Stone lodges with timber porches beside a cobbled lane and pine trees at Çameli Taş Konaklar under a clear blue sky
Turkey · Asia

Çameli Day Trip from Denizli: Stone Houses, Tea and a Fish Lunch

One day in the pine highlands of southern Denizli: stone houses, a glass of tea and fish beside a waterfall, 80 km from Fethiye.

Most trips to Denizli province stay in the valley: Pamukkale, Laodicea, the kebab ovens of the old bazaar. Drive south for an hour and a half and the land climbs into pine forest, the air cools, and you reach Çameli. We went in October 2026 as a small group of friends, with one plan for the day: the stone houses in the morning and fish for lunch.

A visitor standing in front of a stone and timber lodge with a vine-covered terrace at Çameli Taş Konaklar

Çameli in short

Short answer: leave central Denizli around 09:00, have tea among the stone houses of Çameli Taş Konaklar by 10:30, eat fish at Çameli Şelale Restaurant around 13:00, and be back in Denizli before dark. You need a car, or a driver, for this one.

Çameli is a highland district in the far south of Denizli province, at the western end of the Taurus Mountains, where summers are cool and winters are cold and snowy. It is also much closer to the sea than people expect. Fethiye is about 80 km away, roughly 90 minutes by car, so the same day works just as well from the coast as a cooler inland escape. The towns you pass between Denizli and Çameli are covered in our southern Denizli guide.

09:00 Leaving Denizli

From central Denizli the drive took us about an hour and a half. Near Çameli the road narrows to two lanes lined with poplars and pine, with forested hills on both sides. If you rely on public transport, ask about Çameli departures at the Denizli Otogar the day before, but a car makes the restaurant stop, which is out of town, far simpler.

Two-lane road lined with tall poplars and pine-covered hills on the way into Çameli

10:30 The stone houses: Çameli Taş Konaklar

Çameli Taş Konaklar sits on Atatürk Bulvarı, a few minutes from the town centre. It is a small complex of ten lodges built from traditional stone and wood, set in a horseshoe around a central garden, each with its own balcony or porch. A painted wooden sign and a timber archway at the gate tell you that you have arrived.

Wooden sign reading Çameli Taş Konaklar beside a green timber hut and pine trees
Timber entrance arch and stone pathway shaded by pine trees at Çameli Taş Konaklar
Stone lodges with timber porches lining a cobbled lane and garden border at Çameli Taş Konaklar

The design is what we liked most. Rough-cut stone walls carry timber beams and red roofs, vines grow over the terraces, and the lawns between the lodges are crossed by stepping-stone paths. From the wooden balconies and wrought-iron railings, you look straight out across the garden to the mountain ridge.

Stone lodge with a timber porch, wrought-iron railing and red roof at Çameli Taş Konaklar
Wrought-iron balcony railing and wooden terrace looking out over the garden and mountain ridge at Çameli Taş Konaklar

Nothing is in a single hotel block; it feels closer to a small village laid out on a slope. Look out for the details someone has clearly enjoyed adding: hanging lanterns and flower pots, vintage wooden carts on the lawn, and stone paths winding up into the pines.

Stone lodge with a vine-covered terrace above a sloping garden of wildflowers
Old wooden cart filled with hay on the lawn, with mountains behind
Vintage two-wheeled wooden handcart on the sloping green lawn between stone lodges at Çameli Taş Konaklar
Red lantern and hanging white flower pot suspended from a vine-covered pergola in the garden
Red lantern and potted flowers hanging from a vine pergola over the garden

The complex also has its own à la carte restaurant on the first floor, looking out over the plateau, which cooks with homegrown and locally sourced produce and seats around 110 people. We stopped there for a glass of tea before driving on, and it is an easy break if you arrive early. It is a working place to stay too, with a pool and spa, so walk around quietly and respect guests' privacy. If one day feels too short, this is where to spend the night.

A glass of Turkish tea held up against the garden and mountains at Çameli Taş Konaklar
Walking past a stone lodge and its garden at Çameli Taş Konaklar (with sound)
Stone steps climbing under an archway into the pine woods at Çameli Taş Konaklar (with sound)
Walking along the hedged garden path between the stone lodges at Çameli Taş Konaklar (with sound)

13:00 Fish lunch at Çameli Şelale Restaurant

Çameli Şelale Restaurant is in Elmalı, south-west of the town centre, so set your map pin before you leave the stone houses. Şelale means waterfall, and the name is literal: water pours down a tall wall into a clear pool beside the terraces, and a stream runs right past the restaurant. The building itself is worth a look, with rough stone arches, flower boxes, a carved stone washbasin and a covered dining terrace.

Stone-arched front of Çameli Şelale Restaurant with flower boxes and a stone stairway
Stone facade of Çameli Şelale Restaurant with its black and gold fish sign and wrought-iron balcony
Carved natural stone washbasin and rock-framed mirror on the terrace at Çameli Şelale Restaurant
Rough-cut stone arch and flower-lined window outside the dining room at Çameli Şelale Restaurant
Covered terrace dining room with wooden tables and patterned tablecloths beside the trees at Çameli Şelale Restaurant

We ordered fish, and it tasted excellent. Fish is the natural choice here: trout farming is one of Çameli's main livelihoods alongside farming and cattle, and the pools next to the restaurant are full of trout, some of them a pale gold. Ask what is fresh that day. We do not list prices or opening hours, so call ahead, particularly outside summer.

Water falling down a high wall into a dark clear pool at Çameli Şelale Restaurant
Afternoon sunlight bursting over the top of the waterfall above the dark pool at Çameli Şelale Restaurant
Pale golden trout swimming in a clear pool beside the restaurant
Clear mountain water cascading into the emerald trout pool at Çameli Şelale Restaurant (with sound)

Before getting back in the car, walk down to the stream. We took many of our photos of the day there.

The waterfall at Çameli Şelale Restaurant (with sound)
Trout in the stream beside Çameli Şelale Restaurant (with sound)

15:00 Back to Denizli, or on to the coast

Drive north and you are in Denizli by early evening, in time for dinner in Kaleiçi. With more time in Çameli, the Hayri Dev Culture Centre in the town centre makes a short stop, and the locally grown Çameli beans are a good thing to take home. Heading for the sea instead? Fethiye is about 90 minutes away, so you can end the day on the coast.

Before you go

  • Pack a warm layer. Çameli sits well above the Denizli valley and the air is noticeably cooler, especially from autumn onwards. See what to wear in Denizli.
  • Go on a clear day. Most of the pleasure is outdoors, in the gardens of the stone houses and beside the water.
  • Plan the rest of the region. Our Denizli guide covers the city, Pamukkale and the other day trips from the valley.

The route on the map

  1. 1Denizli city centre · start, about 1.5 hours by car
  2. 2Çameli Taş Konaklar (stone houses) · Atatürk Bulvarı, Çameli
  3. 3Çameli Şelale Restaurant · Elmalı, fish lunch by the stream
Loading map…

You might also like