Oludeniz
The Blue Lagoon beneath paragliders
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We had long planned to visit this famous Turkish resort, but something always got in the way—or rather, other resorts in the country kept drawing us in with their offers instead. As a rule, local hoteliers are in no rush to lower accommodation rates and rarely hold major sales of the kind seen in other cities. This is likely because the target audience for Ölüdeniz has long been established; many fans of the town return regularly and book their hotels well in advance. What is it that draws them here? We explore this in our report.
For those who don't know, Ölüdeniz is divided into two parts: the first is small and quiet, featuring a promenade and magical sunsets right by the coast, while the second is large and bustling—with water parks and discos—situated further inland in the mountains. In this report, we focus on the seaside area. It centers on a main promenade with side streets branching off, where small, tucked-away hotels are typically found. The next photo shows this promenade, and in the distance, up on the mountain, you can make out parts of the "Greater" Ölüdeniz.
Our hotel, the Alize, was located on a side street near the start of the pedestrian promenade; its entrance resembled the kind of "opulent villa" often seen in Latin American soap operas. We were certainly pleased with the hotel, though we will review it separately at a later date. For now, we are simply mentioning it because it boasts a very important advantage—one we will tell you about shortly.
We arrived very early in the morning, and before heading out into the city, we took a photo by the completely empty pool—even though the hotel was fully booked. The pool offered a view of the surrounding mountains, so aesthetic pleasure was guaranteed 😊😊😊
If you check the global review site TripAdvisor under the "Things to Do in Oludeniz" category, the "Blue Lagoon" takes the top spot by a wide margin. For those of us who still remember the famous 1980 film of the same name starring a young Brooke Shields, the very phrase "Blue Lagoon" evokes pleasant memories; and although the movie was filmed in completely different parts of the world, the Blue Lagoon was the first place we wanted to see...
There are two ways to enter: on foot along the beach or by car from the highway. A bored young woman would sometimes sit in the white wooden booth we walked past, yet she never asked for an entrance ticket; meanwhile, a ticket office and turnstiles were located at the vehicle entrance. We surmise that the locals are happy to make a quick buck off outsiders arriving by car from afar, but they don't charge local vacationers who arrive on foot.
A pedestrian path runs parallel to the beach. It is paved with tiles and lined with small palm trees. Maps of the Blue Lagoon, showing all key locations, are installed at several points along the route taken by visitors.
We reached the shore of the lagoon in the heat of the day; the sun was beating down mercilessly, and the people relaxing on the beach were mostly locals.
Moreover, the color of the water we saw there differed from the deep blue we had previously seen in promotional posters for the Turkish resort of Ölüdeniz. Yet, taking a dip in this famous spot—especially in such heat—was a must.
But we found the spot that gave this bay the name "Blue Lagoon." It is located at the very tip of the Ölüdeniz beach spit. That is precisely where the water takes on a magical—almost unbelievable—hue. We’ve marked the location with a blue dot so you’ll know exactly where to go to experience this beauty.
The Turkish flag displayed opposite confirms that you are in the right place. The impressions this beach left on us are unforgettable: the water is incredibly clear, and its temperature was arguably the warmest of any Turkish destination we had previously visited. The water at Ölüdeniz Beach in August was delightful, feeling very similar in temperature to that of the Maldives. Once again, we felt that the Turkish name "Ölü Deniz"—meaning "Dead Sea"—does not quite suit this excellent seaside resort.
As for amenities, there is a bar here selling drinks, ice cream, and fast food. Yet, despite the exorbitant prices, they don't even provide Wi-Fi for guests. The only upside is that once you place an order, you can use the nearby sun loungers for free; otherwise, you have to pay the beach attendants scurrying back and forth for a spot in the sun.
A second way to view the Blue Lagoon in Ölüdeniz is to ascend Mount Babadağ in the cabin of a modern cable car—an attraction that appeared in the town relatively recently. See what the famous bay looks like from an altitude of nearly 2,000 meters. This is the very mountain where paragliders take off; they circle over the town and the lagoon in huge numbers throughout the day, becoming especially active as sunset approaches. The launch site for these flyers is shown in the next photo.
Thanks to its spectacular views and a modern funicular, the Turkish resort of Ölüdeniz has become one of the world's paragliding capitals. Even we—despite not being fans of adrenaline sports—were impressed by the trip up Mount Babadağ. You can find out all the details about the adventure of visiting this mountain by watching our YouTube video. Don't forget to like it and subscribe to our channel.
