Oludeniz and Icmeler are in Top 25 Beach Destinations list

TripAdvisor, one of world’s largest travel site, has announced the winners of its annual 2012 Travelers’ Choice® Beach Destinations awards. 181 top beach locations were named around the world including Africa, Asia, Australia, Brazil, Caribbean, Central America, Europe, France, Greece, India, Indonesia, Italy, Mexico, Middle East, South America, South Pacific, Spain, Thailand, Turkey, U.K. and the U.S. Turkey's Oludeniz and Icmeler has been in the list.

Ölüdeniz, a small beach resort in Fethiye in South West coast of Turkey. It is the 14th best beach destination in the list. Other then offering one of the best beaches in the world, Oludeniz is also one of the best places for para glide due to its unique panoramic views, and the Babadağ Mountain's exceptional height. İçmeler, a popular Turkish holiday resort 8 kilometres away from Marmaris, is 24th.

Both Oludeniz and Icmeler beaches are on Turkey's Turquoise Coast, a 1000 km coastline in South West Turkey famous with the best holiday resorts in Turkey.

Oludeniz (Blue Lagoon) offers one of the best beaches and paragliding spots in the world.

Where is Olu deniz? Oludeniz is on the famous Turquoise Coast (also known as Turkish Riviera), the Mediterranean coast of Turkey between Cesme and Alanya. Oludeniz is somewhere in the middle on the Turquoise Coast in Fethiye (see the map below). Icmeler is also on the Turkish Riviera, in Marmaris.

Turquoise Coast (Turkish Riviera) is the coasts of Cesme, Kusadasi, Bodrum, Marmaris, Fethiye, Kemer, Antalya and Alanya. The coast has the best tourist destinations in Turkey. 

2012 Travelers’ Choice® Beach Destinations Top 25

1. Providenciales, Turks and Caicos
2. Palm/Eagle Beach, Aruba
3. Tulum, Mexico
4. Negril, Jamaica
5. Saint Pete Beach, Florida
6. Boracay, Philippines
7. Cancun, Mexico
8. Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
9. Miami/Miami Beach, Florida
10. Varadero, Cuba
11. Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
12. Playa del Carmen, Mexico
13. Virginia Beach, Virginia
14. Oludeniz, Turkey
15. Honolulu, Hawaii
16. Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt
17. Daytona Beach, Florida
18. Fort Lauderdale, Florida
19. Lahaina, Hawaii
20. Cayo Coco, Cuba
21. Marsa Alam, Egypt
22. Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
23. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
24. Icmeler, Turkey
25. Puerto Alcudia, Spain

Butterfly Valley: One of the best places to have holiday in Turkey

Butterfly Valley (Kelebekler Vadisi), a large canyon which can be reached by a taxi boat from Fethiye Oludeniz, is one of the best places to have a holiday in Turkey. The canyon, around 250 meters wide and 1 km deep and (practically) can only be accessed from sea by boat, was once called Gudurumsu, but then renamed as Butterfly Valley thanks to large swarm of endemic butterflies living around the waterfalls on the canyon wall furthest from the sea. Unfortunately it has become very popular recently and is far from its peaceful atmosphere in the late 90s and early 2000s but still it is a great place to have a summer holiday.

Accommodation is basic in Butterfly Valley. The most luxurious option you will have is a wooden hut without electricity and shower (showers are shared). You can also rent a tent for the night or you can are sleep outside on the beach!  Last time I have been there, I have just rented a space to put my sleeping mat outside and then slept 3 nights there just next to the beach. And actually I have simply slept on the beach at one of the nights. Here you will stay in bungalows without electricity but you will greatly like it. This basic but unparalleled holiday experience draws many international tourists here from as far as Singapore, Australia and USA.

The best way to get to Butterfly Valley is to use the official Butterfly Valley boat taxi which leaves Olu Deniz beach at 11:00 AM and 02:00 PM and valley at 01:00 PM and 05:00 PM. The other boats will try to sell you their boat trips and will be very annoying. Do not believe in what they say (they may even say there is no more taxi boat to Butterfly Valley) and wait for the official boat. It will approximately take 45 minutes boat ride from Olu Deniz to the valley and a round trip should cost 15 Turkish Liras.

Butterfly Valley - Source : Turkish Travel Blog

The management who is running the butterfly valley has monopoly in this small place and this will translate into expensive meals. For example a beer will cost you around 7 Liras while a fish-bread will be also around that price. If you are really on budget buy some canned food and snacks from a market in Olu Deniz so you can have some cheap.

There are not many things to do here except resting quite well. The valley has a decent beach and the sea is quite OK. You can hang out in the restaurant all day and make new friends from around the world. Nights may be passed by singing in front of the beach fire or in the bar and you should at least once track the canyon to the waterfall to see the butterflies of the valley. I usually go to Butterfly Valley to do absolutely nothing which is actually quite good way to charge your batteries before going back to work.

According to the legend, once upon a time there was a Roum village in the valley. One day, a ship comes to the shores of the valley and a girl from the village falls in love with a sailor. But when the time comes for the sailor to leave, he promises the girl that he will one day come back and find her. Sometime after, the girl has a baby from the sailor and the villagers abandon her. She shelters in the church of the village with her baby and waits for her lover there. One day, a big storm comes to the shores and villagers leave the village for high grounds. But the woman does not leave the church because she thinks if the sailor comes, he cannot find her there and may go back. Storm turns out to be a big one and the waves sweeps away the village and everything in the village. Today, there is only one stone structure in the valley and it is believed to be the church of the village where the woman died with her baby.