Destinations / The most romantic places on the Earth / The Butterfly Valley

If you are romantic enough and especially if you are deeply in love and the urge of travelling takes you, I suggest to visit the Butterfly Valley. The Butterfly Valley is one of the most beautiful places in Turkey. It is located on the east coast of the Gulf Beldzheeiz, and you can get there only by boat. So, imagine a cheerful, happy, romantic morning and you climbing with your loved one on a beautiful yacht… The valley of the colorful butterflies is spinning in a colorful carnival! Fantastic! What a lovely sight! This Valley of the Butterflies (Kelebekler Vadis) is of an extraordinary beauty. It is situated in a reserved place in the vicinity of Fethiye, one of the most spectacular sights in Turkey. This is a real kingdom of billions of fragile graceful creatures - butterflies. From the 8 th of February,1995 the Valley of Butterflies is preserved and guarded by the World Heritage Fund.

Description

This will be the most romantic meeting ever. The secluded valley between the mountains lurking is very romantic. There you will find a few houses similar with some exotic bungalows, with protruding feet from doorways. It turns out that people live there and serve visitors , reminiscent of the late sixties hippie. They have a small farm, they work in the coastal cafes and enjoy taking pictures with tourists. The season starts with butterflies from June and lasts till October. Thousands of brindle beauties turn this place into a magical realm. Like a velvet shawl, they shelter trees and stones, especially the lots of butterflies in the waterfalls located deep in the valley. It is necessary to frighten them, and the sky is colorful, and the land is literally sinking into the shadows. The hilly slopes relish with fantastic beauty. From July to September, the place is under "siege" butterflies. There are more than 30 species of butterflies in bright colors. You cannot find hotels or guest houses where you can’t spend a night without wonderful landscapes or without enjoying the terraces or just a delicious cocktail in peace. On these terraces, you can be served like a princess. The Turkish people who work in tourism would do anything to do a favor to you, not to get annoyed.

Origin

Its name was due to the” Jersey Tiger" butterfly, a species, which is called by the naturalists “Euplagia quadripunctaria”. This is one of the most beautiful butterflies of the “Arctiidae” family. Huge colonies of these fragile beauties of the red-black-and-white live in the valley from June till October. But the valley is also inhabited by a magnificent diversity of species of butterflies of the Mediterranean region. The Butterfly Valley (Kekebek Vadis) covers 10 ha on the basis of deep valleys and steep, one of the most beautiful bays of Fethiye. Pieri, Euplagia and Chrysippus are just some of the more than 40 species of butterflies that live there thanks to this place. The Valley of Butterflies is worth to be visited. It is of unique beauty. A fantastic unusual picture will open your eyes - butterflies, butterflies, so many butterflies! It might seem that you are on another planet or in another dimension, where only butterflies live and rule the world. Billions of butterflies of all colors and shades hid under the lush vegetation making a carpet with their colorful wings. Only one awkward movement, and the whole valley explodes with fireworks kind of butterflies swirling in the colorful carnival. All this violent flutter of winged beauties abundance, it is as a veil in the sun. The Valley plunges into a light shade. It’s an indescribable fantastic spectacle! Simply breathtaking!

Neighborhoods

Gemiler, or St. Nicholas’ Islands

Not very far from the valley you might see one of the most amazing islands- Gemiler. It is also called the island of St. Nicholas. The Christian monastery is a tribute to the ancient Byzantine settlements. Its cells go right down to the water. Nearby the ruins you may see the Greek temple of Apollo. To move up to the church of St. Nicholas is a long way to pass through a narrow path winding among the rocks and bushes. But on the very top of your eyes is a magnificent panorama: the endless blue sea, blue rocks, green hills at the foot, and the pure ultramarine sky. It’s as if you want to push off the ground, spread out your arms and say to yourself "Why do not people fly?" or the moment is as if you want to shout your love name from the top and tell how much you love him.

Fethiye

One of the most popular resorts in Turkey: Fethiye can be found at 135 km south of Marmaris. Fethiye is a city situated in the Gulf of Fethiye, surrounded by Taurus Mountains which peaks over 2,000 meters. The small port of the resort is dominated by a hill on which are the ruins of a fortress built by the Knights of Rhodes. The resort is famous not only because of its natural beauty, but for the many possibilities to practice different sports too. Many ancient sights can be found here. The port city attracts plenty of tourists with a special atmosphere of the old city bazaar, with shops, restaurants, bars and cafes. The most beautiful and the oldest monument of art in Fethiye is in sarcophagi type. Lician and tombs are carved into high cliffs dating back to the IV th century BC. Spending a nice holiday is provided here by the beautiful natural landscapes, the Butterfly Valley National Park, the Canyon Saklikent, and the possibility of practicing such sports like skydiving or paragliding, horse riding, and boat trips among the beautiful blue lagoon and the mountains which stretch back to the waterfront and the wild vegetation found along the Oludeniz bay.

Fethiye is a charming town with restaurants on the beach and it is full of sights. The most important thing is that you can swim in the Mediterranean and then climb the switchbacks and reach an altitude of at least 1,400 meters. Fethiye offers unforgettable memories. Fethiye is paradise on earth, but a "vale of tears" for women. The most popular trip is the 12 islands in the bay. You can choose what ship you get and you can negotiate the price.

