The Bays of Fethiye: The Coves Best Explored by Boat

Few stretches of the Turkish coast pack in as many good anchorages as the Gulf of Fethiye. World-famous Ölüdeniz, the cinematic cleft of Butterfly Valley, the town-side coves where locals swim after work, the forest bays toward Göcek — dozens of stops, all a short sail apart. And the best of them share one trait: they show their true face to people arriving by sea.

Here's how we'd organise them after twenty years on this water — region by region, with a route that strings the highlights together.

Reading the gulf: three zones

Think of Fethiye's bays in three groups. The town side: Şövalye Island, Aksazlar, Samanlık and the Boncuklu coves — easy by road as well as by boat. The southern run: Ölüdeniz, Butterfly Valley, Kabak and Gemiler Island — the postcard zone, best by sea. And the northern shore toward Göcek: Katrancı, Günlüklü and İnlice — pine-forest coves loved for their weekday calm.

The bays worth knowing

Ölüdeniz and Kumburnu: Turkey's most photographed lagoon. Crowded in summer, and still worth it.

Butterfly Valley: a beach wedged between two cliffs; approaching from the water is the whole show. Protected — tread lightly.

Kabak: the simple-living valley at the end of the road; full details in our Kabak Bay guide.

Gemiler Island: Byzantine ruins over a sheltered anchorage — history and swimming in one stop.

Boncuklu, Aksazlar and Samanlık: the town's own swimming coves; see our Küçük Boncuklu guide.

Katrancı and Günlüklü: two forest coves hiding below the Fethiye–Göcek road, reachable by land and sea alike.

A blue cruise route that works

A well-tested plan: set out from Göcek and spend day one among the Twelve Islands; day two on the Günlüklü–Katrancı shore; day three in the gulf proper and the Boncuklu coves; then turn south for Gemiler, Ölüdeniz, Butterfly Valley and Kabak. The Göcek half of that route is mapped in our Göcek bays and islands guide, and multi-day plans in the blue cruise routes guide.

When to come

The season runs May to October. June and September hit the sweet spot of warm sea, thinner crowds and better prices; in July and August the famous stops fill by noon — early anchors win. In late spring and early autumn you'll have entire bays to yourself.

Seeing it from your own deck

The southern stops get a breeze most afternoons, so crews usually run that leg in the morning. Popular bays have mooring rules; your captain will know them. And if you'd rather compose the day yourself than follow a tour schedule, chartering a boat in Fethiye — gulet, sailing yacht, motor yacht or catamaran — is exactly what this coastline was made for. We'll help you match the boat to your crew.