You can swap your flip flops for hiking boots on Ovacik holidays, because this place is flanked by mountains and walking trails.

Sleepy suburb

This tiny hillside village is curled up like a cat at the foot of Turkey’s Babadag Mountain. But things move at a tortoise’s pace. Peaceful package holidays are the name of the game here, but you’ve got the other Turquoise Coast resorts of Hisaronu and Olu Deniz just down the road.

Lots of action

Ovacik’s up to its eyeballs in traffic light-green scenery. You can follow in the footsteps of Alexander the Great on the Lycian Way – passing rock caves, tombs and pine forests. Ovacik marks the starting line of this 316-mile track. And ballsy paragliders head to the top of the nearby Babadag Mountain to throw themselves off the top.

Beach days

You won’t find a patch of sand in hillside Ovacik, but there are some brag-worthy beaches close by. It’s a 10-minute bus ride to OIu Deniz, where you can visit a stretch that’s plastered all over Turkish postcards – the famous Blue Lagoon. If that wasn’t enough, there’s another beautiful beach right by town – and this one’s got a Blue Flag in the bag.

At a Glance

  • Walk the Lycian Way
  • Get squeaky clean at a traditional Turkish hammam
  • Slurp cocktails on a beach beanbag in Olu Deniz