Old Town

The location itself isn't the problem, it's the stores that are all trying to milk tourists for their hard earned money.

We attended this place on three different occasions, all in the hopes that maybe we could find what we were looking for and on each occasion we were let down by nasty sales tactics and store owners quoting one price to one person, then another price to others. My partner whom came across like a tourist, caught a store owner lying, increasing the price of an item when asked again, when only minutes ago the store owners wife gave us a completely different price.

This place is fine for a walk-through, but trust me, you won't find anything in this place that you can't find elsewhere for a fraction of the price. This place is purely a tourist trap.

Meh-Fethiye old town or new town is still a less than exciting place. The Fish Market restaurants draw you in and deliver barely. Better to ask the fish dealers to cook you a meal. We found the so-called charming fish restaurants that are along the Fish market overpriced, small servings and waiters so unconcerned you practically have to tackle them to get their attention. Fethiye left me cold.

Avoid the spice/Turkish Delight shop that isn’t too far from the fake watch shop. They will not take no for an answer and descend on you mob handed. Got ripped off to the tune of £50 for just four vacuum sealed bags of spice ( nothing exotic like saffron). Weighed about a kilo. Paid up just to get out of the place. Very dodgy. Will not be visiting the Old Town again. Air of seediness. Real shame.

We visited Umbrella Street and Old Town today as a part of a trip to Fethiye Market. Its an easy walk down from the Market and a beautiful part of the town. Loads of little shops selling everything from clothes to crafts. Well worth a visit

The old town is must see part of of Fethiye. There are some really great spots where you can sit down and relax and enjoy a beer etc. Be wary of some shop owners as they can be quite pushy. Just stand your ground and they will leave you alone. All in all a beautiful part of the town.

It’s a brief walk from the harbour. Lots of shops selling cheap clothes, carpets , spices etc. A quick half an hour is enough to deal with pushy sellers. No big deal if you miss it.

Love this place, we live in Turkey and we often come here for a few drinks and a browse around the shops. It’s relaxing and a nice change from the constant traffic. The only drawback is that the vendors can be a bit pushy so expect that. You can barter a price with them though.

Lovely old town with plenty of little shops, selling beautiful clothes, gifts and handmade items. There are plenty of places to have food and drink. I went to the duck pond restaurant which was very nice and chilled. With an actual duckpond, yes! Much better than the usual touristy shops.

Lovely part of the city itself with plenty of little shops. Around each corner is a place where you can stop for a drink or some food. Be aware: Over the past 10 years the mindset of the majority of people changed - You are treated as someone with money, not as a guest anymore.

Turkish Riviera- More Than Sun, Sand & Sea

Fethiye downtown visit, which should include the Old Market Place, The Marina and Fish & Vegetable market, completes a truly memorable holiday and can match any Riviera's experience of Europe.

I started my day at about 11am from Oludenize, which is about 30 mins by Dolmus (local mini bus) and cost approx. £2 per person each way. My first couple of hours were spent in the historical " old city" market area, overlooked by the old castle's walled city, where signs of the original Fethiye civilization before the great earth quake is still in existence. It was a delight strolling the narrow streets of the "old bazar) and taking in some of the original historical structure along with the new ethically modernisation. Keen photographers, don't forget your cameras! Whilst walking along, I could feel the history and magnificence of the "Old City", as it was prior to the quake.

The bazar or Old market, as commonly known now, has a mixture of traditional as well as tourist attraction shops. The traditional shops have the best of antiques and hand crafted local goods, including local spices and food stuff, where as the modern shops offer the best in designer clothing, shoes and bags. Something for everyone basically. For those who have visited Istanbul main Bazar/Gold Market would find this a mini replica but in open air, not covered and more spacious.

For serious shoppers, avoid flashy front stores and go for the smaller, quaint shops and stalls with one or two attendants. These are owner run and one can haggle a good genuine bargain. I found the bigger more modern outlets more happy to bargain but their start price would not leave much to do so.

Having spent 2 to 3 hours, it's time to rest your feet and feed your body. For a relaxing lunch, this bazar is the best. The narrow quint streets are dotted with cafes and restaurants, some of these providing excellent lunch or snacks. A good lunch for two would max out at £15 for a 3 course. Try the Duck Pond, where the food is great and ambience excellent. A place to relax and enjoy your lunch.

After lunch it was time to move on and experience the rest and the best. After a stroll of about 2 hours, in which we covered most of the marina facing modern shops, boutiques and designers store (at the insistence of my beloved Mrs), we rested for tea ( beer for me, actually!) by the sea front, The Marina.

Now this is what I call relaxation! Taking in the late afternoon sun shining over turquoise blue water, with traditional gullet (boats) and modern million £ yachts lined up to pose for you, you just sit back in one of the many riverside cafes and over a drink and local pastries, soak it all in.

With a large variety of cafes, you are spoilt for choice and prices. The key here is to get the best view. For this, you may need to do some more walking and research! But it will be worth your while to find a good location with the best view so that you can spent an hour or two at your table and once you have ordered your first drink, the café owner won't complain to you for spending time there as this is not their busiest and they want to woe you in for dinner later in the evening. For under £5, two can soak in the atmosphere, have a drink or two and the view for two hours without a worry!

If you have managed your time so far, this would bring you near to sunset time. And this is where the highlight of the day starts! The sunset at Fethiye harbour is something to remember! One needs to be there, see it, to experience it, and hopefully, remember it! And you do this by just strolling, at leisure, along the marina/harbour front. The walk could be as small as 1 mile or as long as 2; if you take it leisurely, soaking in the scene and the environment, I assure you it will be an experience of a life time! Walking along the Marina front gives you an advantage of viewing the sunset from different angles and views. As long as done at leisure, stopping at points where you are getting and enjoying the best view, it will be worth your while. Oh yes! Don't forget to take a loaf of local bread to feed the fish and if you are lucky, even a turtle!

Once the Sun has set, it's time to visit some of the local bars and clubs for shredding your calories before an exotic Fish Market Dinner! the Fish Market Dinner is the highlight for me. I enjoy the Fish Market more at night as the whole place comes alive with local musician and attractive fire lamp and lights. Further, the evening time is when the fresh catch from the ocean comes in and numerous variety of fish and other sea delicacies are displayed in the centre of the market in a big circle - from sword fish to octopus and everything you can think of is available in this market for you to choose and then have it cooked to your taste. Two options available for a good dinner here. For the more romantics, check the fish in the display centre and then take a table with the best cover and candle lights display, in one of the many restaurants in the centre, just by the fish stall. Tell the waiter what fish you would like and he will prepare as per your instructions. The other option, for more budget conscious and serious lover of sea food, go to one of the side lanes emerging from the centre ( the lane leading to the vegetable market has a small local café which is the best) and select a small café being run by locals. Someone from the café will accompany you to the fish stall and help you select the best for your choice, you pay for the fish to the seller. They will tell you if you are getting the best price from the fish monger or not and then cook it for you in their café, to your taste and delight. These café charge you couple of £ extra for this service, in addition to extras that you order. Including the price of the fish, your extras at the café and their cover charge, total should not come to more than £7 to £8 per person. The restaurant's romantic option will give you a better ambience than these small cafes but may set you back about £15 per person depending on your drink consumptions. And beware, a bottle of wine in these restaurants can match any four star restaurant prices of London! All in all, a visit to this Fish market area will be a very pleasant experience. By the way, for those not so keen for fish and seafood, one can also get the usual kebabs, steaks, salads and mezze that Turkey is so famous for.