Oludeniz is a small village in Turkey located at the border of two seas – the Mediterranean and the Aegean. The resort’s name Oludeniz is translated as a “dead sea”. The resort is very popular both with the Turks and the Europeans. In Turkey, Oludeniz is believed to be one of the best resorts. Even the Turks go there for the weekend or bring the whole family on vacation. This resort is also very popular with the Europeans, especially the Germans and the British. But every year more and more tourists from other countries discover this fantastic, picturesque resort and completely different Turkey!
The sea color in Oludeniz is really turquoise and so attractive for tourists. Oludeniz is known for its beautiful beaches. The best recognized beach in Turkey – the Blue Lagoon – is located here. There are a lot of coniferous trees in Oludeniz, which significantly differs it from other Turkish resorts. The beaches of Oludeniz are covered with light sand and pebbles, perfectly contrasting with the blue color of the water. Photos from the Oludeniz beaches are bright and juicy, as if you aren’t in Turkey, but in the Caribbean. Yes, you’ve heard it right! Do you want to see beautiful sea colors, but don’t want to travel far to the Caribbean? Come to Oludeniz! A lot of tourists come back here again and again to get the most of it!
Oludeniz — location and how to get there
Oludeniz is in the south part of Turkey and washed by the Aegean Sea. Oludeniz is located on the same coast as well-known Marmaris, but they are on opposite sides of Dalaman Airport.
To get to Oludeniz, you need to fly to Dalaman International Airport, which is only 57 kilometers from the resort.
You can reach Dalaman by a direct flight or with a transfer in Istanbul, then you can take a bus from the airport to Fethiye, which is another well-known resort located next to Oludeniz. Then you can take a local minibus dolmush to Oludeniz. Also you can order an airport transfer or take a taxi.
Oludeniz on the map
Oludeniz — climate. Best time to travel here.
Oludeniz has subtropical climate. The best time to travel here is from May to October. The daytime air temperature in May is +26-30 degrees. The sea is still cool, but you can already swim. Summer is the hottest time in Oludeniz. The sun is scorching during the day and very hot even in the evening. If you aren’t afraid of such heat, you can come here in summer. In summer, the sea warms up to 25-26 degrees and it’s comfortable to swim.
In July and August, Oludeniz welcomes the largest number of tourists. Their number becomes less and there comes so-called Indian summer season. The sea is very warm, but it’s pleasant to be outside; the hottest hours are since 1 till 4 pm. September is believed to be the best time to visit Oludeniz – you can swim in the very warm sea, sunbathe and see sights while it’s not so hot outside. In October the sea is slightly cooler than in September. The daytime temperature drops a little, and now it’s comfortable to go on a variety of trips. In November, the holiday season is usually over.
Oludeniz — hotels
There are a variety of hotels, apartments, and villas in Oludeniz. I believe that any tourist will be able to find a suitable price/quality ratio. Most of the hotels are located in the lower part of Oludeniz – by the sea. There are both smaller hotels that offer BB and HB catering systems, as well as 5- and 4-star hotels with the all-inclusive catering system. There are not many of them, but there’s a selection to choose from.
The most popular 5* hotels:
- Belcekiz Beach Club — All Inclusive
- Liberty Hotels Lykia
- SentidoLykia Resort & SPA
Good 4* hotels:
- Liberty Hotels Oludeniz
- Suncity Hotel — Beach Club
- Mavruka Hotel
Good 3* hotels:
- Perdikia Beach
- Hotel Oludeniz
- Majestic Hotel
Oludeniz — transport
Oludeniz is divided into 2 parts. The upper part is much larger than the lower one; there are more shops and kiosks. The lower part of Oludeniz is located by the sea, which its main advantage. You can use public transport to travel between the upper and lower parts. Local minibuses called “dolmushi” run frequently – almost every 5-10 minutes – and take tourists from one part of Oludeniz to the other. The price is 5 liras only. Dolmushi run from early morning until late at night. Buses also run the same route, so moving between upper and lower Oludeniz will cause no problems.
Also, you can rent a car or a motorbike in Oludeniz. This option is very popular with tourists who want to drive along the excellent Turkish roads to the far corners of the country on their own.
Hereyou can find more details on renting a car in Turkey. We rented a car for 2 days from MyRentaCar. We often rent cars here to see a lot of sights on our own. In general, it was exciting to drive outside the resort. If I couldI would have rented a car for the entire stay in Turkey and wouldtraveled along the coast, stopping in different places. I relay like this travel format.
