Exploring Fethiye - Koca Çalış

If you're familiar with the Fethiye region, you'll no doubt have heard of Fethiye, Çalış Beach, Ovacık, Hisarönü and Ölü Deniz. However, there is one area that we have (until now) neglected to mention. That's because, for some reason or other, we haven't walked down to that area in a long time.



After yesterday's cloudy downpours, the air was crisp and fresh today. The mountain scenery was clearly visible, fresh snow had settled on the higher mountain tops overnight and the sun was shining. Perfect weather for a gentle stroll through Çalış, along the beach and into the area known as Koca Çalış. 

 Looking over to Çalış and Fethiye from Birlik in Koca Çalış

In (quite recent) days gone by, Koca Çalış was a wild area of beach, marsh and reeds and was reached from Çalış Beach via a pebble road (beach extension) and sandy track. Some days, it would be impassable because rain would create a lake. There was a small housing complex and a wooden shack on the beach that passed as a bar/restaurant. It was called Birlik. We would go down to there in the winter months with friends and feel like we were sitting in a secret, hidden place, watching over the rest of civilisation. (You can see Çalış Beach and Fethiye from Koca Çalış.)

Mendos glows red as the sun sets over Koca Çalış

The Fethiye region is a fast-growing area and there are now lots more villas in Koca Çalış. You can also reach it from Çalış Beach via a tarmacked road no less and there are a couple more restaurants. Birlik has 'progressed' from a wooden shack to a concrete structure but what a great place to sit and ponder life.

A winter Koca Çalış sunset

The sunset from Koca Çalış is just as beautiful as the famous Çalış Beach sunset and today, as you can see, the sea was peaceful and calm - just the occasional crash of the odd wave.

Reeds grow along the roadside in Koca Çalış

It was an afternoon stroll that we embarked upon but the sun is setting earlier and earlier and the light was fading as we headed back towards home.

Deserted winter Koca Çalış

And, as you can see from the photos, despite the growth of the area that is Koca Çalış, it is still possible to have that feeling of being in a secret area, where no one else goes, overlooking the rest of civilisation.

Fethiye Festivities - Sundial Hotel

We're getting there slowly; Christmas is creeping up on us really quickly and we're starting to feel the festive spirit really slowly. Yesterday helped us along the way very nicely though. Murat, the owner of the Sundial Hotel in Fethiye decided to play Father Christmas and invite people for an afternoon of roasted chestnuts and jacket potatoes. How could we refuse?

Roasted chestnuts served with cold Efes

Being that the weather in Fethiye is unseasonably mild at the moment (winter is supposed to be coming tomorrow - I can hear rumbles of thunder right now!), we sat outside in the late afternoon sunshine to eat our first helping of freshly roasted chestnuts. And in true Christmas, nostalgic, Nat King Cole style, they were roasted on an open fire.



As soon as the sun starts to go down, the temperature in Fethiye drops immediately so it was time to move inside and get cozy.

Jacket potatoes and chestnuts, roasting in the fire of the Sundial, Fethiye

The potatoes were served to us with garlic butter and cheese and the roasted chestnuts kept coming and coming and coming and...well, it was a free festive tea and a lovely, cozy afternoon in the Sundial. 

Istanbul - Istiklal Caddesi Haven - Baraka Bar

Wherever we've travelled to in our lives, we've always hunted out - or stumbled across - a bar where we feel comfortable; somewhere that feels local to the town or city we happen to be in. We're bar people (as you may know!) so we feel we know a city and it's people better once we find the right bar - that haven away from the sightseeing, getting lost and everything else that goes with being in an unfamiliar place. 



When we travelled through Eastern Europe, we were only in each city for two or three days but we have memories of our favourite bars. In Fethiye, we stumbled across Deep Blue Bar over ten years ago and well, there are a good few stories from there. I can honestly say though that we have met most of our Turkish friends either in Deep Blue or through people who go in Deep Blue. Bars are fantastic places!

The wonder that is Baraka Bar - Istiklal Caddesi

So, in this post, I'd like to introduce you to the fabulous Baraka Bar. It's the row of windows directly above the maroon canopies. You're supposed to be able to see the sign in the middle window! Baraka Bar is on Istanbul's famous pedestrianised shopping street, Istiklal Caddesi - of Robinson Crusoe's bookshop and Taksim-Tünel historical tram fame - and there's a secret to the best bars and cafes of Istiklal Caddesi...look up! 



Okay, hands up to this one. We were introduced to Baraka Bar by a Turkish friend who used to work in Deep Blue. See, I told you bars were good! She's an Istanbul girl and it's her local. Well, are two Brits really going to walk down a side street in a big foreign city, see a concrete stairwell in a building with one of those open, historical, wrought iron lifts and think, 'Ohhh, let's see what's up here!' This Brit isn't! I'm glad we were shown though. Baraka is our far-from-obvious (from the outside)  Istanbul haven.

Artwork on the walls of Baraka Bar

The owner and staff are just very chilled out, pleasant guys! Last time we were there, I commented that one of them had really good English. 'Oh, that's because I used to work in Hisarönü.' Hisarönü is a resort next to Fethiye. For such a big country, Turkey is very small!  



Apart from the friendly, relaxed atmosphere and good music, the best thing about Baraka Bar is this...

View of Istiklal Caddesi from a balcony of Baraka Bar

Istanbul has an estimated population of 15 million people and I'm pretty sure a hefty proportion of this population walk up and down Istiklal Caddesi at all times of day and night! (See photo). It's great to walk up and down there and to explore all the side streets of Beyoğlu - but it's also great to be able to nip through those unnoticed doorways (when you know where they are!), climb the stairs and enter the different world of places like Baraka Bar - high ceilings, wooden floors...and Venetian balconies from where you can look down on the masses of Istiklal, wonder where they're heading to, what they're doing...and take a few pics. 





You'll find Baraka Bar by heading towards Taksim Square from the famous gates of Galata High School for about 100 metres. Look left - and look up!