Things To Do in Olu Deniz

This three-day festival attracts people from the whole region for live folk and rock concerts, puppet shows and, believe it or not, the most beautiful goat contest. Make sure your camera is fully charged for the fireworks display that caps the celebrations.

This promenade is where the best Turkish restaurants congregate, and lots of them offer unrestricted views of the golden sand. Start off with a meze selection of appetisers, then follow with succulent meat kebabs or freshly-netted fish and octopus, blackened over a charcoal grill.

Along this paved high street, you can fill up your suitcase with convincing copies of designer labels like Ed Hardy, G-Star and Abercrombie & Fitch, as well as watches and sunglasses. Dig a bit deeper and you’ll also find attractive tablecloths, cushions and pashminas, all at a fraction of the prices back home.

The upstairs terrace, which is shaded by a vine-wrapped pergola, is a great spot to watch the sunset as the paragliders swoop down from Babadag Mountain. At the weekends you’ll find DJs, accompanied by live percussionists, playing chill-out classics to rival Ibiza’s Café del Mar. Reserving in advance is recommended.

Paragliding off the 1,960-metre Babadag Mountain is a rite of passage in Olu Deniz. A tandem flight, accompanied by an experienced pilot, will cost you up to 200 Turkish lira. The 40-minute descent over the Blue Lagoon and Butterfly Valley? Priceless.

The owner, Fatih, only uses the freshest ingredients, sourced from his organic vegetable garden, to make signature dishes like the seafood stir fry. Factor in the fantastic views of the coast, and the 25-minute bus journey to this secluded, cliff-top restaurant is well worth it.

The turquoise waters of the lagoon begin at the western end of Olu Deniz’s beach. Entrance to this inland bay and conservation area only costs a few lira. You’ll find plenty of sunloungers and parasols, and it’s not unheard of to see loggerhead turtles when you take a pedalo out on the duck pond-still waters.