Butterfly Valley fethiye A Green Oasis

A green oasis with a beach surrounded by steep vertical rocks up to 350m, and a waterfall at the end of its valley, the Butterfly Valley is a Mediterranean dream come true. 

Located on Turkey's  500km Lycian Way and only accessible by water, this 86,000sqm valley is home to roughly 100 species of butterflies, 

This town serves as an excellent base for touring the inland countryside, and is probably the only city in the world where you'll find sarcophaguses in the streets. These pre-Roman Lycian relics are especially spectacular when floodlit at night. The town has a population of around 50,000. Still, the population increases dramatically during the high season, from April to end of October, when off-shore residents spend their summers at their second homes.

The best way to reach Butterfly Valley is not to drive to Faralya, the village above the valley.  Fethiye has direct connections to many cities in the country including Marmaris, Bodrum, Denizli/Pamukkale (25 TL, 4 hours), Antalya (40 TL, 3½ hours, leaving about every hour), Izmir, and Istanbul (about 90 TL, around 14 hours) among others. 

You can also use the private cruise companies that operate on non-scheduled services to Marmaris and along the peninsula to Antalya. Day trips on wooden sailboats, called "gulets" include lunch and stops at different places. Prices and quality of food vary, so shop around.

 "Before Lunch Cruises" provides excellent food on board its three-day cruises. Remember to bring your towel, soap and shampoo. Bedding doesn't seem "fresh" but looks clean. Boat is immaculate. Most people sleep on deck in the summer.