This picture almost never happened, mostly due to clouds appearing in the sky every time I planned to visit Oludeniz, one of the best beaches in Turkey. Having based myself out of nearby Fethiye (approximately 10 kilometers away) for much of the past fall and winter, I made a few trips to this beach thatβs most famous for its Blue Lagoon. You can actually see the edge of the Blue Lagoon at the far end of the beach in the photo above but the best views are from the air. Paragliding is huge in Oludeniz and even when the beaches are as quiet as they were on this late fall day, the skies still have a fair share of people floating above (right over my shoulder in this case).
There’s a bit of confusion online about the exact location of Oludeniz – and what sea it’s on. Both Wikipedia and Google Maps incorrectly place Oludeniz on the Aegean Sea; close but not quite. Make no mistake about it, Oludeniz, which means “dead sea” in Turkish, is on the Mediterranean. The boundary of the Aegean is actually between the northern edge of nearby Rhodes to just south of the Turkish town Marmaris – approximately 80 km offshore from Oludeniz.
The last time I visited Oludeniz with friends Barry and Julia, who write Turkey’s For Life (a must-read site if you’re headed to this part of Turkey) the weather was just warming up. That spring swell in tourists is likely now an avalanche of people from all over the world, with big numbers from England and Germany. That trip helped what had been a dismal set of pictures previously, most of which you can see in my Oludeniz album here.
Oh how I long for those days now. Seems like a lifetime ago! Got friends flying out tonight and they’re staying in Olu Deniz so it looks like we’re going to be amongst the mass of Brits and Germans clambering for a speck on the beach for the next fortnight. Joy! π
Thanks for the mention.
Julia
It does seem like forever since we were there…makes me wonder when and where is the next time we’ll all meet up π Better get to the beach early I guess, you know those Germans like to be on time and get the best spots!
Love this picture. I have wanted to visit Turkey’s beaches for quite awhile! This one looks fantastic π
September is a great time to visit and right around the corner π Many, many wonderful beaches to choose from in Turkey.
we used to love olu deniz beach when we first went to the area a good few years ago, but now we hate it. not a place to relax at all, ( unless it looks like the photo )
15 years ago even it wasn’t nearly as well known but now you can still find it pretty quiet (yet warm) – late April, early May – then back again in September.
I am headed that way in October so will be able to see this gorgeous beach for myself.
Definitely you will π A great time to visit…
I’ve only seen the beaches in Turkey packed with tourists, would love to visit an empty one like that some time.. π
Nice thing about (just) after peak season at many of Turkey’s southern beaches is warm but not scorching hot weather as well π Fall and spring are great times to visit!
Looks like an idyllic location to work on a tan instead of a blog post! π
Definitely makes a better paradise than an office, though I often have trouble distinguishing between the two!
Great photo so glad you didnt give up on it! This is how I like to enjoy the beaches nowadays with no one else around. Oh how things have changed just a few years ago this would have been misery for my friends and I as we were always looking for the crowds.
I prefer to have things to myself too, but if you’re looking for a party guess the crowds help π