Datca holidays

Holidays to Datca show you Turkey’s relaxed side, where swimming, shopping and sipping in seafront bars top the to-do list.

Turkey on the go-slow

It’s chilled-out vibes all round in Datca – a port town set along the Turkish Riviera. This place might not be one of the Dalaman area’s biggest names, but it packs in all the Turkish charm you could want. Holiday here, and you can start your days with swims in emerald coves, spend your afternoons browsing artisan stalls and shops, and kick off your evenings clinking glasses at seafront bars. If you do fancy ticking off one or two of the region’s more talked-about spots, it’s about 90 minutes’ drive to Marmaris or around an hour by ferry to Bodrum.

The coast

Datca’s coast is marked by a palm-lined promenade that stretches all the way from the bustling port to the ruins of a tiny castle on the opposite side of town. And alongside that, you’ve got a skinny beach where grey pebbles meet clear-as-glass water. When you’re not sunbathing, shopping’s the main thing to do here – the town’s streets are packed with independent stores and stalls selling all sorts of bits and bobs, from hand-carved wooden trinkets to leather bags. Come sunset, look to the seafront – it’s home to countless bars and restaurants with fairy-lit seating areas.

The old town

Just a few minutes’ drive from the coast, you’ve got Datca’s old town. This spot’s seriously photogenic – we’re talking cobbled lanes and stone houses draped with bright-pink bougainvillea – so be prepared to be pulling up your camera app every 30 seconds. You can eye up the scenery with an ice-cream in hand at one of the al fresco cafés. Then, dip in and out of the area’s independent boutiques, who display their artisan wares out on the streets.