Time for another monthly news roundup from life in Fethiye – this time, it’s June. And once again, it has come round so quickly.
In a month where the Fethiye weather summer heat has kicked in amidst a bit of an early (welcome) summer downpour, we’ve had quite a slow few weeks compared to our busy May.
June News From Fethiye
So without further ado, before July takes hold and goes into full swing, let’s look back at June…
12th June International Falafel Day
We love food days like this, because they make for a good reminder to make something we might not have made for a while.
Homemade falafel is perfect summer food, we think. If you follow us on Instagram and you see our Stories, you’ll know we didn’t let the day pass. We did indeed make and eat falafel!
16th June World Sea Turtle Day
16th June marked World Sea Turtle Day. And if you know this area of the country, you’ll know the beaches are a major nesting area – particularly the Mediterranean coast between Dalyan and Olympos.
It was announced in June that along Çalıs Beach promenade, bars and restaurants will have to keep their night noise levels lower during the summer season – the season when loggerhead turtles (Caretta Caretta) come ashore to lay their eggs.
Red lighting has also been installed along some parts of the beach because this makes it easier for the turtle hatchlings to find their way to the sea at night.
To mark World Sea Turtle Day, a Caretta Caretta was made by members of the Çalış Association and Ahbap.
It was made from recyclable products and displayed along the beach, representing the importance of nature and recycling – and some of the challenges that loggerhead turtles face.
23rd June Aşure Time
Otherwise known as Noah’s Pudding, aşure is a traditional sweet meal made and served during Muharram – the first month of the Islamic calendar.
Read more about aşure – the traditions behind it and the ingredients.
Cicada Season
And you know the temperatures are properly on the rise when you hear the sounds of the first cicadas of the season.
We heard our first (very loud) cicada towards the end of the month and they’ve been a regular sound, since.
They’re definitely the daytime sound of summer!
Around Town
Other goings on around Fethiye, in June:
- Work started on Umbrella Street with new awnings over the street. Old umbrellas were removed and the belediye (local municipality) said new ones would replace them.
- At night, the Tomb of Amyntas – the highest and most prominent of the Fethiye Lycian rock tombs – used to be illuminated. In June, the lights were once more switched on so you should now be able to see it at night.
- Work has started on renewing the red running track along Fethiye harbour. In the past, small sections have been replaced. But this time, the whole track from Boğaziçi Restaurant to the end of Şehit Fethi Bey Parkı has been dug up and will be renewed.
In The Kitchen
No new recipes to add to our Turkish recipes collection in June. But we have been cooking some of our favourite dishes in Turkish cuisine.
We love seasonal eating and the aubergines on the local markets are great at the moment. So Barry made kızartma.
It’s also bean season so we’ve made the classic Turkish olive oil (zeytinyağlı) plates: green beans in olive oil and barbunya pilaki.
We’re all being encouraged to add more beans to our diet. So, if you’re looking to do the same, these two recipes are perfect for summer.
On The Blog
We’re always doing something to and with the blog, even when new articles are not appearing. But in June, we did add two brand new articles.
The Greek Island of Halki
In early May, we celebrated our wedding anniversary on the Greek island of Halki.
So many photos to sift through and so much information to compile. So it was June by the time the article was completed and published.
If you are an email subscriber, please accept our apologies because, for a few of you, when you received the email, the wrong link was added to the ‘Read More’ button.
So if you missed it, you can use this link to read our guide to Halki island, Greece.
Chez Community
The Fethiye bar and restaurant scene is an ever-evolving state of being. And, as well as many new eateries serving up traditional dishes there are also an increasing number of places coming up with different, international menus.
In June, we wrote our review of Chez Community. We’ve always loved the place where it is, so as soon as Chez opened there, we were keen to see the new design and try to food they were serving.
It’s great to be able to go there again!
In Other News
A few little bits and bobs that jump out at us as the month progresses…
A World First
It’s an airport that many love to hate – not the cheapest place in the world. However, we have a world first!
In June, it was announced that Dalaman Airport has become the world’s first airport to meet 100% of the terminal’s electricity demands exclusively through the solar panels on the roof of the terminal building.
The solar panels further reduce energy demand because their positioning on the roof provides natural shade for the terminal, keeping temperatures cooler inside.
Night Sessions
And we love this initiative started by Turkish authorities.
Special night lighting has gradually been installed in various archaeological sites. And that means, throughout the summer months, it is now possible to visit these sites at night and get a whole different experience.
And, of course, it will be a lot cooler than trudging around in the heat of the summer sun!
Some museums are also open at night.
The list of places that have had the night time treatment and will be open at night between June and October are:
- Nemrut Archaeological Site
- Museum of Anatolian Civilisations in Ankara
- Aspendos Archaeological Site in Antalya Province
- Alanya Museum
- Patara Archaeological Site
- Lycian Civilisations Museum in Demre
- Side Archaeological Site
- Temple of Apollo at Didyma
- Ahlat Seljuk Cemetery
- Hierapolis in Denizli Province
- Gaziantep Zeugma Mosaic Museum
- Istanbul Archaeological Museum
- Galata Tower, Istanbul
- Turkish & Islamic Arts Museum, Istanbul
- Ephesus Archaeological Site (Wednesday to Saturday)
- Bodrum Museum of Underwater Archaeology
- Marmaris Museum
- Derinkuyu Underground City
- Şanlıurfa Museum
- Haleplibahçe Mosaic Museum
It’s difficult to find correct information but Olympos Archaeological Site was also part of the initiative last year so could well be again for 2026.
And that’s about it for the month of June. We’re currently sat hoping for a bit of a breeze – it looks like the rest of July in Fethiye could be a hot one!