Oludeniz Lagoon

Oludeniz is a lagoon on the Mediterranean coast fifteen kilometres from Fethiye, separated from the open sea by a narrow spit of sand and shingle. The name translates as 'dead sea' and is explained by the fact that the water inside the lagoon stays calm even in a storm, when waves are breaking outside. Because of the changes in depth and the pale bottom, the colour shifts from almost transparent near the shore to a dense turquoise further out. Since the 1980s the lagoon and the adjoining pine-covered headland have had the status of a nature park: building on the shore is forbidden, boats do not come inside, and swimming is allowed only in a marked zone. Above the bay rises Mount Babadag, almost two kilometres high, and its slope has become one of the world's main paragliding spots, with take-off points at various heights and the landing on the neighbouring Belcekiz beach. The Lycian Way, a waymarked route more than five hundred kilometres long, runs along the ridge. The water in the lagoon warms up more than in the open sea and stays warm until late autumn. The beach inside the lagoon is shingle, while outside, along the spit, it is sandy. The village by the bay bears the same name as the lagoon itself.

On the map