Best Time to Visit Fethiye: Long Warm Autumns, May Trails and Paragliding Weather

Protected on the north and east by the 2,000-metre peaks of the Western Taurus Mountains (Mount Babadağ and Mount Mendos), Fethiye enjoys one of the longest, warmest summer seasons in the entire Mediterranean. You can swim comfortably in the sea from early May right through the middle of November, while the two golden windows that balance warm turquoise lagoons with comfortable temperatures for hiking and sightseeing are late April to mid-June and mid-September to early November.

Spring (April, May and early June) is the prime season for walkers and nature lovers. Daytime temperatures climb from 22°C in April to 27°C in May and 31°C in early June, mountain snowmelt fills the waterfalls in Butterfly Valley and Kabak, wild orchids and red poppies line the Lycian Way, and the shallow inner basin of the Ölüdeniz Blue Lagoon warms up faster than the open sea. In late April and May, you can walk through Kayaköy and Tlos at midday without breaking a sweat.

High Summer (mid-June, July and August) is hot, cloudless and dry, with afternoon temperatures in Fethiye Town reaching 34°C to 38°C. In July and August, skip midday ruins and spend your days on the water aboard a 12 Islands gulet, up at 1,969 metres on the Babadağ Cable Car, or wading through the 6°C spring water of Saklıkent Gorge, saving town walks for in the early evening.

Autumn and the October Air Games (September, October and early November) is arguably the single best time of year in Fethiye. The Mediterranean holds onto its peak summer heat (staying at a bath-like 24°C to 27°C throughout September and October), while air temperatures drop to a crisp, golden 25°C to 30°C. In the third week of October, hundreds of international aerobatic pilots gather for the International Fethiye Ölüdeniz Air Games, filling the sky above Belcekız with synchronized wingsuits and paragliders.

Winter (December to March) is mild and green (daytime highs of 16°C to 18°C), when Fethiye Town's harbour cafés, Tuesday Market and Fish Market carry on lively year-round local life. Check what to wear in Fethiye before packing.