Oludeniz means "Dead Sea" in Turkish. This famous resort is so beautiful that many call it "God's gift to the world". The beautiful bay, which strikes the imagination of travellers with its beauty, is surrounded by pine forests. This place is a most cosy anchorage for yachts and ships. In the quiet harbour, where, thanks to the presence of the spit, there are no high waves, the water surface is always calm.
Oludeniz beach is considered the most beautiful and popular among tourists beach in Turkey and is now a National Park. That is why there are no hotels on the shore of the bay, their construction in this place was banned to preserve the uniqueness of the local nature. Hotels are located in the depths of a small nearby valley. Almost a third of the water surface of the bay is covered by a sandy spit, forming an almost enclosed body of water, which the Turks called Oludeniz, later the name of the bay spread to the whole area. Boating is forbidden here, so the waters are characterised by special transparency and crystal clarity. Large steep cliffs surround the bay and create a unique and bizarre landscape.
To get to the lagoon you can overcome 15 km on the road from Fethiye, along which grows coniferous trees. The road goes up and down, and you will feel a little tired when suddenly the blue sea opens up in front of you. Its surface will be amazingly still, without a single seaweed, and the bottom is covered with snow-white sand. The sunlight refracting in the water and reflecting from the sand acquires a marvellous azure shade. The azure becomes even more intense when the shadow of the pine trees falls into the waters of the Dead Sea. This paradisiacal place is called Beljekiz Bay.
On the way to Oludeniz, be sure to visit the small mountain village of Ojakkoy. There you can spend the night in one of the cosy guest houses, and if you wish, you can even make a mountain trek. The town of Hisaroniou has hotels to suit all tastes and wallets. The ghost town of Kayaköy is located four kilometres from Hirasonyu, its old houses are no longer inhabited and its churches do not open their doors to their parishioners. Byzantine ruins are worth seeing on the island of Gemiler. Oludeniz can also be reached by boat, which leave daily from Fethiye.
A stop on Oludeniz is worthwhile in the Belcekiz Beach area. There is a beautiful beach there, and the water temperature allows you to swim there for more than ten months of the year. The turquoise colour of the sea seems incredible, besides there are absolutely no waves. There are a lot of good hotels and bars in this area. The name of the bay Beljekiz is connected with an interesting legend about a great and bright love between a sailor and a local girl. In those distant times, ships passing by the harbour stopped here to replenish fresh water. Sailors travelled to the shore from ships anchored offshore in dinghies. One day the young son of the captain himself went ashore to fetch water and met Beljekiz. The girl was very beautiful and the handsome young man, who fell in love with her at first sight, reciprocated. But the captain's son was bound to return to the ship. The ship sailed away, and the girl looked after her lover for a long time. The lovers could see each other only when the ship passed these places and the young sailor came on a dinghy to fetch water. One day, when the ship was passing the bay again, there was a violent storm. The young man persuaded his father to go into the bay, knowing that the water was always calm and that he could wait out the storm. Unfortunately, the old captain thought that his son was ready to smash the ship against the rocks just to see his girlfriend. The storm was getting worse and the argument between the son and the father was gaining momentum. The captain got angry, and seeing that the ship was being carried by the waves straight onto the rocks, he threw the young man overboard with a blow. The captain fell to the helm and drove the ship away from the rocks, at the same moment he saw a bay with calm water. But the waves had already swallowed the young man. Beljekiz never waited for her beloved. She could not bear the separation and threw herself into the sea from the cliff. Since then, the bay where the girl drowned is called Beljekiz, and the place where her beloved died is called the Dead Sea. As if saddened by this tragic end, by evening the sea changes its colour and turns purple.
The forest surrounding the harbour is called Kydrak Tabiat Park. It covers about 950 hectares. This park is a protected area. Under protection is the entire Dead Sea beach and here is very strictly controlled development.
Oludeniz is considered the best place for lovers of paragliding. This is due to the marvellous scenery and mountainous terrain. Especially popular are paragliding from the slopes of Mount Babadag, the height of which reaches 1975 metres. Everyone can enjoy hang gliding here and appreciate the panorama of the Dead Sea.
Great efforts are being made to preserve the natural wonder called the Dead Sea. In the laboratory of Beljekiz beach, water samples are taken daily for analysis. Preparations have begun for Kydrak beach to receive an international certificate. It will be the only beach in Turkey that meets high ISO standards.
