Butterfly Valley is like a hidden paradise between the two cliffs of Babadağ Mountain. The valley not only has a splendid beach, sea, and view, but also it has diverse kinds of butterflies, the waterfall, and Faralya village. Millions of tourists are preferring to swim in that gorgeous sea, and to visit the distinct butterflies. In that natural wonder, camping, swimming, and photographs are allowed. Also, since it is a natural protected area, settlement is strictly prohibited. Let’s see how that area was discovered, the information about the valley, and what to do there.
How was Butterfly Valley in Fethiye discovered?
In the 1970s, the photographer and the collector Rıfat Kılar named here as Butterfly Valley, but before this new name, the bay was known as “Güdürümsu”. His friend Deniz Bayramoğlu decided to found a facility here, to be able to protect this natural beauty and legislate the laws which can save the valley. Deniz Bayramoğlu and his friends took responsibility to protect the Butterfly Valley in Turkey, and they aimed to create a lifestyle that is compatible with nature, rather than a chaotic urban life.
In that sense, the facility now provides camping areas, tents, and wooden houses for accommodation, the activities in nature. The facility can host nearly 700 people at once. However, the usage right belongs to the facility, so even if you bring your tent, you need to have permission and pay a fee for them. Moreover, the facility organizes workshops, about personal growth, such as meditation, yoga, handcrafting, philosophic communes, and Islamic mysticism.
Besides, the facility conducts some projects about ecological agriculture, purification, sea-cleaning, and clean energy.
The Information About Butterfly Valley in Ölüdeniz
There are multiple reasons to call this valley a natural beauty. First of all, Butterfly Valley hosts 80 kinds of butterflies, especially the jersey tiger. These butterflies can be seen from mid-April to the last days of May. If you visit the valley outside of that period, you may not see the butterflies.
The second reason is that the bay of the valley is a perfect place for swimming. The beach has white pebbles, and sun lounges and umbrellas are available to use. The sea has a color like turquoise and deep blue. Also, it does not get deeper suddenly, so we can say the sea is shallow.
Since it is a natural wonder, the experts generally investigate the flora and fauna here. Experts say that 105 butterfly species belonging to 15 families are living here. Likewise, there are 147 flora species around the area.
What to do in Fethiye’s Butterfly Valley in Turkey?
In that corner of heaven, there are many choices to do.
- Swim in Butterfly Valley: Swimming in this calm and shallow turquoise water should not be missed. The sea is clean and bright. There is a facility to meet your possible needs here. The sea is between the high cliffs, so it gives an amazing view for visitors.
- Watch the butterflies: Different kinds of butterflies are living here as communities. You should see them in their period, for example from mid-April to the end of May. In that period you can see many butterflies flying around. If you visit there out of season, you may not see them. The most seen butterfly is the Jersey tiger butterfly. To be able to not scare the butterflies, keeping quiet and not making sudden moves are strictly advised.
- Visit the waterfall: This little waterfall is a little bit inside the valley, close to the Faralya Village. The waterfall is a great example to discover the beauty of the valley. Swim or getting under the waterfall is allowed, the water is cold, unlike the hot and dry Mediterranean climate. The waterfall has a little creek, which reaches the sea.
- Do camping or stay for a night: Through the facility here, camping is allowed to do, besides, the facility gives a tent and a place to prepare the tent. Without renting the tent of the facility, bringing own tent is permitted, but still, the camping fee is demanded. Apart from the traditional camping, wooden bungalow houses are provided by the facility, including a fee. Camping fees here change between 500-550 TL.
- Take photos: No doubt, Butterfly Valley comes into prominence with its perfect view. Green mountains, the deep blue sea, and the clean beach create a nice background for your photos. Furthermore, climbing up the cliffs is common practice for tourists. However, photographing yourself on the edge of the cliff is not a joke. Some people died while wanting to take a photo of themselves on the very edge of the cliff.
How Can I Go to Butterfly Valley?
Unfortunately, reaching the valley of the butterflies via land is pretty hard. The roads are narrow and at a very far location the road ends up. You need to walk for the rest of the route. On the other hand, there are boats from Ölüdeniz and Fethiye, but they also stay in the valley for 1 hour. So spending 1 hour in that valley is far away from being enough.
To be able to spend any time you want here, the best solution is to hire a boat. In that way, you can both easily reach the valley and spend more time here. Via Teknevia.com, you can hire any boat or yacht you want, stay for the night, and spend the time you want.
Butterfly Valley of Fethiye Entrance Fee
The entrance fee of Butterfly Valley varies from 17 TL to 20 TL.
You can visit Teknevia for take information about boat rental.
FAQ
- Why did Butterfly Valley gained so much importance?
Butterfly Valley is one of the natural beauties of Turkey, including its bright sea, white beach, and green vicinity. The valley hosts more than 80 species of butterflies, that’s why it gained importance.
- Is there a facility in Butterfly Valley?
Yes, there is a facility to meet your swimming needs. A little shop is there to sell meals.
- Is the highway to Butterfly Valley dangerous?
Yes, if your first time here, you should be careful since you drive next to a cliff.
- How to go to Butterfly Valley?
Butterfly Valley is in Ölüdeniz, Muğla, Turkey. From Ölüdeniz and Fethiye, there are taxi boats departing. However, they stay in the valley for a very limited time.
- What to do in Butterfly Valley?
Swimming, discovering the butterflies, visiting the waterfall, photographing, and camping are popular activities here.
Meta Description: Butterfly Valley is known for housing more than 80 species of butterflies. If you are willing to discover them, read our blog and create your travel list.