“The best paragliding site in Europe”.
Where is Oludeniz?
The town of Oludeniz is a small beach resort in the Fethiye district of Muğla Province, on the Turquoise Coast of southwestern Turkey It lies at the junction point of the Aegean and Mediterranean sea.
Getting there
Our journey from Pamukkale to Oludeniz was by bus.
Our accommodation
During our time in Oludeniz, we chose to stay at the Golden Key. A self-contained apartment located about 3 min walk from the dolmus stop and 5 mins in a dolmus from the main beach. Located up the hill away from the bustling town, it afforded us a beautiful mountain backdrop.
We were the only people staying in the apartment block, so we had a very quiet stay, with the pool all to ourselves. The cats being our fellow residents.
Places of interest
The Beach
Our first full day in Oludeniz was planned to be spent on the beach. So we took the short 5 min dolmus ride down to the beach for 4.25 Turkish Lira each. The dolmus passed through the main town picking up passengers along the way.
The main town of Oludeniz was full of copycat British shops such as TK Max, Sport Direck and John Lewiss, to name a few. Restaurants serving all day English breakfasts being plentiful. We were definitely in the tourist area now.
The dolmus dropped us off at the beach. Making our way away from the beach town, we headed towards the Blue Lagoon. Entry to the lagoon was 7 Turkish Lira each.
This was definitely the quieter area of the beach. Without the beach hawkers, boat trip sellers, paragliders landing, parasailing and banana boats racing around.
The beach itself was stoney and shelved away steeply into crystal clear warm waters. Sunbeds and umbrellas were available to hire at 15 Turkish Lira each for the day.
Showers, toilets and places to buy food and drink were all readily available.
Boat trip
On our second day, we decided to take a boat trip around the bay of Fethiye. After some research, we chose a boat company called Jerry’s boat for the trip.
The boat was leaving at 0930 hrs from the Fethiye marina adjacent to the war memorial.
Leaving Oludeniz at 0830 hrs to give ourselves plenty of time to catch the dolmus and walk to the marina.
The last stop on the dolmus is at Duragi, outside the Faturabank. This was where we needed to get off, it is adjacent to the Yeni Hamidiye Cami Mosque. The Minaret of the mosque acts as the marker for the return journey. The fare from Oludeniz was 4.25 Turkish Lira each.
The sea is visible from the dolmus stop. Therefore just head towards it and you will arrive at the seafront.
With a sandwich board sign on the quay, Jerry’s boat was easy to find. Jerry and his crew were very friendly and welcoming. Tea and coffee were offered as soon as we boarded.
17 passengers on the boat, we left for a full day of swimming, snorkeling, fishing and sunbathing. A delicious buffet lunch was provided and there was a bar for soft and alcoholic drinks.
Jerry bbq’s the fish caught as part of the lunch. Luckily for us, those catching the fish didn’t want to eat them, so we feasted on the toil of others.
A wonderful day spent on Jerry’s boat, having lots of fun with a great bunch other passengers.
We returned at 1700 hrs and paid the 110 Turkish Lira each for the day.
Paragliding
Oludeniz is regarded as one of the best places in the world to paraglide. Mount Babadag provides the perfect launch site with its exceptional height of 6460 ft. It also offers stunning views. From the summit the view over the whole plain of Xanthus is breathtaking. Its position gives rise to incredible thermals which create the ideal conditions for paragliding flights.
Scuba diving
The crystal clear waters of Oludeniz are perfect for scuba diving. There are numerous companies offering diving trips. Snorkelling is another popular activity.