It takes simply 20 minutes to go away the hustle and bustle of Fethlye centre and step into the tranquility of one other world.
With no roads and no autos aside from the odd buzzing motorboat or the light swash of a passing yacht, Sovalye island is an oasis of calm and a moderately handy one at that, being so near Fethiye port.
Stroll
The island is crisscrossed with paths. Shaded by pines and carob bushes, a stroll throughout Sovalye is a sensory expertise. Look ahead to native birds and glimpses of the seashore shimmering by the bushes. Let the birdsong and the drone of cicadas wash over you. Scent the just about overpowering scent of jasmine and the recent earthy aroma of the woods. Really feel the breeze cooling your pores and skin. It takes simply 45 minutes to stroll across the island.
You may as well wander across the small harbour, admiring the homes and the gorgeous climbing crops and flowers spilling over partitions.
Discover pirate treasure
Hidden amongst bushes within the island's centre you may see the remnants of a crusader citadel, together with ruins and mosaics. Sovalye island was as soon as some extent of defence for the Knights of Rhodes. Actually, 'Sovalye' is the Turkish phrase for 'Knight'.
Shaped in Jerusalem Within the eleventh century to guard Christian pilgrims throughout their pilgrimages to the Holy Land, the Knights rapidly grew to become some of the highly effective army forces within the area, working from a community of castles and ports. They had been pressured out of Jerusalem within the early 14th century, and fled to the Aegean and Mediterranean - together with elements of what's now Turkey. In 1522 their stronghold was ended by the Ottoman emperor Suleyman the Magnificent. Sovalye's ruins are nearly hidden by the bushes, however intrepid explorers will discover them.
Swim or snorkel
Sovalye's quiet coves, lined with sand or shingle, are perfect for swimming or crusing. The crystal clear waters yield up a couple of delights for snorkellers, too. On the ocean mattress you may see historical Roman ruins - an outdated wall, homes the stays of some church buildings and a lot of amphora and olive oil pots scattered round.
The athletic can swim across the island In two hours. A circumnavigation by canoe will take you round an hour. You will nonetheless be capable of see the ruins from above the water, however nothing compares to the expertise of gliding face down within the water surveying an historical civilisation.
