Hotels near Kayakoy Ghost Village

Kayaköy sits on a hillside 8 km south of Fethiye, where the Greek village of Levissi was depopulated overnight in 1923 under the Treaty of Lausanne population exchange between Greece and Turkey. Roughly 500 stone houses now stand roofless, along with two large basilica churches (Kato Panagia and Taxiarhis) and the ruined village school. The site is protected as an open-air museum. 2026 entry runs around 160 TRY per adult (roughly £4 sterling), payable in Lira at the gate. Opening hours are 08:30 to 19:00 in summer, closing at 17:00 in winter. A marked 40-minute loop climbs the terraces to the upper church for wide views over the valley; the trail then continues over the ridge as a signposted section of the Lycian Way, descending in about 2 hours to Ölüdeniz. Golden hour and early morning give the best light for photography, since the site sits open on a west-facing slope with no shade cover during midday.

Pro Tip: Combine Kayaköy with a sunset dinner at Levissi Garden or Cin Bal restaurant in the valley below, where mezze plus a mixed grill runs around 800 TRY per person. Wear proper walking shoes - the flagged paths through the ruins are uneven basalt and limestone.