The Mediterranean Region - Turkey with Your Family: From Bustling Bazaars to Historic Sites - page 157

the town was once at the heart
of the Hellenistic and Roman
periods, and affords ancient
ruins of a Roman Theatre and a
15th-century castle believed to
have been built by the Knights
of St John, plus outstanding
Lycian Rock Tombs. Its old
town, Paspatur , is well worth
exploring. The town is charac-
terised by its backdrop of the
massive Taurus Mountain
Range, which in winter is usu-
ally snow capped, and forests of
incense trees and olive groves. It
also has a series of beautiful bays,
the most notable of which is
Kelebeklar Vadisi , The Valley of
Butterflies (see p. 160), located
at the foot of a valley. Your chil-
dren will delight in the colours
of the butterflies. There's also the
beautiful picture-postcard lagoon
of Ölü Deniz (see p. 159), one of
the most photographed bays in
the world. The whole coastline
of Fethiye has little cafes that
welcome children, apart from
the quieter bays and beaches
where it is advisable to pack a
bag of drinks, snacks and other
day-to-day necessities as ameni-
ties are scarce.

part with larger sums of money
than the average. Sophisticated
and elegant, it nonetheless caters
for children and there are a few
attractions that might suit them
along the beachside, in particu-
lar a small but well-tended play
area. Kemer Beach (see p. 157),
for instance, has a few water-
sports to enjoy, along with safe
swimming waters. Its surface is
a tad pebbly, but it is kept beau-
tifully clean. The smaller resorts
of Beldibi and Tekirova lie
close by.

Side

Side is a town of contrasts. Its
old town is brimming with tiny
little hotels and shops, all con-
tained within its historic city
walls that stand on a headland
stretching down to the sea, while
on either side, two glorious
sandy beaches seem to go on
forever. Numerous restaurants
and shops have sprung up along-
side the beaches, and these areas
have become tourist locations in
their own right. One, affection-
ately known as Sand Village , is a
hive of activity almost all year
round. Children will love the
chance to go out for a trip on
one of Side's brightly coloured
little boats, while teenagers will
be tempted by the discos and the
thought of dancing the night
away to the latest sounds. Along
with the old city walls, the town
boasts a massive Hellenistic
theatre , the largest in the area
and capable of seating around
17,000 people for special music

Kemer

A sprawling mix of quality hotel
and tourist apartment blocks,
interspersed by shops full of
designer fashions and à la carte
restaurants, Kemer was the
Mediterranean coast's first pur-
pose-designed holiday resort. It
centres on its marina , and tends
to attract holidaymakers keen to

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