A Guide to Visiting the Ghost Town of Kayaköy, Fethiye, Turkey (Türkiye)

There are many ghost towns in the world, each with their own events that led to them being abandoned today. One of these is the ghost town of Kayaköy, located near Fethiye along the Turquoise Coast of Turkey (Türkiye). The town was actually included in an article by National Geographic, which listed some of the best abandoned towns in the world to visit.

In this short guide, we’ve detailed everything you need to know before visiting Kayaköy ghost town, including how to get there, what landmarks to look out for, entry fees and other useful tips.

Introducing Kayaköy Ghost Town

Located about 10km south of Fethiye’s Old Town, and about the same distance to the northwest of Ölüdeniz, is the ghost town of Kayaköy.

Once a lively place, the abandoned town you see today has a long and dark history. The village is close to where a Lycian city called Karmilassos was once located. Later, the ancient Greeks founded a town here named Levissi. Up until World War I, both Anatolian Muslims and Greek Orthodox Christians lived here in harmony.

However, Kayaköy’s population started to decline drastically during this time due to a combination of events, including the Greek genocide by the Ottomans, the loss of World War I and the end of the Ottoman Empire. There were also territorial disputes between the Turks and the Greeks that resulted in the Greco-Turkish War (1919–1922). The war ended with a massive population exchange in 1923. This meant that the Greek Orthodox Christians living in Türkiye had to leave their homes and migrate to Greece, and Muslim Turks living in Greece had to return to Türkiye.

After the Greeks left, the town was renamed Kayaköy, or Rock Village. Most of the returning Turks did not want to settle in Kayaköy, and eventually the town was completely abandoned. In 1957, the already abandoned town was damaged in a huge earthquake.

Today, the deserted town is listed as a World Friendship and Peace Village by UNESCO. Kayaköy was even included in an article by National Geographic, which listed some of the best ghost towns in the world.

Many tourists take a short trip to this open air museum on their holiday in Fethiye and Ölüdeniz. You’ll also see a handful of locals selling food and souvenirs to visitors along the main street.

How to Get to the Ghost Town of Kayaköy

By Bus. The most affordable way to get to Kayaköy from either Fethiye or Ölüdeniz is by bus. You can catch a bus from this bus stop in Fethiye. The bus should have a ‘Kaya Village’ sign on it, and goes past Ovacik and Hisarönü. It will drop you off at the bus stop located around here. You can find timetable information on this website, with departure times to and from Kayaköy here.

By Car. If you’re in Fethiye for a longer holiday, and want to do some other day trips without a tour, then you could also consider renting a car and driving to Kayaköy.

By Taxi. Lastly, you can also get a taxi from either Fethiye or Ölüdeniz to Kayaköy. We saw some taxi stands detailing the price for rides to certain destinations close to the Upper Church entrance to the site.

Opening Time and Entry Fee to the Ghost Town of Kayaköy

The site is open every day between 8:30AM and 6:30PM. Entry fee is 100 TL (3 EUR).

Top Tip. If you’re staying in Türkiye for longer, then we recommend getting either the Aegean Museum Pass for 95 EUR or the Türkiye Museum Pass for 165 EUR. It might seem like a lot, but when you add up the individual entry fees for the places you want to visit, it might work out cheaper in the end. You can check out what’s included in these passes here.

Note that prices are prone to change so always check the official website for more up-to-date information.

There are two entrances to the site. One is located near the Upper Church and the other by the Lower Church. If you arrive by bus, then you’ll be dropped off near the Upper Church entrance.

Landmarks of the Ghost Town of Kayaköy

There are hundreds of houses in the abandoned town. Scattered amongst them are several small chapels, two schools, two large churches, and a customs building. Whilst you’re walking around the site, make sure not to miss these landmarks in particular.

Upper Church (Yukarı Kilise)

If you’re starting to explore from the bus stop, the first main landmark you’ll come to will be the Upper Church. Originally known as Taxiarchis Church, it was built on a hill in the middle of the town.

Unfortunately, at the time of our visit it was closed for restoration, so we couldn’t check out its interior.

Castle Ruins

Another structure you should stop at is the castle ruins, located in the vicinity of the Upper Church. Although there’s not much left of it, there’s a viewing platform at the top from where you get a great little overview of the abandoned town.

Abandoned Homes

As you can imagine, the majority of the site is comprised of abandoned homes. Each home is approximately 50 square metres. Interestingly, they were positioned in a way where they all got sufficient daylight and views of the valley.

