PortAventura
Altinkum Holidays
from £ 394 pp
View All DealsHolidays to Altinkum are top of the class when it comes to scorching-hot beaches, throbbing bars and late-night bazaars. It explains why this fun-loving town keeps on growing and growing.
Gold rush
Altinkum is a fun-loving beach resort on Turkey’s southwest coast. It’s grown quickly over the past few years, and has merged with its neighbour, Didim – a town with thousands of years of history. Altinkum means golden sands, and it's for the three impressive beaches that so many visitors head to its shores. But the stellar nightlife, the vibrant bazaar, and ancient historical sites are equally big draws.
The beaches
Main Beach, an 800-metre stretch of sand in the middle of town, is a prime tanning spot, backed by a restaurant-packed promenade. At its end is a harbour where banana boats, doughnuts and glass-bottomed boats come and go all day long. The smaller Second Beach is five minutes’ walk away. And a five-minute dolmus minibus ride further is Third Beach – a favourite with families for its shallow waters.
Fun town
Packed along the promenade, and in Dolphin Square just behind it, are dozens of local restaurants, bars, nightclubs and a bazaar. Come evening, crowds stream through the streets where the smell of shish kebabs wafts from the restaurants, bars beat to Turkish music, shops do a brisk trade, and locals perform traditional dances in the street.
Didim
Ataturk Boulevard, the road that runs perpendicular to the seafront, connects Altinkum to Didim. This modern town has a large shopping centre, a Sunday market, plus the Temple of Apollo. This was one of the biggest temples of Ancient Greece, and although only two of its 122 columns still stand, it’s an impressive sight.
At a glance
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Relax on Main Beach’s golden sands
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Have a big night out in Dolphin Square
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Walk around the giant Temple of Apollo in Didim