Buying in Ovacik

[Karabag]

Hi, I am new to the forum and hopefully will be new to the area once we sell our home. We have been to Fethiye but only for a weekend but liked it immensely so have decided to sell up where we are and move down to that area. What I would like to ask is, what is Ovacik like in the winter, is there much open, how long does it take to get to Fethiye central? We don't need much open but would be nice to go for a meal and drink locally sometimes. Thank you in advance.

[Scunner]

Welcome Gail

I suppose my answer is predictable but for me Ovacik is fairly dead during winter. If you are looking for somewhere with a bit of life out of season I'd always recommend Calis. You should also get a lot more property for your money than Ovacik. But if seeing Ovacik was enough to make you decided to sell up and move there, probably Ovacik is for you  

I am sure Ovacik residents/owners will be along soon to disagree with me and tell you it is a thriving winter wonderland

[Karabag]

Thank you for your reply, it was Fethiye that made us want to move, not Ovacik, I am just trying to get a feel for what areas have what. I think we will probably end up in Calis if we can find the ideal house and location. Maybe the outskirts would be more suitable as we definitely don't want a site and definitely want our own garden and pool. It does seem quite demanding but I'm sure we will find what we are looking for especially with help from friends and the forum.

[valleyboy]

quote:Originally posted by Karabag

Thank you for your reply, it was Fethiye that made us want to move, ............

Why don't you move to Fethiye if you like it there ?, you are within easy Dolmus range to Ovacik, Calis, Olu Deniz etc., plus you also have the year round ammenities living in the town, best of luck with whatever you decide  

[Firo]

Uzumlu is 20 mins from Fethiye and what's open in the summer is still open in the winter. Reasonable size expat community with lots always going on that you can dip into if you wish.
It is also a lovely Turkish village that has retained it's character.
Have a look at all areas and look in the winter. Spend some time here before you buy as you cannot judge a new country to live in, on a weekend visit.
Best of luck but please please please don't buy anything until you have spent more time here ......

[rpg9000]

I pretty much agree with the previous comments, but here's my 2Kr's worth anyway.......

I think Ovacik's a great base for a summer holiday (I've been five or six times) as you're equidistant from the attractions of Fethiye, Kaya Koy, Calis and Oludeniz etc. without being too close to Hisaranu!

It's a long way off, but I'm already toying with the idea of retiring to Turkey when the time comes, and my choice would be Calis, not Ovacik.

1. As said - I believe Ovacik dies in the winter. Very few people live there all year round, so there's no point in the local bars & restaurants staying open all year.

2. It is appreciably colder as it's half way up the mountain! Nice in summer, but I personally need as much warmth in winter as possible in order to keep my body and brain working.

3. Also, the dolmus service is severely diminished out of season - start later in the morning, finish earlier in the evening, and much fewer vehicles. I think the Fethiye/Calis service may be better?

4. Property prices do seem higher in Ovacik. I'll get flamed for this, but (to my untrained eye) the villas in Ovacik do seem to be built to a higher standard than Calis, they seem to be on bigger plots, and the mountain makes it much more picturesque. OK - you can get a sea view in Calis, but you'll pay a hefty premium.

So, for all-year living I think it's better to be down on the coast somewhere around the North/West side of Fethiye bay, and within easy access of Fethiye town.

[pookie]

If you are considering Uzumlu - I would recommend renting first....its damn cold in the winter and unless you are properly prepared can come as a bit of a shock !  calis is a lot warmer me thinks !   Good luck, where ever you decide to move to .

[Karabag]

Thank you all for the information, it really is helping us. We already live in Turkey (which I didn't make clear in my first post sorry) so know what it is like living here and we do really love it, we just fancy a different place to live. The mountains really captured my husband's heart when we visited the area. We are going down to spend a week in January to travel around to as many places as we can and will carry on doing this until our place is sold. We did consider Uzumlu but I have to say I like as much warmth as possible in the winter also so we have decided not to buy there although we will go and have a look when we go there in January. Thank you all again, the information and advice is very helpful.

[mercury]

We live in Tasyaka which is further down the hill from Ovacik and half way to Fethiye. The dolmus are very frequent and it is within easy distance of Ovakik, Hisaronu, Olu Deniz and within walking distance to Fethiye if you are fit.. We love it here because we are mostly away from the ex.pat community. We prefer the slightly more Turkish feel here. although I do appreciate that this isn't the "real Turkey" Calis is 2 buses and we like Calis but LOVE Fethiye. It is warmer here that Ovacik as well but there are places open up there in the Winter now and there are places open in Hisaronu.

[Anne]

Where in Turkey are you living now Gail?
Good luck with the sale