Butterfly Valley: Fethiye's Hidden Cove

Kelebekler Vadisi, Butterfly Valley, is one of the most photographed places on the Turkish coast. Sheer rock walls rise on both sides of a green valley floor, and at the bottom sits a crescent of pebbly beach and water so clear the boats seem to float in the air.

The name comes from the Jersey tiger, a striking orange-and-black moth that gathers in the cool, shady upper valley in summer. The area is protected, there are no hotels, and the only buildings are a café and simple bungalows, which keeps it wonderfully undeveloped.

Walk 20–30 minutes up the valley floor and you reach a waterfall tumbling down the rock face, a welcome cool spot on a hot afternoon.