Calis Beach and Fethiye Areas Turkey
Calis / Cais Beach
A quiet yet busy holiday resort where the mountains tumble into the clear waters of the Mediterranean with a seemingly endless beach, that is approximately 6km long and a significant nesting place for turtles, some would describe it as a sun worshipper's dream. For those that don’t like the beach there is a water park. Life in Calis is simple and relaxed. With A good selection of bars and restaurants lining the promenade the biggest decision that you will need to take is where to stop and have lunch or sit and watch the dramatic sunsets. From here you can take the dolmus or Water taxis that run regularly in the summer between Calis and Fethiye. On a Sunday you can take a wonder around the local market.
Fethiye Town
Is a busy working town that does not close down at the end of the summer, unlike some in the area. It is here that you will find large supermarkets as well as plenty of shops to purchase leather goods, carpets, jewellery and other souvenirs, as well as the fascinating market on a Tuesday where locals will sell a wide range of produce. When you are tired of walking around, stop and try a Turkish coffee or have a cup of apple tea in one of the “Paspatur” cafes. It has its own natural harbour where you can get boat trips around the many islands or take a fishing trip. From here (mid June-September) you can also get the Hydro foil and spend the day over on the Greek island of Rhodes (don’t forget your passport though). If you want an evening out then there are plenty of bars and restaurants selling a wide variety of dishes to suit all tastes. The town is connected by three highways to all other cities, so it is easy to explore the rest of the region either on your own or with an organised tour. It is also the starting point of the Lycian way, a 311mile (500-km) footpath through the mountains of the Tekke peninsula to Antalya.
Fethiye, originaly called Telmessos located on the Lycian and Ca rian border, was a prominent ancient Lycian port and is in its own right an interesting place to visit. Although over the centuries much has been destroyed by nature it is still evident from the existing monuments that the city was rich and highly cultured during the Hellenistic and Roman period. Among the many rock tombs that can still be seen is the tomb of Amyntas that has been carved into the sheer rock face high above the town. Within the town Lycian-type sarcophagi can be found, On these there are epitaphs in the Lycian scripture. Most noticeably is the sarcophagus near the government house with its reliefs depicting warriors. Built on the site that the city was first founded is the fortress. The fortress walls are from the 11th century although in places parts from the roman period can be seen. During the 15th century Rodesian knights repaired the fortress and used it as a naval base. The Roman Theatre built in the 2nd century on the site of a Greek style one is opposite the comm ercial quay in the town centre. This site was excavated in the early 90s by Fethiye Archaeology Museum and restoration was done to theatres cavea and stage. A visit to the Museum would be worth doing. It has two exhibition halls. In the archaeology hall you will see a trilingual stele, which has played an important part in the understanding of the Lycian language, and many other statues as well as ceramic works, the other hall is the ethnography hall where you will see silver jewellery and hand woven items. You will also see large stone works of art and tombs in the open exhibition. Fethiye is the only settlement along the Mediterranean coast that has been constantly occupied since first established (philological Studies show that the city dates back to the 3rd century BC).
Click for Fethiye Slide Show 
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