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Ölüdeniz is the archetypal picture-postcard beach backed by dramatic pine-clad hills. Literally translated as ‘dead sea’, the stunning lagoon is a protected area, ensuring that its natural beauty is preserved. Ölüdeniz, which is the first and most favorite place where paragliding is performed in Turkey has a world wide fame.

About Ölüdeniz

Ölüdeniz is a small resort village in the Muğla Province on the South West coast of Turkey on the Aegean Sea to the south and the high, steep sided Babadağ Mountain, 14 km (9 mi) south of Fethiye. The town is a beach resort.

Olu Deniz remains one of the most photographed beaches on the Mediterranean. It has a secluded sandy bay at the mouth of Olu Deniz, on a blue lagoon. The lagoon is a national nature reserve and building is strictly prohibited. Olu Deniz is famous for its shades of turquoise and aquamarine, and is an official blue flag beach, and is frequently rated among the top 5 beaches in the world by Travelers and Tourism Journals alike. The resort is also famous for its paragliding opportunities.

It is regarded as one of the best places in the world to paraglide due to its unique panoramic views, and the Babadağ Mountain’s exceptional height.

Paragliders leap from nearby mountaintops, soaring and floating above the beach and the sea, finally landing right on the beach. Tandem paragliding, where two people fly together in the same harness, is very popular.

The fertile alluvial plain behind the beach is now filled with small hotels, pensions and restaurants, and any further expansion has been relegated to the nearby hilltop towns of Ovacik and Hisarönü.

Walks in the area

In the surrounding area of Olu Deniz there is a walk that goes up the hills eventually to Mount Olympus called the Lycian Way which is regarded as one of the top ten walks in the world. It is over 500KM long.

The Lycian Way, a 500-km (311-mile) rustic footpath, starts in Fethiye and wanders through the hills, descending to Ölüdeniz before ascending again above Kidrak and Faralya passing the head of Butterfly Valley and the access road to the Tohum Eco-Center before wandering southeastward toward Patara and, ultimately, Antalya.

Paragliding in Oludeniz

Ölüdeniz, which is the first and most favorite place where paragliding is performed in Turkey has a world wide fame. Its unique nature, sun and sea is enchanting thousands of national and foreign tourists very year. It has a structure appropriate for all kinds of outdoor activity. There is no transportation, accommodation and nutrition problems within the developed tourist center, region. Yacht tours are also drawing attention in the area. Mount Baba is also preferred as trekking and camping area during summer and winter.

For more information about paragliding in Oludeniz and/or Turkey click here.