The short journey to see the amazing "ghost village" of Kayakoy is a real must for anyone visiting the Fethiye area. Kaya Koy literally translates as "rock town" and was at one time a thriving Greek populated village - then the area was known as Levissi.

At one time it (and surrounding settlements) was one of the largest habitations in the area - possibly in fact the largest. Kayaköy became part of the repatriation process that followed the Turkish War of Independence (1919-23) and subsequent treaty and agreement with the Greek government. Greeks living in Turkey would be repatriated, as would Turks living in Greece.

As part of an estimated 1.5 million Greeks, the population of Kayakoy was ordered to leave and they took the possessions they could carry, locked their houses and made their way down the hill to the harbour at Fethiye where boats waited to take them. There are stories of them cleaning their homes thoroughly prior to leaving as many understood this to be possibly long term but a temporary arrangement - it was not, and they never returned.

The whole area stands eerily today - looking down over the Kaya Valley. You can easily visit the ghost town, the local dolmus (mini bus service) regularly departs from Fethiye going up the hill and are clearly signed Kayakoy. You can explore the streets, houses (several hundred), the churches - the lost soul of the busy town.

Important Note: If you are looking to stay in Kayaköy, accommodation is notoriously tricky to find. Many hotel websites claim to be Kayaköy but they  are more often than not in Hisaronu - which is about as far from a "ghost town" as Turkey gets! Kayaköy is not known for it's hotels but Hotels.com offer the absolutely charming Misafir Evi down the road at Keçiler and occasionally Booking.com have another hotel - Muzzy's Place. Cosmos Holidays offer the private Villa Kaya Cottage in the Kaya Valley.