Butterfly Valley, the Canyon With No Road

From the clifftop above Faralya the valley looks like a slot cut with a single stroke. Walls of rock more than three hundred metres high close in on three sides, and far below a boat draws one white line across dark water toward a pale sliver of sand.

There is no road into Butterfly Valley. Everything arrives by boat or on foot. Since 1995 the valley has been a protected reserve and nothing permanent can be built, which is why the beach has stayed the size it is. Behind it, under the trees, sit simple bungalows, tents and a pair of painted tipis, with hammocks wherever there is shade.

A slot in the cliffs

The valley is a cleft in the cliffs, about twenty minutes by boat along the coast from Ölüdeniz. A stream runs down the canyon floor and reaches the sea at the back of the beach, which is a narrow band of pebbles and coarse sand. The water shelves quickly, so a few strokes from the edge you are swimming over depth, and the isolation keeps it very clean.

The cliffs shade the beach for part of the day. The water stays cooler than on the open coast and the light turns to evening early. Faralya sits on the terraces above, on the Lycian Way. The two belong together, though one is a viewpoint and the other a room with the roof taken off.

Wings, if you are lucky

The name comes from a moth, the Jersey tiger, which gathers in the valley and rests on damp, shaded rock. Do not expect clouds of colour. On a good visit you see scattered wings with a flash of orange among the trees. On others you see none. Treat the moths as a bonus and the valley will not disappoint.

What decides the visit is the clock. Arrive in the morning, swim, walk and eat, then stay on after the afternoon boats have taken the day visitors home. Services are basic, the boats keep their own timetable, and the way out is the same boat.

Editor's picks

• Take a morning boat from Ölüdeniz.Day boats leave daily, and a private charter lets you set your own hour. The cliffs are best seen from the water, and you land with the whole day ahead.
• Swim early.The water is deep close to the shore and cool in the shade of the canyon.
• Walk inland to the waterfall.It is a short way up the valley. After a dry spell it can shrink to a trickle, but the pools below are still the place to rinse off the salt.
• Look for the moths in the damp shade.They rest on the rock and the leaves. Stand still and keep your voice down.
• Stay a night.A bungalow or a tent here has the cliffs black against the stars and the sea very close. Once the boats leave, the valley is nearly private.
• Look down from Faralya.The best view of the valley is from the village above it. The path down is a steep scramble with fixed ropes, for experienced walkers only, and some operators advise against it. Ask locally before you try.
• Walk on to Kabak.The Lycian Way links Faralya and Kabak, about half a day on foot, with a swim and a slow lunch at the end. Start early and carry water.

Insider notes

Boats run in calm weather, so check the sea with your pension before planning the day, and ask the captain for a firm return time. Do it before you land, not when you want to leave. The last regular boat back usually goes in the late afternoon. There is no pier, so you may wade the last few metres.

Wear shoes with grip and carry plenty of water. If you plan to stay overnight, pack light, since everything comes down by boat or on your back. Bring a head torch, insect repellent and cash, because there are no machines or shops.

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How to get to Butterfly Valley

Dalaman is the closest airport, about an hour by road to Ölüdeniz, where the boats to the valley leave. A car also reaches Faralya and the Lycian Way. Flights from Europe and Istanbul are covered in Getting there.

No traffic, no streetlights, and the boats gone by evening.