Kayaköy

Kayaköy is a "ghost town" in Lycia on the Mediterranean coast of Turkey, 10 km south of Fethiye. Remarkably, 975 of these ghosts were substantial enough to deceive the census enumerators of 2022, and they run shops, cafes and guesthouses, and drive too fast around bends knowing they can't die a second time. The ticketed area of abandoned Levissi is only a small part of what's become a large resort village.

Understand

Aerial view of the abandoned village

Levissi had a Greek population, and many other towns across Turkey had substantial numbers of Greeks and Armenians. It's an ancient settlement but what you see now was built in the late 19th century, after Fethiye (then called Makri) suffered an earthquake and then a fire: many re-located here, bringing the population to 6000. But during those years inter-communal violence increased, and by the early 20th century this involved organised massacres and expulsions at the hands of the Ottomans. As with the Armenians, some Greeks of Levissi and Makri were able to flee, but many were sent far away on death marches. By the time the Ottoman Empire lay broken at the end of the First World War, this village was already deserted.

Greece was on the winning side and made large territorial gains in the initial post-war treaty. But they yearned for more, and invaded the rest of Turkey, until beaten back from the edge of Ankara by the forces of Kemal Atatürk. This war necessitated a new peace treaty in 1923. Greece gained Salonica and the Aegean islands, but lost mainland possessions such as Smyrna / Izmir. And the treaty required population exchanges to avert future conflict, so ethnic Greeks / Christians were deported from Turkey, while ethnic Turks / Muslims were deported from Greece and elsewhere in the former Ottoman Empire. Towns were hurriedly re-named, and Levissi became Kayaköy, "rock village".

Those resettled here were Muslims from Macedonia, but they were used to large-scale agriculture on flat fertile fields, and didn't care to grub a living from these dry hills. They drifted elsewhere, and were further discouraged by the Fethiye earthquake of 1957. Kayaköy remained a ghost town, but from the 1980s came a boom in tourism, including domestic tourism and holiday-home ownership. Housing then developed on the plain north of the original village, called Keçiler, and to the west, called Kınalı. This has led to a sprawling modern tourist village, within 30 minutes travel from nearby beach resorts.

Get in

Fethiye is the regional hub, with direct buses from Dalaman airport, Istanbul, Izmir and elsewhere.

Dolmuş minibuses run from the stops on Fethiye main street, every 30 minutes. They also run from Ölüdeniz.

Kaya Cd is the sealed though winding and somewhat narrow road from Fethiye to Kayaköy, clearly signposted. A broader road runs from Fethiye to Ölüdeniz main village, then you branch west on Cumhuriyet Cd.

See below for the Lycian Way hiking trail from Fethiye via Kayaköy to Ölüdeniz, and away east through the coastal hills.

Get around

You mostly walk. It's impractical for those with limited mobility to explore the abandoned village, which has steep uneven alleys.

See

• 1 Kayaköy abandoned village is ranged over the slopes south of the present settlement, with 500 houses standing in ruins. Best preserved is the lower church (Aşağı Kilise) as this was used for a time as a mosque. The "upper church" is 50 m south, and a 20 min walk (waymarked by red dots) brings you to the hilltop chapel. The site is nominally open daily 08:30-20:00, but that's just when the ticket kiosk is open: hikers on the trail to Cold Water Bay can pass through free by avoiding those hours. In any case avoid the midday heat, as the site lacks shade. In 2024 entrance cost 100 TL.
• 2 Cold Water Bay (Soğuk Su Koyu) is a pleasant secluded pebble beach, with Las Tunas restaurant. A freshwater spring bubbles out, and the bay is frequented by turtles. You can drive here with 2WD along the unsealed but graded track from the village. There's also a shorter hiking trail via the abandoned village, see below, and boat trips visit from Ölüdeniz.
• 3 Gemile Beach is pebble. It's reached by continuing west on Gemiler Cd through the village and is paved all the way, though narrow and twisty. The hiking trail cuts off one long road loop. There's a beach cafe and overpriced parking and sun-loungers.
• 4 St Nicholas Island lies 500 m offshore. In Turkish it's Gemiler Adası, Camel Island for its profile seen from shore, though there's not much resemblance. It has the ruins of a 4th century Byzantine chapel, believed to be the original burial site of St Nicholas (270-343). He had been bishop of Myra, nowadays Demre, and his relics were moved there 200 years later when the Fethiye coast came under Arab attack. They rested 500 years in Myra before being stolen and taken to Bari in Italy, which introduced him to the western world and began his metamorphosis into the jovial saint called Santa Claus.
• 5 Afkule is a Greek Orthodox monastery clinging dramatically to the sea cliffs, abandoned after 1923. From the west end of the village turn off Gemilar Cd onto a dirt track. This is suitable for 2WD and goes west through the pine forest for 1 km to end at a car park. Take the obvious trail northwest for 1 km, way-marked in yellow and red, to the cliff above the site. Take great care on the descent into the monastery, and the lowest sections to the church and monks' residences are precipitous.

