We came to Fethiye, Turkey with no real agenda—just a desire to relax, enjoy the water, and slow things down after weeks in vacation mode traveling through Tokyo, China and Istanbul. The town, according to my pre-trip Facebook friends, was supposed to be small and walkable. But not long before we arrived, I wondered if it might be too inconvenient to be on foot and on the bus all the time. Would we be bored? Would we be able to reach the hiking trails without much public transport?
So… I rented a car. And in doing so, I hit a very weird (but satisfying) personal milestone: I’ve now driven on every continent that has roads. North America, South America, Europe, Africa, Australia—and now Asia. Turkey sits mostly on the Asian continent, and this was my first time driving here. Since Antarctica doesn’t have roads, I’m officially calling this bucket list item complete.
Fethiye greeted us with sun and sea—and with 35°C (95°F) days, the beach and pool became our second home. After almost six weeks in hotels, we checked into an Airbnb with a full kitchen. Simple pleasures like making breakfast in your own space suddenly feel like small luxuries when you’re traveling long-term.
One of the standout moments was taking the Babadağ Teleferik cable car up the mountain. The ride offers panoramic views and takes you to restaurants perched high above the sea—and, if you’re feeling brave, to paragliding launch sites. We skipped the paragliding but hiked the last stretch to the 1900-meter mark after the second ski lift was closed. The climb was worth it. Starting from sea level, the elevation gain made for some stunning views and fresh mountain air.
We also got out on the water with a custom island tour booked through Volkan’s Adventures. The day included breakfast, lunch, dinner, and stops at secluded beaches and coves. Huge thanks to Lupe West for introducing us to Volkan—an incredibly passionate and knowledgeable guide who made the day feel truly special.
And then there was one of those rare, serendipitous travel moments that you just can’t plan for. Out of the blue, we got a message from Scott Foehner, who’d seen our photos and connected us with his friends Gün and Martin Ünsal—who just so happened to be in Fethiye as well. They invited us out for a day of sightseeing and swimming aboard their boat in the Mediterranean. We didn’t know them at all before that day, but they welcomed us like old friends. It turned out to be one of our favorite experiences of the trip. Slow travel gives these kinds of moments room to happen.
Our last big adventure was another tour with Volkan—this time to Dalyan, about an hour’s drive from Fethiye. We cruised down a river into the Mediterranean, stopping for swims and a sunset dinner along the way. After dark, we bathed in natural hot springs and then floated in Köyceğiz Lake under a sky full of stars. Tomorrow we leave Fethiye for one more stop in Turkey. It’s been a fun and relaxing time here in spite of the peak summer heat. From the peaks of Babadağ to the depths of the Mediterranean, this little coastal town gave us a perfect mix of rest, adventure, and unexpected connection.
