Hammam Bay

Göcek is an upscale harbour town located between Fethiye and Dalyan. One of Turkey’s best-known sailing hubs, it’s a favored haunt for celebrities as diverse as Prince Charles, Shakira, and Bruce Willis—but even if you don’t spot anyone famous, it’s a charming place to explore, especially the several upscale marinas, which are lined with luxury yachts, handsome villas, and swish restaurants.

Boat charter companies offer day tours around the Gulf of Göcek—the “12-island tour” makes for a truly stunning day out—and the town is surrounded by trees and forests and has National Park status, making it an ideal base for mountain bikers and walkers; a particularly lovely route is the path from Göcek to Inlice beach, while the nearby mountain village of Gökçeovacık, known for its yoga retreats, has some of the most spectacular views in the region.

Fethiye is well-known as a hub to explore some of the most stunning stretches of the Turquoise Coast but it’s also a vibrant port city in its own right. Its roots can be traced back to the ancient city of Telmessos, a Lycian settlement dating as far back as the fifth century BC. As part of the Lycian League, Telmessos prospered as a center of culture and trade, and continued with the arrival of the Romans, who incorporated the city into their empire. Over the centuries, Fethiye evolved under Byzantine and Ottoman rule, both of which also left their mark on the city's architectural and cultural landscape.

Having been struck by two devastating earthquakes, one in 1856 and one in 1957, it’s today a very modern place with a small and attractive town center characterized by low-rise buildings and a famous farmers’ market on Sundays. Indeed, the old town of Fethiye is centered around the Paspatur Market, a charming tangle of small cobbled lanes and winding alleyways and where you’ll find dining options: these include fish restaurants where you can select a fresh catch of the day and have it cooked for you as well as non-Turkish cuisine thanks to the town’s international residents. The market also brims with souvenir shops, carpet, leather, and jewelry stores and on Tuesdays also has a lot of local produce for the farmers’ market.