But opposite the monument to the cock, there is the entrance to the Antique pool, which bears the beautiful advertising name "Cleopatra's Pool". Advertising, because Mrs. Cleopatra, with all her desire, could not swim in it, since she died in 30 BC, and the pool appeared only in the 7th century AD, as a result of an earthquake. There is a cash dispenser to the right of the entrance to the baths, affectionately called Bankamatik 😉
If you have a free day in Ölüdeniz but don't feel like just lounging on the beach, head there anyway around 9 a.m. That’s when a whole fleet of boats lines up, ready to take you out on a sea excursion. We recommend haggling; we didn't get the kind of discount we’d previously found in Marmaris, but the closer it got to departure time, the more flexible the captains became with their prices 😉
The day cruise takes in several interesting sights along the local coast. You will see the Valley of the Butterflies (though spotting actual butterflies isn't guaranteed) and visit St. Nicholas Island, home to ruins dating back to the 3rd–7th centuries. Legend has it that the famous Saint lived and died on this island, and his remains were only later transported to the Italian city of Bari. During the trip, you will see many beautiful coves; at one of them, you’ll have the chance to go for a swim and jump into the sea from the upper deck.
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However, the highlight of the trip for us was a grotto we swam into for just ten or fifteen minutes. The captain sounded a signal giving the go-ahead for anyone interested to swim inside the cave. This rocky recess extended for several dozen meters, ending in a dead-end featuring a small pebble beach. I managed to be the first from the boat to reach it. Just as I was stepping out of the water onto this subterranean (or rather, mountainside) beach in the semi-darkness, two black monsters suddenly started leaping about. It was impossible to make out exactly what they were in the gloom, but the urge to leave the water vanished instantly for everyone who had swum there. Gradually, as my eyes adjusted to the darkness, I was able to make out two black mountain goats that had somehow managed to cross a vast expanse of water to reach this patch of land inside the cave. One of the ship's sailors began shouting and whooping. Startled, the animals bolted—racing right along the grotto's side wall. How they managed to cling to the nearly vertical rock face was a mystery to everyone who witnessed it.
As we were sailing away from that amazing place, we took a picture of these two fellows calmly strolling along the sheer coastal cliffs, not far from that grotto.
I think it’s worth saying a little more about the town itself. Freshly squeezed juices are sold everywhere there; pomegranate and orange are the best-sellers. The kiosk in the next photo is the one closest to the beach on the promenade. The vendor working there was so charming and polite that we couldn't simply walk by without buying something from his delicious selection.
The beach in Oludeniz is situated at a slight angle to the sea. As you step onto the shore from the promenade, you won't see the beach itself—it’s as if it’s hiding from you 😉
Shops and restaurants along the beach try to shelter from the heat under vine-covered arcades.
And the view of the town from the beach itself might look like this.
It is time to mention a nice perk offered by our hotel: a complimentary shuttle to its private beach club, tucked away at the foot of the mountain on the opposite shore of the Blue Lagoon.
In addition to the transfer service, the hotel provides guests with complimentary sun loungers and an umbrella. Upon arriving in the morning, we found an almost empty beach and claimed a spot in the shade of a sprawling tree—which one might loosely call a "Turkish willow." The atmosphere here was vastly different from the beaches along the sandbar; while those spots were packed to capacity, there were far fewer visitors here.
From here, it was pleasant to watch the next "batch" of paragliders making their turns over the city and the lagoon.
We aren’t the type to spend the whole day lounging on the beach, so we rented a pedal boat and our little crew set off to explore the nooks and crannies of the lagoon up close. Renting the boat for an hour cost us 90 Turkish liras, as the vendor kindly knocked 10 off the price. One hour is just enough time to pedal out to any part of the Blue Lagoon that catches your eye. While out on the water, try to protect yourself from direct sunlight, as the star of our solar system shines very intensely in this part of the world 😊😊😊
We took a photo of our beach club from the water so you could get an idea of what it looks like and how busy it is in the morning. After a ride on a pedal boat, we sunbathed for another couple of hours; instead of waiting for the evening return shuttle, we decided to head back to town on foot. The walk took about 30 to 40 minutes; we admired the surrounding scenery and enjoyed some delicious iced blackberry juice sold by an enterprising local resident by the roadside.
The one thing you simply cannot miss while vacationing in Ölüdeniz is the sunset. Boats returning from their daytime excursions line up in the bay, a record number of paragliders launch from Mount Babadağ, the sun gradually dips behind the mountains, and a fleeting sense of happiness fills the air.
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