Saklikent

In the mountains above Fethiye there is Saklikent - a gorge of 300 m deep, spanning 18 km, the longest and the deepest in Turkey. You can walk on it on a suspended bridge which is about 1 km. Further, walking through the stream you need to hire rubber boots. It is adventurous. The restaurants on the river are specialized in the preparation of fresh trout.

But if you want to visit historical monuments, you will not be disappointed. Near Fethiye, there are ruins of churches, chapels and buildings from the Byzantine period: the Cezayirli mosque, built in 1791 by Hasan Pasha, aqueducts, bridges and the Fethyie Koprusu Kemer castle.

Tlos

Tlos is situated at 28 km from Fethiye. The ancient city was the "sports center" of the Lycian Federation. The legend of Bellerophon's horse and Pegas was born here.

Oludeniz

The Butterfly Valley is a main point of arrival in Oludeniz- one of the most beautiful beaches in Turkey, which offers many water sports. The beach is spectacular. Here you can socialize with tourists from all over the world. Ölüdeniz, which means the "blue lagoon", is one of Turkey's natural parks, protected by law. But if you want to stay with your loved one alone, the resort is perfect. You can also wander along the city's bays. The landscape is wonderful if you love nature and its pristine places. After such a trip, if you need to refresh your forces, you can grab a delicious dinner on the beach. You may find restaurants all over the coast and the prices are moderate. Here you can taste the famous Turkish dessert, filled with honey, walnuts or pistachios. There are so many kinds of dessert, so fragrant and a divine aspect, that it is hard to think about your food list allowed. Oludeniz beach is great. It gained fame for "the most photographed beach in Turkey."

A wide range of hotels are available in Oludeniz. For those who have a moderate budget there is the Carmina Hotel, starting from $ 30. For those who want little pampering, there is the Belcekiz Beach Hotel, from $ 130. Reservations are fast, safe and effective for hotels in Oludeniz and the Butterfly Valley is very near. With comprehensive information, the hotels in Oludeniz, near the Valley of Butterflies are easy to search through the town of Oludeniz. Serving over 1,000,000 customers, the number of tourists is increasing and more and more tourists now choose to search for hotels Agoda and the Butterfly Valley for their holidays in Oludeniz. If you walk on the beach Oludeniz considered the most beautiful in Turkey, it's good to look up from time to time, not to be landed with a paraglider in the head. Every day hundreds of paragliders are flying above the beach, which starts at about 1,600 meters on Mount Babadag, near the sea. The price of a tandem flight of 30-40 minutes is about 50 euros and it includes a jeep road, about 45 minutes up the mountain. With a dolmus, a local minibus, Oludeniz is reached in 25 minutes.

The Kidrak Bay

If you prefer a more secluded place, away from the bustle created by the tourists, we recommend the Kidrak bay. It is ideal for walking and relaxation, which are provided by the coastline, fine sandy beach and clean water.

The Kayakoyu Village

At about 8 km south of Fethiye, there is a narrow road that winds up to the mountain where the ghost village Kayakoyu is. Poppies, spiky bushes and fig trees are seen in every place among the ruins perched like one another in this labyrinth of stone. In 1922, the residents of Kayakoyu, the Greek orthodox, moved near Athens after an exchange of populations between Turkey and Greece. The village remained deserted. An earthquake in 1954 destroyed more than 2,000 stone houses.

Mount Babadag

The place of the “butterflies’ kingdom” is situated in the eastern Gulf Coast Beldzheiz, in a canyon, spreading an area of 2,000 m on the slopes of Mount Babadag (1970 m). The canyon is a kind of natural triangle. It has 10 hectares and its wall rises to a height of 400 m. The area is cut off from the outside world by sea. Therefore, tourists get on there, walking daily with Fethiye courts. There are no hotels in the valley because the building in a conservation area is prohibited. Tourists who visit the place and want to spend the night in that place take a tent. Climbing the hill of Mount Babadag is full of sharp, rather tedious protrusions. However, the unique beauty of the Valley of the Butterflies is worth it. To fully enjoy the picturesque landscape of untouched nature, is to go deep into the valleys and waterfalls. The first waterfall is situated at a 15 minutes walking distance from the coast in the deep valley. Further, by doing another 15 minute route, you will see a second waterfall. The crystal water flows a noisy cascade down a frustrated, seething stream of rushing through the sprawling lush green trees into the sea. Very nice! And it's so nice to breathe in the valley! The whole air is impregnated with the scent of wild herbs, among which a pleasant scent of thyme stands out.

Faralya

There is another place worthy of attention in this scenic area. This is an ancient village Faralya called Uzunyurt. To get to it, you need to follow the coast along the path to the right side. On this part of the settlement Faralya opens the extraordinary beauty of the Valley of the Butterflies, fantastic panorama. Higher, above the Valley of the Butterflies, you can see the ruins of the Lycian settlement dating back to the IV th century BC. But a nice swimming in the crystal clear turquoise water of the bay of the Valley of the Butterflies will give you a total completeness and the brightest impressions of your trip with your loved one. .

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Maps of The Butterfly Valley