The modern city of Fethiye is located on the Aegean Sea, and sits atop the site of the ancient city of Telmessos. Here, you can see many ruins including a fantastic Hellenistic theater. The sights you'll see beneath the water’s surface are simply spectacular. With approximately twenty dive sites in the vicinity, there is plenty to choose from. Here are just seven of the best.
Amphora Bay
A great site for intermediate to advanced divers, this is one of best places to view ancient amphorae that date back to the Roman era. Beginning at a depth of 4 m, the site features a steep slope that descends all the way to 60 meters. Along the slope you'll find massive rock formations that are covered in coral and sponges. Home to a fantastic array of marine life including clown fish, white groupers, sea aubergine and more, this is an exceptional site for underwater photography.
Aquarium Bay
An exceptional site for all divers and extremely exciting for beginners, this peaceful little lagoon is home to clown fish and anemone, giant groupers that are used to being fed by hand, plenty of damselfish, red mullet, and more; all at a depth of only one meter. Gorgeous orange sponges create a splendid backdrop for all this life.
Coral Cavern and the Turkish Bath
Suitable for advanced divers only, Coral Cavern and the Turkish Bath are a local favorite. Offering depths between 25 and 40 meters, the site’s walls are covered in a blend of daisy, strawberry, and gem anemones, along with soft coral, lace coral and lettuce coral. You'll find plenty of macro life as well as fish, invertebrates, and crustaceans here.
Red Island
Red island is a great site for intermediate to advanced divers. Maximum depth is only 25 meters, and the seabed follows a gentle sloping profile to a depth of about 15 meters, after which it takes on an almost amphitheater like look. Massive groupers, schooling barracuda, and plenty of smaller fish put on a fantastic show against a backdrop of sponges and corals. Be sure to bring a good dive light.
Sariyarlar Bay
Featuring tunnels and archways plus a cavern filled with shrimp and other little creatures, Sariyarlar Bay offers a maximum depth of 40 meters. The top of the site is located at a depth of 12 meters; after a drop-off to a depth of 30 meters, you'll find a series of tunnels. The longest is only four meters long, and the entire site is well lit from above. Be sure to bring your light so that you can see the wealth of colorful life that called this spectacular site home. With everything from damselfish to brittle stars to larger groupers and other fish, this is a photographer's paradise.
Cavern Dropoff
An exceptionally beautiful site that begins below the small cavern at a depth of only 6 meters and extends to the top of a drop-off at 20 meters which looks over a second drop to a depth of 40 meters, Cavern Dropoff features fantastic strawberry anemones, Devonshire cup coral, and more. Often referred to as the most colorful sea wall the Aegean has to offer, it is home to a wealth of marine life in every size, shape, and color imaginable.
Afkule I
Famous for the large cavern called the Shrimp Hole, which is situated at a depth of 24 meters, Afkule I also features an enormous cave which has room inside for at least 10 divers. The upper cavern is situated at depths between four and twelve meters and extends for a length of approximately fifty meters. Sunlight streams into the cave, which has medicine rock formations inside and is simply spectacular. Besides the red shrimp that occupy the shrimp hole, you'll encounter a number of small fish and crustaceans as well as plenty of invertebrates and a few larger groupers as well.
With so much to see and do, plus well-equipped local dive operators, this is one place you may find yourself wanting to return to again and again.