How to get to Butterfly Valley? Are there any butterflies in the Valley of the Butterflies? And why do tourists go there?
These questions are easy to answer after I visited the beautiful beach of this very valley. I didn’t just look at it from the observation deck – you can’t see butterflies from there.
We spent the entire day on the beach in Butterfly Valley, from the morning until the last six-hour boat ride. And we have never regretted it – we loved this place and this beach so much. Despite its widespread popularity, you can be almost alone here.
How is this possible? So, first things first.
Where is the Butterfly Valley located?
The valley, sandwiched between two high cliffs, is located near the village of Faralia, 15 km from the resort of Oludeniz, Mugla Province. The valley’s peculiarity is that it is quite difficult and even dangerous to get to it by land. That’s why most tourists come to the valley by boat and ship.
Butterfly Valley lies on a hiking route – Lycian Trail which I, like many others, hiked with a backpack. But this does not prevent tourists from passing through Lycian Trail partially, in small pieces. At the same time, the Lycian Trail itself does not lead through the Valley of the Butterflies, but intrepid tourists often descend therefrom Faralia.
This isolation gave it a certain mystery and romance. And there are not many tourists in the valley – there are no hotels, no large selection of restaurants. But if you are a true romantic and love such hidden beaches and wild vacations, you will definitely like Butterfly Valley!
How to get to Butterfly Valley?
To see the Butterfly Valley and its beach, you don’t have to go there or drive there. Most tourists look at it from this angle and then tell everyone that it’s nothing special, that it’s a beautiful view of the sea and rocks.
The view from the top is indeed very beautiful, and from different angles: from the side of the cape hanging over the valley, from the campsite in Faralia, and from the Lycian Trail, which passes over the Valley of the Butterflies. But it’s still worth visiting this beach. And there are two options for this – by land and by water.
To the Valley of the Butterflies by water
Most tourists get to the Butterfly Valley by water. To do this, there are many boats and motor boats on the beach in Oludeniz that bring tourists to the Valley every day. If you want to spend the whole day in the Butterfly Valley, try to get on a shuttle boat that gathers 15-20 tourists at a time – it’s cheaper than hiring your own boat: 350 lira per person round trip (price in 2023).
Water taxi schedule Oludeniz-Butterfly Valley (2023):
Oludeniz – the Valley of the Butterflies: 11:00 – 12:30 – 13:30 – 14:30 – 18:00
Butterfly Valley – Oludeniz: 09:30 – 10:30 – 12:30 – 14:00 – 17:00 – 18:00
A water shuttle bus departs from the tourist ship dock. Tickets are sold in a booth to the right of the parking lot.
There is another option for those who do not plan to stay on the beach in Butterfly Valley all day. These are sea cruises on a large ship or catamaran. These tours last from 10 am to 6 pm. And they often include several points: islands, beaches, and a one-hour visit to Butterfly Valley. For example, a boat trip on the 6 Islands boat costs from $15.
Personally, I don’t like such cruises – it’s a trip with a hundred (or more) other organized tourists. And you will swim in the Butterfly Valley in the same crowd. I don’t recommend it!
Descent to the Butterfly Valley by land
By land – first you need to get to the village of Faralia. Buses from Oludeniz come here, heading in the direction of Kabak.
Rock climbing from Faralia to the Butterfly Valley is officially prohibited!
It’s a pretty steep and extreme descent and then a cliff climb from the village of Faralia. At first, it’s a fairly gentle descent along a path that turns into rocks, along which you have to go down holding on to a rope. Three areas with ropes that prevent you from falling down, provided you have good coordination and strong hands and wrists. Girls like me (not very dexterous), with the guys’ backup, went down for an hour and a half.
Keep in mind that the authorities remove the ropes (remember that rappelling is prohibited), but they are tied again by extreme tourists. This can be done unprofessionally and therefore dangerous.
I had the opportunity to try both options, but since I was hiking the Lycian Trail alone, I did not risk going down the cliffs alone.
