Sun, Sand, and Ghost Towns in Turkey

I’ve heard very little about the Turkish coast, and I was entirely unaware of just how stunning it is until recently. When I think of the Mediterranean, the first place that comes to mind is Greece. I can’t scroll for a minute on Instagram without seeing someone on holiday in Santorini, and for that reason, I feel like a lot of other Mediterranean spots get underrated - like Fethiye, Turkey.

I received an invitation to a blogger week hosted by Hillside Beach Club in Fethiye and leapt at the opportunity. A quick Google search returned details of celebrity guests (Daniel Craig!) and images of sparkling water, so with a resounding YES, I marked my calendar and prepared to soak up some sun.

One of the items on the itinerary was visiting the ghost village of Kayaköy - about a 30-minute drive from the resort. Looking at the ruins, it’s hard to believe that Kayaköy was a thriving community of over ten thousand inhabitants just 100 years ago. Before the Greco-Turkish war drove everyone out in the 1920s, it was a place where Christians and Muslims had lived harmoniously since the 14th century: the Christians were artisans and the Muslims were farmers.

One of my favorite parts of my stay at Hillside was my room - an open air space with a gorgeous view over the water, a bamboo curtain to the bathroom, and french doors leading to the bedroom. The resort is situated on a hill and the rooms are stacked, so everyone gets a water view!

Floating docks, coconut cocktails, and crystal clear turquoise water were everything I needed to relax and catch some much-needed Vitamin D. Sadly, I didn’t see Daniel Craig, but I still had the best time! Huge thanks to Hillside Beach Club for the invitation. Now I need to make another trip back to explore the rest of this beautiful country.

Check out my video below to see more of this trip. Have you been to Turkey?