İztuzu Beach

Overview

At the mouth of the river that flows past Dalyan, a long, thin ribbon of sand separates the open sea from a calm green delta. On one side, waves roll in from the Mediterranean, and on the other, the river water lies warm and still among the reeds. Every summer night, female loggerhead turtles crawl up this sand to dig their nests. So Iztuzu Beach is both a favorite swimming beach and one of the most important turtle nesting sites in the Mediterranean.

Come by river boat, swim on both sides of the spit and leave before dark, when the beach belongs to the turtles. Still deciding? Read is Dalyan worth it.

Iztuzu Beach, the Turtle Beach of Dalyan

To begin with, Iztuzu lies at the end of the river below Dalyan, in the Ortaca district of Muğla province. The beach runs for about 4.5 kilometers (2.8 miles) as a narrow spit, a natural barrier between the freshwater delta and the sea. Since 1988, it has been part of the Köyceğiz-Dalyan Special Environmental Protection Area. From Fethiye, join our Dalyan tour.

History of Iztuzu Beach

A hotel on the sand

In the mid-1980s, rumors spread that the beach would be developed for mass tourism. Then, in April 1987, building began on a hotel of about 1,800 beds, to be financed partly with German development funds. For the turtles, it would have been the end of one of their best nesting beaches.

Kaptan June and the campaign

A British woman who lived in a beach hut at Iztuzu, June Haimoff, known locally as Kaptan June, started a campaign with fellow conservationists, among them the botanist David Bellamy. Soon, the IUCN, Greenpeace and the WWF joined the protest. At the WWF’s request, Prince Philip asked the Turkish prime minister for a pause in the building. Finally, in July 1988, the Turkish government stopped the project and protected the beach and its hinterland. Today, June Haimoff’s old hut stands on the beach again, turned into a small visitor center.

The Turtles of Iztuzu Beach

The loggerhead sea turtle, Caretta caretta, is on the IUCN Red List. Every summer, specifically, females come ashore at night to lay their eggs in the sand. Then, about two months later, the hatchlings dig their way out and run for the sea. Iztuzu is one of the prime loggerhead beaches of the Mediterranean, and green turtles nest here too.

Near the beach, a sea turtle research and rescue center, founded in 2008, treats turtles injured by boats and fishing lines. Also, it runs a volunteer program each summer and explains the life of the turtles to visitors.

Wildlife of the Köyceğiz–Dalyan Protected Area

The turtles share this coast with much else. Inland, Köyceğiz Lake reaches the sea through small lakes and many channels, and the Nile soft-shelled turtle nests in the area too. Otters live and breed along the waters, and surveys have recorded 126 bird species and 282 marine species. Then, south of the lake, the hot springs of Sultaniye, Çavuş and Gel Girme rise along the shore, so a river boat from Dalyan can link the beach and the warm water on the same day.

Beach Rules

Therefore, to protect the nests, the beach follows strict rules. From 1 May to the end of September, it is closed to the public between 20:00 and 08:00. Also, vehicles and animals may not enter the sand, and in the marked nesting zones parasols, sunbeds, towels on the sand and digging are forbidden. Speedboats, also, are banned within a mile of the beach and on the river.

How to Visit Iztuzu Beach

Getting there

From Dalyan, river boats run down through the reed beds to the beach in about half an hour, past the rock tombs of Kaunos. Also, a road crosses the hills to the eastern end of the beach, about 13 kilometers (8 miles) from the town. We come by river; see our Dalyan boat tour.

When to go

In general, June and September are ideal, with warm water. In July and August, come early in the day.

Seeing Iztuzu Beach with us

We arrange private river boats, guided visits to Kaunos and transfers from Dalaman airport.