You’ll most likely not find anything inside of them, as they’ve been looted over the years. However, it’s still interesting to see how they looked inside. You can definitely work out the layout of the homes. There are also cisterns adjacent to each home, and in a few of them you’ll still be able to see the faint colour of paint on the walls.

Watch Tower Church

Perched on top of the hill is the Watch Tower Church, the highest structure within the town. We recommend walking all the way up to it if you can. Thanks to its location, it provides a fantastic viewpoint of the entire ghost town, as well as the Mediterranean Sea.

Lower Church (Aşağı Kilise)

The other main church within Kayaköy is the Lower Church. Formerly known as Panayia Pirgiotissa Church, it dates back to the 17th century. Apparently, it was used as a mosque until the 1960’s.

Unfortunately, it was also closed for restoration work at the time of our visit, so we couldn’t go inside. Apparently, you can see what’s left of some of the frescoes. It’s still an impressive building to look at from the outside though.

Best Time to Visit Kayaköy

You can visit Kayaköy all year round. The peak season in the area is the summer months (June to August), when most people book their holiday’s in Fethiye. Temperatures are also the highest at this time. For this reason, the best time of the year to visit is probably either in the spring or autumn, thanks to the lower temperatures and visitor numbers.

If you’re here during the summer holidays, then we recommend visiting the site earlier or later in the day to avoid the crazy midday heat.

How Long Do You Need in Kayaköy Abandoned Town

We recommend spending about 1.5 to 2 hours in Kayaköy ghost town. That will be enough time to walk around the site at a comfortable pace and see some of the main landmarks. If you choose to arrive by bus, then don’t forget to add the bus journeys and waiting times on top of this.

After your visit, you can either head back to Fethiye or Ölüdeniz and relax on the beach for the rest of the day, or do some other activities such as paragliding. Check out our post on some of the best things to do in Fethiye for more inspiration.

Additional Tips for Visiting the Ghost Town of Kayaköy

Here are some useful tips before visiting the Ghost Town of Kayaköy:

• Wear comfortable shoes. The ground is uneven, so you want to make sure that you wear something more supportive than flip-flops. We would personally opt for closed-toed shoes for extra security.
• Make sure to wear sufficient sun protection such as SPF, sunglasses and a hat. Try to avoid visiting in the middle of the day, especially during the summer months.
• Bring enough water for you visit. There are, of course, places to buy drinks in Kayaköy but you want to stay hydrated when you’re walking around the ghost town.
• It’s a well-visited site by tourists, but luckily the place is large enough that you can keep away from the crowds for the most part.
• Make sure to be sensible when looking into these houses, and keep away from places that don’t look safe or you’re not allowed in.
• Leave no trace! Please be respectful and don’t leave any rubbish behind. Also, don’t cause any further damage to the buildings.

Where to Stay If You Want to Visit Kayaköy

Depending on the type of holiday you’re planning on having, you can either base yourself in Fethiye or Ölüdeniz. Kayaköy is located about an equal distance between the two locations.

Both have plenty of accommodations, restaurants, cafes and other amenities. Ölüdeniz is closer to the Blue Lagoon and the landscape is definitely incredible. It has a lot of resort type accommodations, which are great if you’re here for more of an all-inclusive style holiday. However, the town is quite small in comparison to Fethiye. Fethiye also has a lot more places of interest, including some historical sites.

In terms of restaurants, both offer plenty of choices, with Ölüdeniz being more tourist focused. You can even have a full English breakfast if you want, but we suggest experiencing a Turkish breakfast whilst you’re there. Fethiye also has a ton of touristy eateries, but you can more easily find much smaller, local places to try some traditional Turkish food here.

In our opinion, Fethiye offers a more authentic stay, especially if you’re planning a rather active holiday.

Find your accommodation in Ölüdeniz or Fethiye.

Final Thoughts on Visiting the Ghost Town of Kayaköy

Kayaköy ghost town was definitely one of the most interesting places we visited in Türkiye. The layout of the deserted homes on the hill somewhat reminded us of Berat in Albania. As we were walking around, we tried to picture the now deserted town during its heyday. With a little imagination, we could see people chatting to their neighbours and going about their daily business, see vendors selling their merch and kids running around playing, with cats sprawled out on every corner of this once bustling town.

Have you ever visited the ghost town of Kayaköy near Fethiye and Ölüdeniz before? If so, what was your experience? If not, would you add a visit to this abandoned place to your itinerary? Let us know in the comments below.