The sea temperature at Oludeniz today is 23.8 °C (75 °F) – refreshing to pleasantly warm water, ideal for most people. The usual October average is 25.1 °C. Over the last 30 days the sea has cooled from 26.2 °C to 23.8 °C. Swimmable from January to December, when the sea averages 18 °C or more. Source: Sea Temp Map (seatempmap.com) – NASA MUR satellite data and the Copernicus Marine sea forecast.
| Month | Min | Avg | Max |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 18.7°C / 65.6°F | 19.2°C / 66.5°F | 19.8°C / 67.6°F |
| February | 17.5°C / 63.6°F | 18.0°C / 64.3°F | 18.7°C / 65.6°F |
| March | 17.0°C / 62.7°F | 17.5°C / 63.6°F | 18.2°C / 64.8°F |
| April | 17.6°C / 63.6°F | 18.2°C / 64.7°F | 19.5°C / 67.1°F |
| May | 20.0°C / 67.9°F | 20.5°C / 68.8°F | 21.0°C / 69.9°F |
| June | 23.0°C / 73.4°F | 24.2°C / 75.5°F | 25.4°C / 77.7°F |
| July | 27.2°C / 80.9°F | 27.7°C / 81.8°F | 28.5°C / 83.2°F |
| August | 28.4°C / 83.1°F | 28.7°C / 83.7°F | 29.4°C / 84.9°F |
| September | 27.1°C / 80.9°F | 27.6°C / 81.6°F | 28.1°C / 82.6°F |
| October | 24.2°C / 75.6°F | 25.1°C / 77.1°F | 26.2°C / 79.2°F |
| November | 22.3°C / 72.2°F | 23.0°C / 73.3°F | 23.9°C / 75.0°F |
| December | 20.0°C / 68.0°F | 20.7°C / 69.2°F | 21.3°C / 70.4°F |
| Month | Min | Avg | Max |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 11.5°C / 52.7°F | 13.4°C / 56.2°F | 15.8°C / 60.4°F |
| February | 10.5°C / 50.9°F | 13.0°C / 55.4°F | 15.7°C / 60.2°F |
| March | 11.8°C / 53.2°F | 14.4°C / 57.9°F | 16.9°C / 62.4°F |
| April | 14.7°C / 58.5°F | 17.6°C / 63.7°F | 20.0°C / 68.0°F |
| May | 18.1°C / 64.6°F | 21.0°C / 69.9°F | 23.3°C / 73.9°F |
| June | 22.5°C / 72.5°F | 25.5°C / 77.9°F | 27.8°C / 82.0°F |
| July | 26.0°C / 78.8°F | 28.8°C / 83.9°F | 31.1°C / 87.9°F |
| August | 26.0°C / 78.9°F | 28.4°C / 83.1°F | 30.7°C / 87.2°F |
| September | 23.6°C / 74.5°F | 26.3°C / 79.4°F | 28.8°C / 83.8°F |
| October | 19.5°C / 67.2°F | 22.2°C / 72.0°F | 25.0°C / 76.9°F |
| November | 16.4°C / 61.4°F | 18.7°C / 65.6°F | 21.5°C / 70.8°F |
| December | 13.1°C / 55.6°F | 15.0°C / 59.0°F | 17.4°C / 63.3°F |
5-year averages (2021–2025). Min/Max are typical daily lows and highs, not record extremes. (Copernicus ERA5)
Oludeniz holidays
Where the pine-covered slopes of Babadağ drop to the Mediterranean, 15 km south of Fethiye on Turkey's Lycian coast, lies Ölüdeniz. The name, meaning "dead sea" in Turkish, comes from its sheltered lagoon, whose water stays calm even when the open sea is choppy.
Beaches
The Blue Lagoon (Ölüdeniz Lagoon) is enclosed by a sand spit and is part of a protected nature park entered from the spit, with a fee. Its shallow, still water suits small children and paddleboards. Belcekız, the long public beach facing the open sea, runs in front of the village, with pebbles at the water's edge and cafés behind. Boats from the beach go to Butterfly Valley and other coves along the coast; Kabak can also be reached overland, with the last stretch down to the beach on foot or by local shuttle.
Things to do
Paragliding from Babadağ, a mountain of almost 2,000 m rising straight behind Ölüdeniz, is the classic activity: tandem flights take off high on the mountain and land on the beach promenade. Daily boat trips visit Butterfly Valley, a narrow gorge ending in a beach, and Gemiler Island with its Byzantine church ruins. The Lycian Way, a long-distance walking trail along the coast, starts near Ölüdeniz. Fethiye, the nearest town, has a harbour where boats leave on day trips around the islands of Fethiye Bay, and a large weekly market. Inland, Kayaköy is an abandoned stone village on a hillside, and Saklıkent Gorge, about an hour's drive away, has a river path between high rock walls.
Weather and best time to visit
The sea at Oludeniz warms fastest from May to June, by about 4 °C (7 °F) in one month.
Summers in Ölüdeniz are hot and dry, and July and August are the busiest months, when the lagoon and Belcekız fill up by midday. May, June, September and October are warm with fewer people, and spring and autumn are the better seasons for walking the Lycian Way, since summer heat makes long hikes hard. Winters are mild and wet, and many hotels and restaurants close for part of the off-season.
Hotels and where to stay
Hotels in Ölüdeniz line the lanes behind Belcekız beach, within walking distance of the lagoon. Hisarönü and Ovacık, on the road up from Fethiye, have many more hotels and a livelier evening scene, with minibuses down to the beach.
Signature hotels: Liberty Lykia
Airport and getting there
Dalaman Airport (DLM) is the closest, around 75 km from Ölüdeniz or about an hour and a quarter by road, with transfers and a bus service to Fethiye. Antalya Airport is a longer drive east along the coast. Minibuses (dolmuş) run frequently between Fethiye and Ölüdeniz.