Türkİye, Sports, Life

Paragliding paradise hidden in southwestern Turkey

Oludeniz neighborhood in Fethiye attracts tourists from around world

Seyit Ahmet Aytaç  | 17.10.2018 - Update : 18.10.2018
Paragliding paradise hidden in southwestern Turkey An aerial view of sunbeds and people at the beach of Oludeniz from 1,700 meters high track at the Babadag Air Sports and Recreation Center in Fethiye district of Mugla, Turkey on October 16, 2018. Oludeniz attracts many tourists interested in air sports as it offers views of nature along with the sea. ( Durmuş Genç - Anadolu Agency )

Ankara

By Durmus Genc

MUGLA, Turkey

Turkey’s southwestern Oludeniz neighborhood fascinates domestic and foreign tourists alike. Not to mention paragliders from across the world.

Towering above the stunning Blue Lagoon nestling on the coastline, the Babadag mountain in Fethiye district of southwestern Mugla province is considered to be one of the best sites in the world for paragliding

An Anadolu Agency correspondent captured video footage of his flight with Malaysian pilot Azizan Mohammed Noor.

Noor said he had been coming to Oludeniz for paragliding for the last four years.

"Oludeniz is great. Turkey has peerless beauty in its every corner. Above all, we can find Halal food here. We are Muslim and that’s so important for us. At the same time, the prices are so reasonable,” he added.

Colorful paragliders soaring through the blue skies have become the face of Mugla.

This year, the 19th International Oludeniz Air Games Festival will host 900 paratroopers from 56 countries, as well as the world's best aerobatic pilots.

A show, in which paratroopers take off from the runway to an altitude of 1,900 meters, has become a tourist attraction. 

“This year's festival has a higher participation than the previous years,” Mete Atay, deputy mayor of Fethiye, said.

Performer Hayko Cepkin said: “I've jumped with a lot of different equipment in various locations but I didn't do it in Babadag before. Today, I did it in Oludeniz and it felt perfect.”

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