Rock tombs in the area, which date back over 3,000 years, are on UNESCO’s World Heritage Tentative List.
Take a break between sightseeing tours at numerous small cafes in the Old City part of Fethiye. Glance at the colors of amber stones at Fethiye Market. Climb up to the Clocktower of Andronicus Cyrrhestes. Get inside Fethiye Museum to see Byzantine mosaics. This is a former Pammakaristos Orthodox Church, and the main part now functions as a mosque.
Check the postcard of the city, Amyntas rock graves and many Lycian tombs around the city. Add Rock Tombs of the ancient city of Kaunos in Dalyan to your package of the ruins tour.
Try paragliding over the Blue Lagoon at the Oludeniz Beach. Sail with a tender to Fethiye’s Kelebekler Vadisi, or Butterfly Valley, a remote beach only accessible by boat.
Travel to another giant fulfilling resort city of Marmaris. Sail to the neighboring island of Rhodes, and visit the castle in Rhodes town, the former home of the Knights Hospitaller.
Test your physique at Lycian way trail.
Marvel at the Telmessus theater with wide views of the rocky hilly area. Visit Letoon, sanctuary of Leto near the ancient city Xanthos. Check Tlos, an ancient ruined Lycian hilltop citadel, one of the oldest and largest settlements of Lycia.
Legend has it that in the ancient city of Telmessos, on which Fethiye now stands, there lived a beautiful princess named Leto. She was adored by all who knew her, but her father, King Eurytos, was a cruel ruler who was feared by his subjects.
One day, while out riding in the countryside, Leto met a handsome young man named Zeus. The two quickly fell in love, but their happiness was short-lived when King Eurytos learned of their relationship. Enraged, he banished Zeus from the city and ordered his daughter to marry a wealthy prince from a neighboring kingdom.
But Leto's love for Zeus burned fiercely, and she refused to marry anyone else. In a fit of rage, King Eurytos ordered her to be locked away in a tower, where she remained for many years.
Zeus, heartbroken at the loss of his love, decided to take matters into his own hands. He disguised himself as a swan and flew to Telmessos, where he found Leto locked away in her tower. Using his divine powers, he transformed her into a beautiful swan and together they flew away into the sunset.
It is said that the two lovers lived happily ever after, and that the city of Telmessos was renamed "Letoon" in honor of the beautiful princess who had captured the heart of Zeus.
To this day, visitors to Fethiye can visit the ancient city of Letoon, which is said to be the final resting place of Leto and the birthplace of her twin children, Apollo and Artemis. The site is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a fascinating glimpse into the rich history and mythology of the region.
