Butterfly Valley () is a valley in

Fethiye Fethiye () is a municipality and Districts of Turkey, district of Muğla Province, Turkey. Its area is 875 km2, and its population is 177,702 (2022). It is one of the prominent tourist destinations in the Turkish Riviera. It was formerly k ...

district,

Muğla Province Muğla Province (, ) is a Provinces of Turkey, province and Metropolitan municipalities in Turkey, metropolitan municipality of Turkey, at the country's southwestern corner, on the Aegean Sea. Its area is 12,654 km2, and its population is 1 ...

, on the

Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern ...

coast of

Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...

. The valley is home to diverse

butterfly Butterflies are winged insects from the lepidopteran superfamily Papilionoidea, characterized by large, often brightly coloured wings that often fold together when at rest, and a conspicuous, fluttering flight. The oldest butterfly fossi ...

species.

Valley

The valley is situated at the foothill of Babadağ, a mountain nominated for preservation as world heritage. A wide-strip sand beach at a bay on the

Turkish Riviera The Turkish Riviera (), also known popularly as the Turquoise Coast, is an area of southwest Turkey encompassing the provinces of Antalya and Muğla, and to a lesser extent Aydın, southern İzmir and western Mersin. The combination of a ...

protrudes from the valley. In the form of a narrow canyon stretching over around , the valley's steep walls are high. A trail in the valley leads to two small waterfalls dropping from all the year around. In the middle of the valley, a creek runs, carrying water from a spring in nearby Faralya village to the sea. A road from

Ölüdeniz Ölüdeniz (literally "Dead Sea", due to its calm waters even during storms; official translation: Blue Lagoon) is a town of the municipality and district of Fethiye, Muğla Province, Turkey. Its population is 6,132 (2022). Before the 2013 Turkish ...

to Uzunyurt, which is part of the Lycian Way Ultramarathon route, runs atop the rocks around the valley.

Flora and fauna

The valley, rich in flora and fauna, takes its name from the large number of butterfly species found here. Scientists recorded some 147 flora species belonging to 54 families and 105 butterfly species from 15 families native to the valley. The butterfly species include the Jersey tiger (''Euplagia quadripunctaria rhodosensis''). Butterflies of many varieties in a wide range of colors can be observed in the valley between June and September.

Ecotourism

Due to its natural beauty, Butterfly Valley is an important

ecotourism Ecotourism is a form of nature-oriented tourism intended to contribute to the Ecological conservation, conservation of the natural environment, generally defined as being minimally impactful, and including providing both contributions to conserv ...

attraction place in Turkey. It is accessible by shuttle boat service from Belceğiz Beach of Ölüdeniz in distance, operating hourly at daytime. In the valley, various outdoor activities such as

camping Camping is a form of outdoor recreation or outdoor education involving overnight stays with a basic temporary shelter such as a tent. Camping can also include a recreational vehicle, sheltered cabins, a permanent tent, a shelter such as a Bivy bag ...

hiking A hike is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century. Long hikes as part of a religious pilgrimage have existed for a much longer time. "Hi ...

canyoning Canyoning (canyoneering in the United States, kloofing in South Africa) is a sport that involves traveling through canyons using a variety of techniques, such as walking, scrambling, climbing, jumping, abseiling (rappelling), swimming, and raft ...

canoeing Canoeing is an activity which involves paddling a canoe with a single-bladed paddle. In some parts of Europe, canoeing refers to both canoeing and kayaking, with a canoe being called an 'open canoe' or Canadian. A few of the recreational ...

and

scuba diving Scuba diving is a Diving mode, mode of underwater diving whereby divers use Scuba set, breathing equipment that is completely independent of a surface breathing gas supply, and therefore has a limited but variable endurance. The word ''scub ...

can be performed. The valley is open to public the entire year. During July and August, around 200 visitors camp daily in the valley. Designated a nature reserve as protected area of first category on February 8, 1995, any type of construction in Butterfly Valley is strictly prohibited by law. Therefore, only temporary structures are allowed here. On an area of , up to 250 people can be accommodated in tents in addition to a few simple wooden

bungalow A bungalow is a small house or cottage that is typically single or one and a half storey, if a smaller upper storey exists it is frequently set in the roof and Roof window, windows that come out from the roof, and may be surrounded by wide ve ...

s. Central sanitary facilities are for shared use. Electricity is supplied by a generator, available free of charge during certain times of the day. A small country restaurant and a bar provide food and beverages in the summer time.

Controversy

Officials at the valley and campers complained about disturbance by tour sailboats, which frequently stop off at the valley. A music festival, held in May 2013, was sharply criticized by local environmentalists.

Gallery

File:Unnamed2_-_panoramio_(1901).jpg File:Strando en la Valo de Papilioj.jpg File:Tendoj en la Valo de Papilioj.jpg File:Mini-biblioteko en la Valo de Papilioj.jpg File:Kafejo en la Valo de Papilioj.jpg

References

External links

{{Commons category, Butterfly Valley (Muğla)
Official website
Valleys of Turkey Fethiye Landforms of Muğla Province Tourist attractions in Muğla Province Ecotourism Turkish Riviera Protected areas established in 1995 Protected areas of Turkey 1995 establishments in Turkey