Oludeniz — cuisine, local restaurants and cafes
There are many cool atmospheric cafes in Oludeniz, where you can have a delicious meal. If you don’t stay at an all-inclusive hotel, just as we did, then you have a great reason to visit different cafes every day! We had breakfasts and dinners at the hotel, so every day we went to various cafes for lunch. I really liked these cafes and restaurants – The Pine Hill, Aubergine’s, The Harry’s Restaurant, Jade Terrace Food & Drink. We had dinner at Belcehan Beach Deluxe Cafe Bistro restaurant, which was included in our hotel cost.
The portions served are extremely large. By the end of our vacation, we ordered one main course for two, which was enough for us. Since if we ordered one course each, we had to force ourselves to finish eating – so large were the portions.
Oludeniz — best things to do and see
In Oludeniz, everyone will be able to find something to their liking, whether it is an active or a calm, hasteless rest.
Among outdoor activities in Oludeniz, the most famous one is paragliding with an instructor from the nearest Babadag Mount (translated as the “father mountain”). Yes, flights are available to almost everyone – even to children from 4 years old. You will remember this unforgettable feeling of flying for long! You can jump from 1,700 meters and sail in the air like a bird for about 25 minutes. Above the main beach of Oludeniz, there are always 30-50 paragliders hovering at the same time. You can swim in the sea and reverently watch one or another satisfied paraglider landing on Belcekiz beach. Indeed, showing different figures in the air is only at the client’s request or if the paraglider is experienced and flies alone. To tell the truth, it’s breathtaking. Oludeniz is a great place to try paragliding. After all, people from all over Europe come here, since it is here that nature has created perfect conditions for hovering from the Babadag Mount. Oludeniz is the second place in Europe for paragliding. If you aren’t an extreme sports fan, you can go to a restaurant, which is located on the top of the Babadag Mount and offers stunning views of Oludeniz, the Blue Lagoon and surrounding lands. Also, when sitting in a restaurant and drinking a delicious smoothie or cocktail, you can watch people starting an unforgettable flight with a paraglider with your own eyes. Yes, a paragliding launch pad is right in front of the restaurant.
So, if you are an outdoor activities fan, you can rent a SUP-board or a kayak on the Blue Lagoon beach and explore the nearest islands and beaches on your own. The Blue Lagoon is a protected area and is the main attraction of Oludeniz. The Turks from all over the country come to relax in this marvelous, protected place. However, the Blue Lagoon has had rather contradictory reviews recently. You’ll be able to understand, whether you like the Blue Lagoon or not, only when you visit it yourself.
If you like trekking, then I have good news for you – the famous Lycian Way passes through Oludeniz in the town of Kayakey. You can use a map to arrange a route and try to cover certain parts of it.
Turkey is rich with magnificent canyons, with tourist routes running along them. The longest gorge in Turkey is in just an hour’s drive from Oludeniz – Saklikent Gorge. You’ll be able to walk along a mountain river in Saklikent Gorge about 2 km in one direction and admire the beauty of nature – the rocks will open and then get narrow before you. Visiting the gorge has become one of the most pleasant memories of Oludeniz.
In Oludeniz, you can rent a vehicle, such as a car, a motorbike, or an ATV and go outside Oludeniz on your own to visit, for example, famous Turkish Kaputas and Patara beaches and a small mountain town Kas. You can also visit all these places by buying a tour online on the Tripster website – they will pick you up from the hotel and take to all the beaches in 1 day.
Also, you can go to the Butterfly Valley beach on your own or with a guided tour – this is a beach hidden in the rocks that got its name due to numerous varieties of butterflies that used to live here once upon a time; nowadays, there are no more of them than in any other place, but the name remained. Perhaps, you may want to stay here overnight in small bungalows to watch the sunrise on a deserted beach and feel alone with the sea.
If you don’t want to go far, but want to relax on another beach, then Kidrak beach is a great option – it’s only a 10-minutes’ drive. The beach is located between mountains and surrounded by pine trees. You can also visit an abandoned mountain town Kayakey. Once it used to be a town with 3 churches and a school – now, only abandoned buildings are left there. I wonder what happened there.
And of course, the main beach of Oludeniz – Belcekiz won’t leave you indifferent either. If you don’t want to go anywhere, you can have a great rest on this beach. After all, this is the main municipal beach of Oludeniz and its signature place!
Oludeniz — family holidays
Oludeniz is a great place for families with children of any age. In general, this resort has been created for family holidays. There are few noisy night discos and entertainment here. If you want to party, it’s better to go to Marmaris. The local beaches are perfect for swimmingwith children (although children will need special shoes because of the pebbles). There are almost no waves in some parts, the sea is warm, and the descent is smooth. The Turks love children and always do their best to entertain them.