Calis beach is located on the southern Mediterranean coast of Turkey about 5 km from the natural bay and small port of Fethiye. It has a moderate climate and spectacular scenery.
The town has a 3 mile beach frontage with restricted watersports and comes alive during the summer season providing an excellent choice for a perfect relaxing holiday. It has areas of protected parks and quiet walks, restaurants with varied menus and styles and boasts the largest local (canvas) covered market – every Sunday.
The 2km promenade along the beach is lined with restaurants and bars to accommodate all tastes.
Fethiye is just a short distance away and can be visited by using the ‘Dolmus’ – a small white privately owned minibus – from outside the Aquapark. They run approximately every 10 minutes. There will be a small green sign in the windscreen that says ‘Fethiye’. The fare for this is 1YTL, which is the new currency or 1 million Turkish lire old currency, approximately 40 English pence. A taxi rank can be found next to the roundabout on your way to the beach, but by far the most enjoyable way into Fethiye is via the water-taxi’s down by the river in Calis. These take you across the bay to Fethiye harbour.
Fethiye has places of historic interest, markets and unspoilt charm where you can watch the world go by from one of the many street or portside cafe’s.
This Mediterranean town is the perfect place to visit with its good selection of harbour-front restaurants and bars, variety of shops and food markets and even a local Turkish bath.
The towns natural beauty – comprising of a stunning coastline and dramatic Touros mountain scenery, cultural heritage and of course excellent Turkish hospitality – is a great way to spend a day away from the beach
On a historical level, Fethiye has castle ruins set on the hillside overlooking the bay and ancient Lycian rock tombs. Ruins of a Roman amphitheater can also be found behind the harbour. The town’s Museum in the centre displays archaeological finds from Lycian, Persian, Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman periods. It’s open every day except Mondays.
In the centre of town you’ll find a good selection of shops selling household items from jewelery to clothes. There’s also a fantastic fruit and vegetable market and an aromatic fish market where you can look and select the fish you want, point to one of the surrounding restaurants where you’d like to sit and they will clean the fish, take it to your restaurant and have it cooked for you there and then. The restaurant will serve it to you with salad and fresh bread. All this can be done at an extremely reasonable price.
Further on from the fish market you will find Fethiye’s amazing small streets lined with shops and bazaars and where in the evenings the buzzing nightclubs come to life.
Fethiye holds a huge traditional market bazaar every Tuesday, selling local produce, kitchenwares, souvenirs and bargain clothes. Turkey is renowned for being the place to buy “cheap as chips”, excellent quality “genuine-fake designer clothes” – and if you want them, this market is the place to come. Be prepared for the friendly locals infamous catchphrases! “Buy one – get me free!” and “Cheaper than Asda!”
A market is also held every Sunday in Calis.
Fethiye also has a post office and good selection of banks and exchange offices.
There is a cinema in Fethiye that often shows films with the original English soundtracks (with Turkish subtitles) and which advertises in the local English paper ‘Land of Lights’.
English newspapers can be found in shops and markets in Fethiye and Calis.
‘HELLO CAFE – This cafe is well worth a visit. It is located at the Calis end of Fethiye harbor. Its green canopy juts out into the harbor a short distance, where you can sit at a table next to the waters edge and place your order ensuring that you ask for a loaf of bread as well! Now all that’s needed is for you to break the bread into small pieces and throw it into the water and watch the amazing sight that will unfold before your eyes. The water will come alive with fish literally climbing on each other’s backs to get the bread. Fantastic!
OLD TURKISH BATH (HAMAM) – Experience a true Turkish delight whilst in Fethiye in traditional style. The Turkish baths or ‘Hamam’ can be found in the middle of the small shops and bars area, behind the fish market.