Do

The upper church

• Kayaköy Horse Riding is based near the ghost village ticket office.
• Hiking to Cold Water Bay is only 2 km by the direct trail, but this crosses the ghost village ticketed area so you have to start early before the kiosk opens. Head straight up towards the hilltop chapel (as above). The bay trail diverges before the chapel and descends in two stages to the sea, waymarked by red dots.
• Lycian Way is a long-distance hiking trail through the hills along the coast. The official start is Ovacık at the edge of Ölüdeniz, but many start from Fethiye to take in the ghost village, and to have a short preliminary stage before tackling the main trail. It's an 8 km cobbled medieval pack-horse route from Fethiye that takes 3 hours, then another 3 km east brings you to Ovacık.
• Kayaköy Art Camp holds two-week workshops June-September on photography, pottery, painting, traditional carpet weaving, woodwork and the like, with afternoons free for sightseeing. They have limited guesthouse accommodation, otherwise bring your own tent. They're on Gemiler Cd by the Pyramid Hotel.
• Ethnic Music Festival is in November. Musical and other activities have a spiritual / Sufi / New Age flavour.

Buy

• Deniz Market is a small store by the ghost village entrance, open daily 08:00-00:00.
• Can Market at the village crossroads is open daily 08:00-00:00 and serves Gözleme turn-overs.
• No ATM or bank in the village, and some places only take cash.

Eat

St Nicholas or Gemiler Island

• Cin Bal 1975 (200 m northeast of ticket office), ☏ +90 252 618 0066, info@cinbal.com. Daily 10:30-00:00. This is an open-air "cook it yourself" restaurant, you pick out your meat (125-150 g/person of lamb chops is right for most), the waiter sets you up with a barbecue, and in 10 minutes they're ready. At this point along come salads and mezes. They also serve wine and raki. It's pleasant at sundown under the vine leaves, but bring mozzie repellent. (updated Aug 2024)
• Lebessos is by the ticket office, open 09:00-23:30.
• Kaya Köy Sofrası is 200 m west of the ticket office, open daily 09:00-22:00.
• Bülentin Yeri is open daily 09:00-23:00.

Drink

The cafes and restaurants serve alcohol.

Sleep

Most visitors daytrip from Fethiye or Ölüdeniz, both within 10 km and with much more accommodation.

• 1 Ya Basta Camping, Belen Cd 3, ☏ +90 532 223 9168. Clean well-run camping and caravan site. (updated Aug 2024)
• 2 Utopia Lodge, Tellal Tepe Sk 9, ☏ +90 537 799 7959. Relaxing place with bungalow accommodation. B&B double 1000 TL. (updated Aug 2024)
• 3 Kaya Villas, Hacı Mustafa Sk, ☏ +90 252 618 0048. Great comfort, service and fine dining at these luxurious villas. B&B double 8000 TL. (updated Aug 2024)
• 4 Pyramid Hotel, Gemiler Cd 55, ☏ +90 533 600 0295. Charming tranquil hotel in lush gardens. B&B double 4000 TL. (updated Aug 2024)
• 5 Yol Glamping, Gemiler Cd 49, ☏ +90 532 580 9052. Peaceful family-friendly site west end of the village. You sleep in yurts, so it looks like Genghis Khan's last invasion got further than historians realised. B&B double 3500 TL. (updated Aug 2024)
• 6 Mossa Afkule, Gemiler Cd 193, ☏ +90 532 580 4863. Simple place at the end of the peninsula road. B&B double 4000 TL. (updated Aug 2024)

Connect

Kayaköy and its approach roads have 4G from all Turkish carriers. As of Aug 2024, 5G has not rolled out in Turkey.

Go next

• Fethiye is a big lively resort, with Lycian tombs carved into its cliffs.
• Ölüdeniz is best known for its blue lagoon, though you need a bright day to appreciate it.
• Faralya straggles along the cliffs further south. You can only access its Butterfly Canyon by boat trip from Ölüdeniz.
• Lycian Way leads through Ovacık and Faralya, and eventually all the way to Antalya.

Routes through Kayaköy

END ← Fethiye ←

W  E

→ Ovacık (Ölüdeniz) → Antalya