In the print dialog pick “Save as PDF” to keep it on your phone. A5 makes a pocket booklet; A4 suits a desk printer.
Voykit pocket guide · Türkiye (Turkey)
Kayaköy
Base in Fethiye or Ölüdeniz and give Kayaköy half a day: the abandoned village in the cool hours, then Cold Water Bay. Sleep here only for quiet.
Kayaköy is a Greek ghost village 10 km south of Fethiye: about 500 ruined stone houses on dry slopes, a lower church used for a time as a mosque, and a hilltop chapel above. The ticketed ruins are a small part of a modern resort village with cafés and guesthouses. Most travellers come for two to four hours, walk the alleys before the heat, and go back to Fethiye or Ölüdeniz for the night.
- Country
- Türkiye (Turkey)
- Best months
- Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (midday heat, no shade on site)
- Stay
- 0–1 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- TRY
- Money
- Currency is the Turkish lira (₺, TRY). About ₺56 to €1 in late September 2026 — check; inflation was still in the double digits, so prices rise several times a year.
- Daily spend
- Budget ₺1,200–2,000 excl. bed · Mid ₺2,000–3,500 excl. bed · High ₺3,500+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Turkcell, Vodafone and Türk Telekom sell tourist SIMs at airports (passport needed); they are dearer than in town shops — check.
- Emergency
- All emergencies 112
- Plugs
- Types C, F · 230 V · 50 Hz · Standard European two-pin; UK and US plugs need an adapter.
- Tipping
- Lokanta / simple café: Leave the coins or round up.; Sit-down restaurant: 5–10% in cash, even if the card machine does not offer a tip; check for a 'servis' charge first.; Taxi: Round up to the next ₺10–50.; Hamam: 10–15% to the attendant (tellak/natır).; Guide / driver day: €10–20 for a guide, €5–10 for a driver per day.; Hotel porter / housekeeping: ₺50–100.
- Water
- Tap water is treated and chlorinated but tastes of it; locals buy bottled or 19-litre dispenser water. Restaurants charge for bottled water.
- Toilets
- Western toilets in hotels, malls and restaurants; squat toilets (alaturka) in older mosques and bus stops. Public toilets (WC) cost ₺10–30 — carry coins or small notes. Most toilets have a bidet spray; paper goes in the bin in older buildings.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee or tea | ₺60–120 |
| Gözleme turnover | ₺80–150 |
| Grilled meat or meze plate | ₺250–500 |
| Beer | ₺120–200 |
| Dolmuş ride | ₺40–80 |
| Abandoned village entry | ₺100 in 2024 (check) |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | ₺300–600 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- DLM · Dalaman
- Road transfer to Fethiye, then dolmuş or taxi to Kayaköy; about 1 h to Fethiye.
- AYT · Antalya
- About 3–3.5 h by road; only useful if you are already on that coast.
Typical fares
- Dolmuş Fethiye → Kayaköy
- about ₺40–80, 30 min
- Taxi Fethiye → Kayaköy
- ₺400–700 (check)
- Dalaman airport → Fethiye, shuttle
- about ₺250–400, 1 h (check)
Get around
Walk. The ruins are steep, uneven and unshaded, so allow slow going. Dolmuş minibuses run from Fethiye main street every 30 minutes and also from Ölüdeniz; the sealed road from Fethiye (Kaya Cd) is winding and narrow, the wider approach is via Ölüdeniz then west on Cumhuriyet Cd. A car helps for Cold Water Bay, Gemile Beach and Afkule.
