Oludeniz: Most Photographed Beach

Nestled in a small valley, surrounded by towering mountains of limestone, lush greenery, and mountain goats, sits the most photographed beach in the Mediterranean. If you’re thinking Greece, or maybe the coast of Spain, you’re wrong. This beach is in Oludeniz, Turkey. I didn’t believe it either, until I went there.

Where and what is Oludeniz?

Oludeniz in southern Turkey is a beach situated on a stretch of small pebbles and white sand.  It’s also home to a secluded bay known as the Blue Lagoon.  It’s located in the district of Fethiye, which surrounds the small village town.  This bay has been designated as a national reserve by Turkey to help insure it’s effortless natural beauty. It’s no surprise that this beach is also a certified “Blue Flag Beach” (meeting extremely high standards of cleanliness).  It’s consistently voted as one of the top five beaches in the world by travelers and journalists from around the globe. The panoramic views also make this one of the top places in the world to paraglide, attracting foreigners for all over.

The water at glistens with blue and teal colors you can only dream for an ocean to look like. When you walk in over the perfectly rounded white pebbles, you can see your entire body as though you’re looking into a mirror. As you dive in the untainted, pure sea itself, you almost feel as though you’ve been recharged. No ocean water has ever felt more fresh and invigorating.

You can either hang out on the public section of Oludeniz or pay 6 Liras ($2 USD) to go to the national reserve, which includes the Blue Lagoon. You should pay the money to experience this beach at least once.

The walkway into the national reserve

Inside the park, the trees and landscaping is perfectly manicured.   The park is also fully functional with it’s own restaurant, many food stalls, and boat, chair, and sea toy rental stands scattered throughout.

When to go to Oludeniz?

The town itself is located about a five-minute walk from the reserve.  We stayed in the town for three nights paying $35/night.  Our hotel was clean, close to the beach and had a pool. The high season is from May-October. We were there May 10-15 and it was almost empty with beautiful 75-degree weather. May or October is probably the best time to go to avoid crowds.

Oludeniz is a special place not to be missed.  If you’re lucky you might even catch one of it’s famous sunsets.

Hannah

Hannah has been traveling the world since she was a little girl. She started her travel blog Heels to Hiking Boots in 2012. Heels to Hiking Boots is all about the modern female traveler. The woman who can throw on a pair of heels for a night out, and then wake up and lace up her muddy hiking boots for a day of exploration.