Kayakoy is a ghost town in a quick run from Oludeniz and Fethiye. Why ghost? Because the small town has about 3.5 thousand houses, 3 churches, a school, a hospital – all the infrastructure a small settlement may need. However, this town has been completely abandoned since 1923! No one lives here, and most of the houses have dilapidated, and some are even completely destroyed. Very interesting, isn’t it? So, we got interested in this place and decided to see this popular tourist attraction near Oludeniz with our own eyes.
Kayakoy history
The settlement was founded in the 18th century by a Greek community. That time it was called Lebessos, but later it was renamed Livissi. The settlement had all the infrastructure a small town may need. In 1923, the Turkish war ended. As a result, the Greeks had to leave the Turkish territory and return to their country. Thus, Kayakoy was abandoned, as the Turks didn’t want to live here.
Kayakoy village was built on a mountain, but most of the Turks built their houses on a plain. So, they didn’t want to move to the Greeks’ houses and live on the mountain. The houses gradually deteriorated, and the locals living nearby dragged parts from the houses to restore their homes. An earthquake in Fethiye in 1957 further worsened Kayakoy village’s condition.
Today, this place is very popular among tourists who come to the nearby resorts – Fethiye and Oludeniz. The famous Lycian Way runs through Kayakoy. Here, you can make up a few hiking routes and stroll around the town for as long as you want – even for a few hours. You are to pay for the entrance to Kayakoy 5 liras only. The village is open to the public from 9 AM – 8 PM during the season.
Kayakoy on the map
How to get to Kayakoy
There are a few ways to get to Kayakoy village.
- If you are staying in Fethiye or Oludeniz, you can get to Kayakoy by public transport called dolmush. You should take a dolmush that has a Kayaköy or Kaya sign on it. Price is 5 liras. Dolmush stops right at the village entrance.
- You can get to Kayakoy yourself by rented car or scooter. We rented a car and went to Kayakoy after the Butterfly Valley. Renting a car in Turkey is easy. It will give you a chance to comfortably visit tourist and non-tourist attractions on your own.
- If you don’t want to bother to drive, but is still eager to get to Kayakoy comfortably, the most convenient option is a taxi. You can order a taxi at the hotel or take one in the street.
Our visit to Kayakoy ghost town
We went to Kayakoy at the hottest time in the afternoon. That’s right, we like to sleep long and after that to go around tourist places all day long, even in the sun. On that day in the morning, we went to enjoy the Butterfly Valley beach from high rocks. Then, we had lunch and went to Kayakoy in the afternoon. We bought tickets at the entrance, although no one checked them. Just bought and put them in a pocket. No one met us at the entrance. But I think someone still makes sure that all tourists buy tickets.
So,we were in a rush, so we decided to go right to the top to see Kayakoy town from above.
All the paths in the town are paved with stones. It feels like walking around an old medieval town. In the daytime, we weren’t scared at all, although the size of this abandoned town is impressive. I thought it was just a village – no more than a few abandoned houses. But it turned out that there was all the infrastructure for comfortable living – churches, pharmacies, a school. And instead of dozens of houses, there were about 3.5 thousand of them! When we climbed the mountain, we could understand why tourists enjoy coming here. Personally, I’ve never seen such a large, abandoned place with empty houses before, but for one five-star abandoned Bali hotel. However, it’s only a hotel, and here we have a full-fledged town!
I really liked a Catholic church. We tried to get in, but it was walled-in from every side. It was a pity. But going down the mountain towards the main street, we have noticed a small hole in one of the church walls and could try to get through it.
Of course, we got in, wormed ourselves through the hole, and saw a beautiful old Catholic church before us.
We entered the temple. It was magnificent and totally empty inside. We wandered a little inside and around the church and headed back.
At the top we could reach, we found only remaining walls of a building and a Turkish flag.
This place offers magnificent views of the nearby settlements.
People live right next to abandoned Kayakoy town. You can see their nice two-storey houses and well-kept adjacent territories.
If you look the other side, you can see another Turkish flag set on a mountain top.
In Turkey, most people like to decorate their homes with their national flag. It is most noticeable in Istanbul, when you drive and walk along the street to the Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque on the Sultanahmet Square.
I really liked walking around abandoned Kayakoy town in the daytime. It wasn’t scary at all. Probably, to feel this place’s mysteriousness and give your nerves a little strain, you should come here in the late afternoon. I think at night it’s a really shivery place. But anyway, this place is very interesting and worth visiting.