Butterfly Valley

Butterfly Valley (Kelebekler Vadisi) is a narrow canyon on the Mediterranean coast near Ölüdeniz, in the Fethiye district of Muğla province. Reachable only by boat or via a steep trail from the plateau above, the valley cuts through the base of Babadağ, a 1,975-metre mountain, and stretches roughly 3 to 4 kilometres inland with rock walls rising 350 to 400 metres on either side. A stream fed by a spring at the village of Faralya runs the length of it and reaches the sea across a broad beach of sand and pebbles that has become one of the best-known anchorages on this stretch of coast.

A Canyon Cut into Babadağ

The valley opens onto the Gulf of Belceğiz, five to seven kilometres from the beach at Ölüdeniz, and runs roughly east to west between cliffs that hide it completely from the road above. A path inland from the beach follows the stream to two waterfalls that drop around 60 metres and, unusually for this coast, run year-round, which is what keeps the canyon floor green through a Mediterranean summer. The first is an easy walk of twenty minutes or so over loose rock; the second is harder, involves scrambling, and depending on water levels is not always passable. Water shoes earn their place here, both for the pebbled shore and for the stream crossings.

The Butterflies and the Rest of the Wildlife

The valley takes its name from the insects that breed in it. Surveys have recorded 105 butterfly and moth species from 15 families, alongside 147 plant species in 54 families, an unusual concentration for so small an area and a direct result of the permanent water and the shelter of the cliffs. The species most visitors come for is the Jersey tiger moth, Euplagia quadripunctaria, a day-flying moth with cream-striped forewings and scarlet hindwings that gathers in large numbers in shaded, humid gullies. Sightings peak between June and September, with the densest aggregations in high summer. They are not always where people expect them: the moths rest on the rock faces and in the vegetation along the stream rather than out over the beach, so seeing them properly means walking inland.

Protected Since 1995

On 8 February 1995 the valley was designated a first-degree protected natural site, a status that prohibits construction outright. That decision is why Butterfly Valley looks the way it does rather than like the developed bays on either side of it: no hotels, no concrete, no road. Accommodation is limited to a campsite and a handful of simple wooden bungalows, with tent capacity capped at around 250 across roughly ten thousand square metres, and something like 200 people camping on a typical night in July and August.

Protection has not made the valley immune from pressure. Conservationists have repeatedly raised concerns about the volume of day-trip boats mooring off the beach, the noise and wash they generate, and about events staged in the valley, a music festival held there in May 2013 drawing particular criticism. Visitors are asked to carry their rubbish out, to keep to the marked path rather than cutting across the vegetation, and to leave the butterflies alone.

Getting There by Boat, and the Path from Above

The beach at the mouth of the canyon is the usual arrival point, served by small shuttle boats from Ölüdeniz through the day across a crossing of only a few kilometres. From the water, many charter guests anchor here for the afternoon, swimming ashore or landing by tender before the walk up to the falls. Larger day-trip boats out of Fethiye also include the valley on their standard route, which is why the beach fills in the middle of the day and empties again by evening.

The alternative is the descent from Faralya, the clifftop village some 350 metres above the beach, reached from the Lycian Way, the long-distance trail that runs along the ridge here. That path is steep, partly roped and genuinely hazardous in places; local advice is that it should not be attempted casually, in poor light or after rain. Walking the clifftop section of the Lycian Way from Ölüdeniz to Faralya and on to Kabak, about three hours further, gives you the view down into the valley without the risk.

When to Go

June through September is the practical season: the sea is warm, the shuttle boats run frequently and butterfly activity is at its height. It is also when the beach is busiest, so early morning and late afternoon are the calmer windows, and boats anchored offshore overnight have the place largely to themselves at dawn. Outside those months the valley is quieter and the falls often fuller, but the boat service thins out and most facilities close. Shade is limited once you leave the trees along the stream, and a simple self-service restaurant behind the beach is the only place to buy anything, so water and sun cover are worth carrying in.