If you enjoy shopping in open markets then you are in the right place.  There is a market somewhere in and around Fethiye on every day of the week, some days there is even a choice.  Here’s a weekly market calendar with comments, where available, on special features of individual markets.

Monday

Hisarönü – located just past the roundabout on the edge of the village. During the off-season period the market at Hisaronu is mainly geared towards the needs of the Turkish housewife. There are a couple of spice stalls and a couple of fruit and veg stalls together with a general grocery stall. There are 3 or 4 clothes stalls and a mobile cafeteria. That's about it.
 
There's a bit of speculation going on at the moment about where the market will be located in the season as they are currently building the new Olu Deniz Council offices on the site usually occupied by the "Tourist Market". It seems that it's going to be relocated to the carpark behind the old offices.

Elmalı – some 80 miles from Fethiye this beautiful old Ottoman town is well worth a visit (see Link Here) and if you go on Monday the market is a bonus. Fethiye Times hasn’t actually visited Elmali market so any information readers can give would be welcome.

Tuesday

Fethiye – this is the big one, very tourist-oriented in summer but, out of season, a whole day can fly by as you wander around the huge area of textiles and clothing (look out for the bargain stalls where you can find fabric remnants; huge curtains, ready-sewn complete with fittings for a few YTL, and cushion covers for as little as 50 kuruş.  There is an area devoted to footwear, bags, household goods and that is before you even start on foodstuffs.  You really should make the effort to buy your fruit and veg. in a market – it’s cheaper and fresher than anything in the supermarkets.  And this market is amply served with refreshment stalls so you can take a break for lunch and eat pancakes or kebab by the fast-flowing canal, then finish shopping in the afternoon.

Wednesday

It may seem like the ‘sublime to the ridiculous’ but Yanıklar market is the only one we know of that takes place on a Wednesday, hence its inclusion.  This tiny market, maximum six stalls and always a köfte seller, is held in the village of Yanıklar which is on the main road out to Dalaman.  You can’t miss it as it sets up on the side of the main dual carriageway.  A couple of fruit and veg. stalls, two more selling household goods, and one or two with clothes.  Hardly worth a special journey but a boon for anyone living/staying in Oasis Village.

Thursday

Ʃftlik – the first large village outside Fethiye going towards Dalaman has a market that is growing in size.  It is held in the village just off the old road so, if travelling by car, you turn off the new dual carriageway at the sign for Ʃftlik – then you can’t miss it, on the right in the centre of the village.  Well still very much a village market (there are no stalls selling jewellery or imported Asian decorative items) it has excellent fruit and veg. stalls and good food stalls if you go around lunch time.

Friday

Back to Fethiye for the fruit and veg. market in the covered section and along the narrow road on the far side of the canal.  The latter can be really interesting as you sometimes find plants for sale including veg. seedlings at very cheap prices (25 cos lettuces ready for planting for around 1YTL).  Also for any readers who smoke and roll their own cigarettes, on Fridays you can buy locally grown tobacco starting at 20YTL per kilo.  The tobacco man can be found on the side of the canal with his wares in black plastic bags.

Saturday

Kara洬ha on the edge of Fethiye.  Take the Antalya road from the roundabout near the bus station and you’ll get there.  This is very much a Turkish market and Europeans should expect to be stared at even more than usual. The stalls on the right-hand side of the market, beside the mosque, are mostly clothes and household hardware. On the left-hand side of the road the stalls are almost entirely for fruit and vegetables. It's also possible to buy livestock.

 
Patlangic - This is a general market held on the square on Saturdays. Often a very busy market and has almost everything you need. The majority of the stallholders speak some English and the market is very popular with Europeans living in the Tasyaka, Deliktas and Green valley areas. A mini version of the Gunlubasi and Tuesday markets.

Sunday

Günlükbaşı/ơlış – possibly Fethiye Times’ favourite market and very popular with all resident foreigners.  A fraction of the size of the main Tuesday market in Fethiye but with almost all the same stalls – bargain stalls for clothes and fabrics don’t seem to happen here, but they’ll no doubt appear in time.  Again there are excellent fruit and veg. stalls, several ‘everything is 1YTL’ stalls for all those small items you didn’t realise you needed, and a large food stall section where you can eat lunch and watch the world go by.

Göcek – a day boat destination in the summer but the market is held all year round and actually has stalls selling plants for the garden – something missing from all the other markets listed above. 

If you have any information about other markets, or special features we may have missed at the markets listed above, please let us know.

Updated 22/2/2007 with thanks to AA