Mediterranean · Turkey
Fethiye & Ölüdeniz
Caverns, tunnels and Roman amphorae along a rocky Mediterranean coast
Photo: Dan Taylor · CC BY 2.0
Fethiye is one of Turkey's most popular dive destinations, with about twenty sites around the town and the lagoon resort of Ölüdeniz. The coast is cut with caverns, tunnels and walls: Roman amphorae on the slope at Amphora Bay, archways and a shrimp-filled cavern at Sariyarlar Bay, anemone-covered walls at Coral Cavern. Most dives run from 4 m to 40 m, from calm bays for beginners to deep cavern and wall dives for advanced divers.
About diving in Fethiye & Ölüdeniz
Diving here runs from day boats. They leave Fethiye harbour every day, and full-day trips head out in the morning, make two guided dives in the bays along the coast with lunch on board, and return in the late afternoon; Dalyan Bay and Tarzan Bay are among the regular stops. A centre in Ölüdeniz has its sites close by. Calm, shallow bays serve beginners and night dives, while the deeper caverns and walls are kept for experienced divers. At Iblis Burnu, a cape where big waves are frequent, morning dives suit better.
Underwater the coast is a landscape of rock formations, walls, caverns and tunnels. Amphora Bay starts at 4 m and falls as a steep slope to 60 m, its massive rock formations covered in coral and sponges. Deeper walls carry anemones, lace coral and plenty of macro life, and the caverns are lit from above in places. Groupers and barracuda hold over the rocks, while octopus and moray eels live among the rock formations and walls.
The coast suits a group of mixed experience: newer divers stay in the calm, shallow bays, while advanced divers take the caverns, tunnels and deeper walls. Photographers do well here, and several sites, Red Island and Sariyarlar Bay among them, call for a dive light to bring out the colour in the shadows. Non-divers can ride along on the boat to swim and snorkel between dives. Ashore, the lagoon at Ölüdeniz is a national nature reserve where construction is prohibited.
Best time to dive Fethiye & Ölüdeniz
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair | Fair | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Good | Fair |
September and October pair warm sea with cooler air; winter brings heavy rain, strong winds and many closed facilities.
Dive types & marine life
Groupers and schooling barracuda are the larger fish, while octopus, moray eels and occasional rays turn up among the rock formations. Divers can log sea turtle sightings for a Turtle Watch spotting scheme. No month is recorded as better for any of them.
- Cave & cavern
- Wall
- Night
- Groupers
- Barracuda
- Octopus & cuttlefish
- Sea turtles
Best dive sites in Fethiye & Ölüdeniz
- 1
Afkule I
Cave with room for at least 10 divers, and the Shrimp Hole cavern at 24 m.
- 2
Sariyarlar Bay
Tunnels and archways plus a cavern filled with shrimp, to a maximum of 40 m.
- 3
Amphora Bay
Roman-era amphorae among rock formations, for intermediate to advanced divers.
- 4
Coral Cavern and the Turkish Bath
Walls of daisy, strawberry and gem anemones with lace and soft coral, 25 to 40 m.
- 5
Red Island
Site for intermediate to advanced divers, where big groupers and barracuda gather.
- 6
Aquarium Bay
Calm little lagoon no deeper than 10 m, suited to divers of every level.
- 7
Dalyan Bay
Shallow bay on the day-boat route, suited to new divers and night dives.
Site guides
Cave & cavern
The Shrimp Hole cavern at 24 m and a cave that holds 10 divers
Reef
Roman-era amphorae lying on a steep slope
Reef
Orange sponges, groupers and octopuses in a bay dived by day and night
Reef
A shallow first-dive bay that also works as a night dive
Reef
Amphorae and old stone anchors scattered across the seabed
Reef
Massive groupers and schooling barracuda over sponges and corals
Cave & cavern
A series of tunnels at the foot of a 30 m drop-off
A coast guard boat turned fish shelter on the Göcek sand
Reef
Schools of salema and resident groupers on an open-sea reef
How to get to Fethiye & Ölüdeniz
Dalaman Airport (DLM) is the usual arrival, about one hour west of Fethiye by road on the D400. Antalya Airport (AYT) is a 3-hour drive east. Boats leave from Fethiye harbour, and a dive centre also operates from Ölüdeniz.
Photos from Fethiye & Ölüdeniz
Hsuparneeuq · CC BY-SA 4.0
Dive videos
Fethiye Tüplü Dalış -Trt Spor Yapabilir misin ? #fethiye #ölüdeniz #tüplüdalış #scubadiving #dalış · FETHİYE DİVİNG CENTRE on YouTube
Questions divers ask
What certification do the best Fethiye dive sites need?+
Aquarium Bay and Dalyan Bay suit new divers. Amphora Bay and Red Island are rated for intermediate to advanced divers, and Coral Cavern and the Turkish Bath are for advanced divers only.
When is the best time to dive Fethiye?+
September and October: the summer heat has eased but the sea is still around 24°C. In winter heavy rain and strong winds arrive and many facilities close.
How do divers get to Fethiye?+
Most fly into Dalaman Airport, about an hour west by road; a Havaş bus runs from the airport via Göcek to Fethiye in about an hour. Antalya Airport is the alternative, a 3-hour drive east.
Is Fethiye diving from shore or boat?+
From boats. Day trips leave Fethiye harbour daily and visit bays such as Dalyan Bay and Tarzan Bay, and non-diving companions can join the boat.
Sources
- Fethiye Diving Trips - Fethiye Diving Centre — Fethiye Diving Centre
- About Us - Lykia World Diving Centre — Lykia World Diving Centre
- Amphora Bay And Beyond: Diving Turkey's Fethiye — Just Gotta Dive
- Where to Take a Fethiye Diving Tour? — Ada Yacht Sailing
- Fethiye Average Sea Temperatures — SeaTemperature.org
- Fethiye – Wikivoyage — Wikivoyage
- Ölüdeniz – Wikipedia — Wikipedia
Photo credits
- Aerial view of a long sandy spit and a sheltered blue lagoon below forested mountains, with a town on the shore and open sea beyond by Dan Taylor, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Calm lagoon enclosed by green wooded headlands with steep mountains behind, seen from a pine-covered hillside by Hsuparneeuq, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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