloth caps, and ladies in floral bloomers will sell their produce amongst the lads trying to get you to buy their designer fakes! It’s all in good humour. Try a little bartering and see if you can do some good business. Go to the spice stall and you will get some amazing spices. Look for the Kar Serbeti, like a cinnamon slush or Ayran, a salty yoghurt drink both guaranteed to cool you down.

Olu Deniz & Calis are where people tend to flock for a beach but there are now a few private beach clubs along the coast between Olu Deniz and Fethiye which are worth a visit. There are also beach clubs situated around the lagoon, all with sunbeds, restaurants and drinks service. Hisaronu is more commercialised and hosts a large selection of bars, restaurants and gift shops.