Eating & Drinking – The Tents, Çalış Beach

Like us, most of our friends are music lovers and so when they come out to Fethiye to visit us, a night out revolves around the places playing the best music. Of course, Deep Blue Bar is where most evenings are spent (the reason we started going there ten years ago was because we preferred the music to that of the other bars).

But sometimes, we head to Çalış for a change of scenery. The famous Çalış Beach sunset is always a winner and has everyone reaching for their cameras. We’ve got far too many photos of it but you just can’t resist. We like our friends to leave Fethiye and go home to tell everyone how great Turkey is so we always head for the beach at least once just before the sun goes down so they can get photos.

And after the sun goes down and darkness falls, we head to the far end of the beach to what we call The Tents. The real name is Yörük Çadılar (literally, ‘nomad tents’) but we’ve always known them as The Tents. Entering here is like entering a different world: you can eat, drink, dance, have fun, sing along (even though you don’t have a clue what the words are) or just sit, listen, watch and chill all in the one place.

The Turkish band play every single night (even in the winter months) and Ahmet, the singer and saz player (the saz is a Turkish instrument that looks a bit like a mandolin) has a fantastic voice and most definitely knows his way round a saz.

Turks (and probably many other nationalities of the world) do not do shoes and carpets at the same time and you’ve probably noticed in the photo that there are lots of carpets covering the floor. When you arrive at the tents, the waiter will realise straight away that you are not Turkish and will advise you on the ‘tents etiquette.’ If you choose to sit at a table, shoes are okay. If you choose the floor cushions, as in the photo (we always do), you must take your shoes off and carry them to where you are sitting. Even the waiters wear slippers!

The summer months at the tents are more lively than the winter months. The Turkish locals of Fethiye go there for a family night out and you also get Turkish holidaymakers. Every night is likely to be lively and if you want to go on a Saturday night, our advice is to go up in the daytime to reserve a table. It will be packed. We’ve been to the tents twice recently and both times, it was busy. Oh, and just so you know; bar one or two other people, you are likely to be the only foreigners in there…one man’s scary thought is another man’s bliss!

Fethiye Yörük Çadılar – Useful Info

• To get to the tents, enter the Çalış Beach promenade from the main road, turn left and keep walking towards the end. The tents are just after the Mutlu Hotel on the sea front.
• If you’re entering Çalış Beach via the green steel bridge, you’ll see the tents straight ahead of you as you come down from the bridge.
• Live Turkish music is advertised as starting at 8pm but it’s usually around 9 – 9:30 before it gets going.
• Make sure to go up and reserve a table if you want to go in summer on a Saturday night.
• There is a simple menu with very reasonably priced dishes such as köfte, şiş kebab and gözleme.