3 Days in Fethiye: Blue Lagoon, Babadağ, Kayaköy, 12 Islands and Saklıkent

This three-day itinerary pairs Fethiye's three completely different worlds: Day 1 covers the mountain ghost village, the turquoise lagoon and the 1,969-metre peak of Babadağ; Day 2 spends a full day sailing across the calm 12 Islands followed by the Fish Market; and Day 3 heads inland to the Lycian citadel of Tlos and Saklıkent Gorge (or sails to Butterfly Valley). Read our dolmuş transport guide before Day 1.

Day 1: Kayaköy Ghost Village, Ölüdeniz Blue Lagoon & Mount Babadağ

• Morning: take the morning dolmuş or a taxi 20 minutes south to Kayaköy Ghost Village while the air is cool; spend 90 minutes exploring the 400 roofless stone houses, the pebble-mosaic churches and the hilltop chapel.
• Morning: either hike the scenic 90-minute pine trail over the ridge (or take the 10-minute minibus via Hisarönü) down to the Ölüdeniz Blue Lagoon (Kumburnu Nature Park); spend the middle of the day swimming on both sides of the white sandspit.
• Afternoon: head up to Ovacık to ride the Babadağ Skywalk Cable Car (or book a morning/late-afternoon tandem paragliding flight) up to 1,700m and 1,969m for sunset views across the entire Lycian coast.
• Evening: return to Fethiye Town and climb ten minutes up to the floodlit 4th-century BC Tomb of Amyntas before dinner along the Kordon.

Day 2: Full-Day 12 Islands Wooden Gulet Cruise & Fethiye Fish Market

• Morning: step aboard a traditional wooden gulet at Fethiye Harbour for the 12 Islands Boat Trip, swimming in the shallow sandbar lagoon of the Yassıca Islands, snorkelling over the submerged Roman ruins of Cleopatra's Bath (Hamam Koyu), visiting Tersane Island and finishing off Red Island.
• Evening: stroll through the lantern-lit alleys of Paspatur Old Town into the Fethiye Fish Market (Balık Pazarı) to pick your own fresh sea bream and jumbo prawns from the central ice ring and dine under the grapevines.

Day 3: Ancient Tlos, Yakapark & Saklıkent Gorge (or Butterfly Valley & Çalış Sunset)

• Morning: travel 45 minutes inland to climb the rock-tomb acropolis of Ancient Tlos, eat fresh trout over rushing spring water at Yakapark, and wade through the 300-metre-high limestone walls of Saklıkent Gorge.
• Option B (Butterfly Valley & Gemiler): take the morning boat from Belcekız Beach to Butterfly Valley and St Nicholas Island (Gemiler), then ride the evening water taxi across to Çalış Beach for sunset.