Uzumlu nestles 500 metres above sea level on a fertile pleateau surrounded by imposing mountain ranges. The beauty of the setting and the charm of the village have started to attract holidaymakers and sightseers in recent years, but Uzumlu remains very much a proper working village, with the local community relying on agriculture and traditional crafts as its sources of income. The village’s name translates as “with grapes”, and vines producing an abundant variety of grapes are much in evidence. Fields of cotton, sesame, aniseed, wheat, barley and summer vegetables surround the village. on the lower slopes of the mountains apples, pomegranates, almonds, pears and olives are grown. The heart of the village is its square bordered by a handful shops, a post office, a mosque and a large plane tree, as well as the all-important tea house, the meeting point and hub of local village life.
Wandering around the small lanes that fan out from the square, you can see local women weaving cotton on traditional pedal-looms in front of their houses, and you may well be offered some of their wares to purchase. There are a couple of plane and simple restaurants in the village along with a new modern wine bar now the hub of English holidaymakers and ex-pats evening entertainment, nice meals and you can try the local wines. There is a very smart restaurant on the main road to the village which is a comfortable stroll, so you don’t have to rely on your hire car all the time in order to eat out. A much wider variety of eating places – as well as sufficient shops to satisfy the needs of the most serious shopper can be found in Calis or Fethiye (look out for the huge market in Fethiye on Tuesday's).
Those more interested in archaeological sites can reach Tlos, Pinara, Xanthos and Leton in around an hour. However, one of the most stunningly situated classical sites of the region lies much closer to home. Ancient Kayanda, which has only been partially excavated, can be reached on foot from here by those not deterred by a steep, uphill hike. Perched on the top of the hill behind Uzumlu, it has glorious views over the bay of Fethiye. Kadyanda’s relative obscurity, compared to that of more famous sites such as Ephesus, means that you can often wander undisturbed amidst the remains.
Other Activities:
Island Tours, Boat Charter, Historic Sites
marks the location of the property in Mugla
