Nature & Wildlife
Beaches
From the Blue Lagoon at Ölüdeniz to the wild dunes of Patara: beaches of the Turquoise Coast.
Photo: Hauseltr at German Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
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Place · Marmaris
Bays of the Gulf of Hisarönü
Bencik Bay, Orhaniye and Kızkumu, Selimiye, Dirsekbükü and Bozburun: the anchorages of a gulet week between the Datça and Bozburun peninsulas.
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Place · Istanbul
Ağva
A village on Istanbul's Black Sea coast between the Göksu and Yeşilçay rivers, with a small-boat quay, forest walks and coves nearby.
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Place · Bodrum
Gümüşlük and Ancient Myndos
A village on the western tip of the Bodrum peninsula, built on Carian Myndos, with Rabbit Island and the old wall line…
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Place · Bodrum
Bays of the Gulf of Gökova
The Gökova bays line a gulf of the Aegean coast in Muğla. Our gulets leave Bodrum, sail east to Orak Island, Çökertme…
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Place · Göcek
Coves of the Gulf of Göcek
The Göcek coves are the anchorages of a gulet week between Göcek and Fethiye. We go cove by cove, from Günlüklü Bay…
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Place · Fethiye
Bays of the Gulf of Fethiye
The Fethiye bays lie around a gulf of islands west and northwest of Fethiye. On a gulet week you swim at Samanlık,…
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Place · Kaş
Bays of Kaş and Kekova
The Kaş bays lie between the harbor town of Kaş and the islands of Kekova. Gökkaya, Aquarium, Turtle and Fırnaz bays and…
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Place · Alanya
Cleopatra Beach, Alanya
Cleopatra Beach in Alanya: about 2 km of fine sand west of the castle hill, with shallow water, free entry and paid…
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Place · Fethiye
Butterfly Valley
Butterfly Valley (Kelebekler Vadisi) near Ölüdeniz: a protected cove below high cliffs, home to many butterfly species, with a waterfall, a pebble…
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Place · Fethiye
Ölüdeniz
The Blue Lagoon of the Turquoise Coast: tandem paragliding from almost 2,000-meter Babadağ, the protected lagoon, Butterfly Valley by boat, the ghost…
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Place · Dalyan
İztuzu Beach
İztuzu Beach near Dalyan: a 4.5-kilometer sand spit between the sea and the delta, one of the main nesting beaches of loggerhead…
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Place · Antalya
Kaputaş Beach
Kaputaş Beach between Kaş and Kalkan: a small cove of pale sand and turquoise water at the mouth of a narrow canyon,…
About this section
Beaches
The best beaches in Turkey lie along the Turquoise Coast, where mountains drop straight into a clear, warm sea. Each one has its own character, so choose by what you want from the day.
Ölüdeniz has the famous Blue Lagoon, a calm turquoise pool behind a wooded spit. Paragliders drift down from Babadağ and land among the swimmers, so the beach is lively in summer. Swim in the lagoon early, before the boats arrive.
Patara is the opposite: about 18 kilometers (11 miles) of sand and dunes with no hotels, protected for nesting loggerhead turtles. It closes from 20:00 to 08:00, and the ancient city stands right behind it. Near Kaş, the small beach of Kaputaş sits between two cliffs.
Bring shade and water, because some of these beaches have few trees. Ferries and boat trips are on the official tourism guide to Fethiye, and we book the ones you pick. Patara is a protected nature area, so respect the marked nests and never leave umbrellas on the sand overnight.