What to do in the Butterfly Valley
We celebrated my sister’s birthday on the beach of the Butterfly Valley. For those looking for a quiet vacation without crowds and large crowds, this place will be very popular. Even on your birthday, it’s great to be alone with the sea and rocks.
The beach in Butterfly Valley is not as large and well-groomed as in Oludeniz. But it has its own advantage: if you go to the right (standing with your back to the sea), there is a very convenient gentle descent into the sea on natural slabs of white stone. It’s much quieter there, and there are no tourist ships hanging around that part of the beach.
Entertainment and cafes
There are practically no people there, it’s quiet and clean. We took masks and snorkels with us and swam along the rocks, looked at sea urchins and small fish. There are free mushroom straw umbrellas and a small number of sun loungers. Bring your own bedding, and if you want to stay in the shade, you can move it to the shade of the trees near the cafe.
There are two cafes on the left and right sides of the beach. Cafes in the part of the bay where tourist ships come are more expensive than those on the right side of the bay, where tourists from catamarans do not reach. In addition, there is a campsite there, and residents of campsites or hotels in Faralia (the village above the Butterfly Valley) often stay here.
You can book a hotel in Faralia through – Booking-Faralia. Camping – only through the form on the website.
The cafe on the right has cheaper prices and tastier food. We ordered a large plate of fish and seafood – it cost $15 – at the same price as in Fethiye. Beer and juice prices don’t have a big markup either – they are the same as in Oludeniz.
The cafe also has free charging – I spent several hours with my laptop sitting at a table and plugged into an outlet. There is a free shower on the beach, the toilet is a little deeper belongs to the campsite, but we used it without any problems.
Also, if you are staying in the Butterfly Valley for a long time, you can go to the waterfall that flows down from the rocks where the rope trail descends. In spring, it is full-flowing, but in June it becomes a small stream, and in August it was not there at all – it dried up from the heat.
And the boat ride to the Butterfly Valley is a separate pleasant addition to the day spent on the beach. Splashes in the face, beautiful views of the cliffs from the water – all this leaves only the best impressions!
And what about butterflies: there are no butterflies in the valley in summer, but they say that they have been seen there in spring. It’s actually just a nice name, but why not?
To summarize:
- Would I go to the Butterfly Valley again if I came to Oludeniz for a vacation? Definitely yes – I would try to go down on foot with my husband.
- Another option is that I would be happy to come to the campsite to stay in the Butterfly Valley for 2-3 days.
- It’s a cool place, often deserted with few people – just the way I like it.
Recommendations for organizing a trip to the Lycian coast of Turkey
Rent a car – I highly recommend it, because without it, you will spend a lot of time waiting or adjusting your plans to public transportation. You can find the best option for a rental company on the aggregator Rentalcars.com – Here you can find a budget option and read reviews about rental companies.
Book your accommodation in advance – remember that in Turkey Booking.com is banned in Turkey, so it’s best to do it at home. Or use a VPN while in Turkey.
Do not neglect health insurance – on the EKTA you can buy insurance without leaving your home.
Useful articles and links:
- Kas is the most romantic and cozy city in Turkey
- Fethiye and Oludeniz – features of the beaches where it is better to book accommodation for your vacation
- Lycian coast – big guide to unusual Turkey
- Patara Beach – instructions for independent travelers
Hi Irina. I saw that you were in the Butterfly Valley last year. I’ll be in Turkey in August and I’d love to go to the valley. I was thinking about going there by boat and then climbing up the valley to come back. Do you think it’s safe? I have no climbing experience and I’m a bit scared. But I consider myself an agile and physically capable person. Let me know your opinion.
Hello, Barbara.
I believe that climbing alone is dangerous. If you do this with your company, it will be safer. As I was walking along the Lycian Way, I saw a group of hikers going down and up into the valley. They did it with a guide. I think climbing alone is dangerous.