Wherever we go in the world, if there’s an old town in the vicinity we’re going to visit! And Paspatur – Fethiye old town – was no different when we first came here on holiday in the late ’90s.
But Fethiye’s old town is a little bit different…
Paspatur Fethiye Old Town Destiny
Because there’s a saying in Fethiye that once you taste the water of Paspatur, the place will always be in your heart. And you will always return to Fethiye, wherever you may be.
As we ended up living here, who are we to argue with that!
Guess the old town got to us. It was certainly the place where we spent most of our time when we were here for our summer holiday visits.
Shaded Streets
Aside from the chilled out, friendly atmosphere at the time, old town Fethiye was – and still is – one of the best places to be in the intense heat of the high summer season.
Pedestrianised terracotta-cobbled alleyways lead the wanderer through a small labyrinth around a central square.
And one of the best things about wandering aimlessly around these Paspatur streets is that most are wonderfully cool. Shaded by natural canopies of lush green trailing vines.
Elsewhere, awnings protect you from the sun in areas where the vines fail to trail.
Pretty cobbled streets, the old buildings of Makri (a previous name for Fethiye), shops, bars, restaurants. You’d think this great place would be one of the busier Fethiye attractions.
Whilst there’s a good buzz around the old town at night time, day times are for slow, gentle strolls, a bit of shopping, a leisurely late lunch and a long, cold drink or two.
In the world of summer months tourism in the Fethiye area, Paspatur is perhaps overlooked by Fethiye’s big Tuesday market. But it really shouldn’t be a one-or-the-other choice as far as we’re concerned.
You Are Here
Relatively recently, Fethiye Belediyesi (the local municipality) have seen fit to put entrance arches to mark the various entrances to the old town. And each entrance has been given its own name.
This at least gives those unfamiliar with the area an inkling as to the existence of the pretty old town.
And you can now find the odd signpost here and there around town, pointing people in the right direction.
Very helpful for those that have just got off a local dolmuş or who have sailed over on the water taxi from Çalış Beach.
Paspatur is more than worth visiting. It should not be missed!
It’s a little historic corner of Fethiye. The corner that survived the 1957 earthquakes.
Soak Up Some History
Old stone buildings that once were dwellings and grain stores now house shops and bars.
Take in the history of these buildings whilst you wander and shop and eat and drink.
Listen to the call to prayer from the old mosque. Or go for a Turkish bath in the 16th Century historic hamam.
Whilst a hamam in the old Turkish baths might be more of a tourist experience these days (and nothing wrong with that if you’re a hamam novice), you do get the opportunity to be inside a beautiful local 16th century hamam.
It’s a beauty of a building!
Hit The Shops
Paspatur is the perfect spot for crowd free shopping.
Yes, you can pick up a few cheaper gifts from one of the many souvenir shops. And there’s the obligatory ‘genuine fake’ stores, too.
But the old town area is also packed full of small shops brimming with quality fabrics, clothing, carpets and kilims, soft furnishings, ornate mosaic lamps, crockery and other home accessories.
Not to mention jewellery and leather goods.
And for us, when it comes to presentation in these shops, Paspatur takes some beating.
If you’re a person who likes to browse, make sure to give Paspatur a good chunk of your time!
And if you fall in love with that huge vase but you’re thinking you can’t get it home? A lot of these Paspatur guys have been in the business a long time. Some can organise shipping for you.
We bought our house over 20 years ago and bought some soft furnishings from Paspatur at that time.
They’re still going strong, now!
And if you love local foods, Fethiye old town is also home to a cooperative from where you can purchase local Fethiye honey, pekmez (molasses) and pollen.
Eat & Drink
From snack bars serving up burgers and döner kebab; to bars, coffee shops and ice cream cafes, to lokantas and restaurants for an evening meal, Paspatur has no trouble in keeping you fed and watered. Both in the summer and the winter months.
Meğri Restaurant in the central square is one of the stalwarts. It has been there for as long as we’ve known Fethiye.
As has Nefis Pide, next to the old mosque. They now have a sister restaurant on the harbour; Nefis Pide Kordon.
Yes, you go here for delicious pide but they also serve up lots of other tasty dishes under the shade of the vines.
Right on the edge of Paspatur is Meğri Lokanta.
They used to be a 24 hour joint homed across the road. We had many early hours visits there, eating various Turkish soups.
A bit more upmarket since they moved within Paspatur. But you can still order from the bain marie as well as the menu and get some great traditional Turkish dishes.
And as mentioned above, whether day or night, Deep Blue Bar is a great place to quench your thirst, have a game of darts, watch sport or enjoy live music into the early hours. And they do a great pizza, too.
Stay
If you love to be right in the heart of the action, you can now also stay overnight in Fethiye old town (see the map at the end of this article). There’s a hostel and a couple of boutique hotels.
And climbing up the steps to the old dwellings that overlook the rooftops of the bazaar, there’s now also some renovated holiday suites and boutique B&Bs.
Some of these let you combine views of the Paspatur rooftops with the natural beauty of Fethiye harbour and Fethiye marina.
Paspatur – Beyond The Gates Of The Bazaar
This article has concentrated purely on the maze of streets that make up the Paspatur bazaar area. But there’s also lots of Fethiye high street shopping to be done in the immediate surrounding area beyond the gates.
Do have a wander along Çarşı Caddesi. And cross over to Fethiye Umbrella Street and neighbouring 96 Sokak where you’ll also find more great bars and restaurants.
History lovers can get glimpses of what the ancient city of Telmessos was like by taking in nearby historical sites: climb up the boundary steps of the ancient Telmessos theatre just next to the entrance to Paspatur.
Or, if you’re wearing comfortable shoes, head through the residential area of old town Fethiye, up to the Lycian rock tombs and on to Fethiye castle from where you’ll also get some great, breathtaking views over Fethiye.
This is a good circular walk that takes you along Aşıklar Tepesi.
Paspatur – Fethiye Old Town: Useful Information
- Much of Paspatur and the surrounding area is open year round so you’re not just limited to the summer months. Because of the natural, cooling shade, however, we think summer season is the best time to be in the old town.
- If you are travelling to the old town from Fethiye otogar (the intercity bus station), you can either take a taxi (it’s a short drive) or get on the Karagözler dolmuş. Ask the driver to drop you off at Paspatur.
- If you are going to Paspatur from the dolmuş station, it is just a short walk. Walk along 97 Sokak (with the big mosque to your right), passing Fethiye fish market. When you reach Çarşı Caddesi, the entrance to the old town is on the opposite side of the road.
- Arriving by water taxi from Çalış, take an immediate right along the harbour for a short distance and you can either follow the cycle track to the end and enter Paspatur from there, to your left. Or you can cut through earlier, using one of the pathways between the harbour cafes and restaurants.
- If you’re staying along the Karagözler area of Fethiye, simply follow the shoreline along the marina, pass the ancient theatre and enter Paspatur just ahead.
- Paspatur should be on everyone’s list of places to see in the coastal town of Fethiye. Once you’ve had your fill of the shops, bars and restaurants here, explore are our other top things to do in the Fethiye area.