Turkey Holiday Packages – Olu Deniz Oh Yes!

If you have never been to Turkey for a holiday, the beautiful town of Olu Deniz on the Aegean Sea is a great place to start your love affair with this wonderful country, as you are about to find out..

While many Turkey holiday packages can give you a relaxing holiday in the sun, not all destinations can be all things to all people in the same way as Olu Deniz can.  Let’s take a look in more detail what you can expect to find here:

Beauty

Probably the most famous thing about Olu Deniz is its crystal-clear blue lagoon – the one you see in all the photos – safe sheltered waters formed by a large natural inlet behind the main beach.  It’s a safe place for swimming as the water is calm in the lagoon even when the sea is choppy.  Surrounding the lagoon and the town you will see the pine-clad slopes of rugged Mount Babadag, the launching point for the small flock of paragliders that regularly soar high above the lagoon.  (You can join them, if you’re feeling brave..)

Townscape

The long-time popularity of Olu Deniz as a top destination for so many Turkey holiday packages has created a lasting demand for hotels and apartments and as a result you will see that the town is crammed full of them.  This does not mean that tourism has spoiled Olu Deniz – the sheer scale of the geography of the mountains and sea means that for all the development, this remains a very scenic place.

Eating

Although the cost of eating out has risen in recent years, and is higher than in other Turkish resorts, it is still inexpensive when compared to the resorts of Spain and Greece, for example.  In Olu Deniz, there is not much that you can’t find to eat.  English, Italian, Chinese, Mexican, Indian cuisine is on offer.  Oh, and of course Turkish!  The choice of restaurants makes for stiff competition helps to keep prices in check and standards up.  The Buzz Beach Bar is one of the most prominent eateries on the seafront and has some rather good seafood dishes, whereas the Secret Garden, a little harder to find, just off the main street in the district known as Belcekiz, is very popular with English holidaymakers.

Doing Stuff

Turkey holiday packages - paragliding above Oludeniz, by Murat Tuzer, Wikipedia

What can you do in and around Olu Deniz?  Well, this is where you get the real benefit of coming to a well-established destination, no matter whether you are an independent traveller or you came here on one of the Turkey holiday packages, because when you get here you will see that there really is something for everyone.

The beach (which is actually made of very fine white gritty shingle rather than true sand) and all that goes with it is undoubtedly the biggest attraction, but by no means the only one.  In the sea you can try your hand at diving and snorkelling in the crystal-clear, warm waters, or if you are in need of some serious relaxation, just find a quieter stretch of the beach, kick off those flip-flops and do your holiday happy dance!

If you prefer to be on the water rather than in it, head for the little fleet of cute boats all crewed up and ready to take you on an exploration of as many as 12 of the little “paradise islands” that this area is known for.  Away from the coast, those paragliders are waiting to take you soaring above that blue lagoon, even if you have never done it before, and as this is not something you can do on all Turkey holiday packages, if you’re half-inclined to do it – go for it!  If you like walking, all around Olu Deniz you will find paths and trails that lead up through the trees towards Mount Babadag and the surrounding peaks.

If organised visits to ancient Greek or Roman ruins are your thing, you can choose from a good range on offer here, such as a trip back in time to the fascinating ghost town of Kayakoyu.  Oh, and when you’re all done in, as my old friend Wilhelmina says, you can get a relaxing rub down with Fiery Jack at a traditional Turkish bath!

Shopping

If you hate shopping, well – you’ll be OK here.  Turkey holiday packages to Olu Deniz are not really about shopping for designer goods or haggling over a Turkish carpet.  For that, you can catch the dolmus (minibus) to the nearby towns of Hisaronu or Fethiye, where they really will roll out the red carpet for you (and the gold one, and the blue one….).  In Olu Deniz itself though, on the main shopping street (Carsi Caddesi) you can buy the usual Turkish holiday gifts and of course there are the usual mini-marts for your essentials.

After Dark

Olu Deniz has a little bit of everything for everyone.  It does not have the mega-clubs of San Antonio in Ibiza and it does not have the 18-30 crowd of Magaluf – but on the other hand it does not turn into a ghost town after dark either.  There is an established night-life here, but it’s not over-the-top. You’ll find a good selection of moderately lively bars, something to suit most tastes I would say, with the most popular being along the seafront.  Try Buzz Beach Bar, or if that doesn’t shake your sugar, maybe The Sugar Shack will?

Verdict

Olu Deniz is a great place to come if you have never been to Turkey, because you get to see many aspects of what holidays to Turkey are all about.  It’s a favourite of so many holidaymakers for so many different reasons, and likely to stay that way.

To see how little it can cost to come here and check availability, you can use this link: Turkey holiday packages.