See and do
Known for
- Abandoned village of Levissi (500 ruined houses)
- Lower church and hilltop chapel
- Cold Water Bay (Soğuk Su Koyu)
- Start of the Lycian Way from Fethiye
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Fethiye | Dolmuş from Fethiye main street, every 30 min | About 30 min |
| Ölüdeniz | Dolmuş, or drive via Cumhuriyet Cd | About 30 min |
| Kabak | Road south along the coast, or boat from Ölüdeniz | 1–1.5 h |
| Kemer | Road east via Fethiye and the coast | 3 h+ |
| Kaş | Bus or drive east along the coast | 2.5–3 h |
Sleep
- Kayaköy village
- Guesthouses, camps and glamping; modern housing sits on the plain north (Keçiler) and west (Kınalı) of the ruins. Quiet at night, few services.
- Fethiye
- 10 km north, the regional hub: buses, harbour, Lycian tombs, most beds and restaurants.6.2 mi north, the regional hub: buses, harbour, Lycian tombs, most beds and restaurants.
- Ölüdeniz
- About 10 km south-east; lagoon beach and paragliding, dolmuş to Kayaköy.About 6.2 mi south-east; lagoon beach and paragliding, dolmuş to Kayaköy.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Merhabamer-hah-BAH |
| Thank you | Teşekkürlerteh-shek-kewr-LER |
| How much is it? | Ne kadar?neh kah-DAR |
| Can I pay by card? | Kartla ödeyebilir miyim?kart-LAH ur-deh-yeh-bee-LEER mee-yim |
| Where is the toilet? | Tuvalet nerede?too-vah-LET NEH-reh-deh |
| The bill, please | Hesap, lütfenheh-SAP, LEWT-fen |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake; 'Merhaba' (hello) or 'Selamün aleyküm' in conservative areas; cheek kisses between friends of the same sex; avoid: Offering a hand to a conservative woman first — wait for hers
- Mosques: Covered clothing, headscarf for women, shoes in hand, quiet voice; avoid: Walking in front of people praying; visiting during Friday midday prayer
- Hospitality: Accept tea or at least a sip; bring sweets or pastries to a home; avoid: Refusing food repeatedly; showing the soles of your feet
- Politics and history: Listen; let hosts raise it; avoid: Opinions on Atatürk, the Kurdish issue, Armenia or Cyprus with people you just met
- Ramadan: Eat discreetly in conservative towns during the day; avoid: Eating, drinking or smoking in front of fasting people in small towns
- Gestures: A slight upward head nod with a tut means 'no'; avoid: The OK hand sign (can be read as rude) and a thumb between fingers
- Dress in town: Shorts are fine in Istanbul and resorts; longer clothes in the interior and east; avoid: Swimwear away from the beach
- Names: First name plus Bey (men) or Hanım (women): 'Ahmet Bey'; avoid: Using the surname alone
Scams and watch-outs
- No ATM or bank in the village and some places take cash only: bring lira.
- The ruins have no shade and rough footing: go at opening or late afternoon, wear grippy shoes.
- The ticketed area is nominally open 08:30–20:00, but that is the kiosk hours; hikers on the trail to Cold Water Bay pass through free outside them.
- The descent to Afkule monastery is precipitous: skip the lowest sections if you are unsure on your feet.
- Gemile Beach parking and sun-loungers are overpriced: agree the price first.
Very safe for tourists; the real risks are midday heat with no shade, loose stone underfoot in the ruins, and cash-only cafés with no ATM in the village.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Kayaköy yet. Suggested stay: 0–1 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Abandoned village of Levissi (500 ruined houses)
- Lower church and hilltop chapel
- Cold Water Bay (Soğuk Su Koyu)
- Start of the Lycian Way from Fethiye
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Kayaköy abandoned village (Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism museums): muze.gov.tr/muze-detay?DistId=KYK&SectionId=KYK01
- Go Türkiye — official tourism portal: goturkiye.com/
- Wikivoyage: Kayaköy, revision 5272979 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5272979
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Kayaköy
Bu adrese, lütfen
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- All emergencies112
No embassies in Kayaköy; the nearest consulates are in Izmir and Antalya, embassies in Ankara. For a lost passport, start with your embassy in Ankara.
Cash matters: no ATM in the village.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/kayakoy). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.