Ucagiz was a great little relaxing seaside village after the bus loads of tourists depart in the late afternoon. It was so peaceful and quiet while I was there it is a shame that in a few weeks every pension will be full of guests and the restaurants and bars will be busy at night and that feeling will be gone until the low season returns.
Ready to depart the relaxing Ucagiz.
I was heading to Oludeniz and although it was not a long way I hoped to make it there early in the afternoon to see if I would stay or continue moving westward.
I had a route plan for the day that included some additional ruins along the way. First was Patara. When I got to the entry gate I decided I wouldn't go in, so I turned around headed for the next one on the list, Xanthos.
Drive-by photo near entry gate to Patara…….I must have still been ruined.
Xanthos is located only a few km's from Patara and I had the GPS coordinates ready to put in to lead me there. I managed to miss the turn-off and ended up on the other side of the hill with the GPS telling me I was 40m away - I was a little surprised I couldn't see a theatre or something similar. I backtracked and took the only other turn, rode straight past the kids at the gate who seemed to want me to stop to pay them an entry fee, and soon arrived. I parked the bike in the shade and didn't stop to see if I needed to pay an entry fee…….
The main street of Xanthos.
Xanthos was a significant Lycian city being a centre for culture and commerce and may have been the largest during its time. Although I only spent a short time there the ruins remaining today do not give the impression of its significance.
It was a quick stop in Xanthos so I didn't take in a show in the theatre.
As I wandered to see some more of the ruins a man sitting in the shade of a tree near the small buildings called out for me to pay the entry fee. The 5TL was almost more trouble than it was worth for both of us by the time he scrounged around reluctantly for my change. I think he hoped I would forget about the last 5TL in change considering the time he took to get it and give it to me.
So after a quick and hot stop in Xanthos I was on my way to Tlos which was once one of the most important Lycian religious settlements and the oldest Lycian city dating back to before 2000BC. Again the GPS co-ordinates were plugged in and I was on my way. The GPS did a great job until it didn't know about the smaller backroads and proposed a straight line to the top of the hill. The straight line on the GPS turned off at an actual road which then turned back away from the destination so I turned around and found the correct road about 60m further along. After that all I could do was follow the signs.
The Tlos acropolis has a great location high on the hill overlooking the Xanthos Valley which would have been great for Bellerophon and Pegasus to fly off from.
After getting off the bike at Xanthos I decided I could take a few quick pictures of Tlos from the bike and keep moving.
Rock cut temples / tombs on the steep outcrop
The Tlos theatre with a wonderful backdrop.
Tlos arches.
It was a quick drive-by tour of Tlos and it was time to move on to Oludeniz so I headed off down the hill.
The road in and out was a bit rough and as I got moving faster back on the highway something hit me on the foot. At the time I wondered what it could have been because the road was smooth and seemed clear. A little later I started noticing my GPS bouncing a little more than usual and it seems a bit odd. When I reached to stabilise it I noticed a bolt had come loose and fallen out from the side of the main bar. A bit of an inconvenience.
I stopped at an intersection where my GPS was telling me to turn to Oludeniz but the road was (almost) closed. As I was checking the GPS and the BB maps app I looked around and noticed a small workshop working on trucks and motorcycles. After confirming my route I moved the bike over and with only a "Merhaba" and some pointing the mechanic appeared with a bolt the right size although a little long. After he ground it down, he screwed it in and tightened it up.
Good to go with a quick repair on the GPS bracket.
After I snuck through the 'closed' road I was back into roadworks, navigating backstreets and on my way to Oludeniz - I guess that is why the road was closed……. I passed through Fethiye and arrived in Oludeniz on a beautifully warm and sunny afternoon. Oludeniz seemed quite relaxed, although I imagine once the season starts it will be packed.
I parked the bike in front of a restaurant on the main footpath, ordered a refreshing drink and a pizza. While I ate the food and relaxed I decided I would stay. The restaurant had recommended a place close by and I would look at it after lunch.
Oludeniz footpath parking with great views of the sea.
I walked around the corner and checked the recommended hotel after passing several others. The hotel had nowhere to park the bike so I headed back to one that had a few cars parked inside and room for my bike too. I went inside the Blue Star Hotel, asked the price, negotiated a discount and then agreed to come back with the bike and check-in. After I checked-in and took my gear into the room I weighed up the options of getting out of my gear and going back down to the seafront or going for a ride to see what I could see of a place called Butterfly Valley.
I decided to go to Butterfly Valley.
The ride out to Butterfly Valley quickly takes you high above the sea on the side of the mountains and as a result has great views back down to the township and resorts.
Looking back towards Oludeniz
The road out to Butterfly Valley is rather steep and twisty and takes you right around the steep drop overlooking Butterfly Valley. Apparently the butterflies arrive between June and September so on the day I was there it was only the ride and the view that were impressive.
Butterfly Valley drops around 350m in a steep and narrow valley.
I continued on beyond the valley to see what what might be a little further on. There is a small settlement called Uzunyurt which has a few pensions, small store and some places to eat. The road quickly deteriorated after the village and I thought better than to continue onto the gravel section unnecessarily today.
I turned back for another stop closer to the edge overlooking Butterfly Valley and a nice cold can of Coca Cola.
The small flat valley floor hosts some very basic camping facilities and restaurant.
Photo courtesy of a couple who were waiting to watch the sunset.
I had seen enough of Butterfly Valley and enjoyed a quick stop off the motorbike seat. I headed back to Oludeniz since it was well and truly time to freshen up.
Back in Oludeniz after a shower and into some relaxing 'street' clothes I looked for somewhere to wind down. The evening was fabulous as the sun set and the last of the paragliders came in to land in front of the hotels, restaurants and bars.
Sunsets and paragliders in Oludeniz.
It had been a pretty good day leaving Ucagiz and making my way to Oludeniz that is still fairly quiet at this time of year.