The Kaya Valley is one of the loveliest and most atmospheric spots in southwest Turkey. Wonderfully green with pine forests and rocky outcrops on its sides, and small fields still being farmed on the valley bottom. Close by is one of the iconic images of Turkey – the beach and lagoon at Ölüdeniz. A dramatic mountain pass leads to Gemiler beach and other pretty beaches are nearby.
It is also the location of the mysterious and fascinating Kayaköy. Once called Karmylassos then Levissi, for centuries this was a thriving town with a largely Greek population. It was abandoned in 1923 after the Greek-Turkish population exchanges. Now it stands on the hillside, a place of ghosts and roofless houses, birds and wild herbs, but peaceful and immensely picturesque. The story of the desertion has recently been told by the author Louis de Bernières, in his book Birds Without Wings. Cobbled paths and an old mule track wind through the various levels of the town and fig trees sprout through broken walls. There are still traces of blue paint inside the houses and the largest church has traces of frescoes and stucco.
