Datca Peninsula & Dalyan Holidays

Dalyan is a traditional fishing village on the southwest corner of Turkey’s Mediterranean coast. It’s in an idyllic setting, surrounded by citrus fields and pine-clad hills and with a river running through it down to the sea. It’s not just a beauty spot, though – there are fantastic waterfront restaurants overlooking cliffside tombs, lots of upbeat bars and a lively market, too.

Iztuzu Beach – aka Turtle Beach thanks to the famous Loggerhead sea turtles that breed there – is about 30 minutes away by boat. It’s a lovely journey that takes you down the river delta past tall reeds and native terrapins. And when you get there, you’ve got a crescent of fine white sand stretching for over 4 kilometres. That means plenty of room for you and the turtles.

Dalyan’s main street, Maras Caddesi, has the full gamut of bars and nightclubs that stay open ‘til late. There’s lots of choice here, from family-friendly places with games consoles for the kids to the boisterous clubs plucked straight from an Ibiza strip. And there are plenty of chilled-out bars that serve Efes beer in a cosy setting, too.

From Dalyan, one of the most popular daytrips is to the mud baths at Lake Koycegiz, just 4 kilometres away by boat. Everyone covers themselves in warm mud then lets it dry in the sun, a beauty treatment which reputedly can take years off you. You’re then rinsed off courtesy of the Sultanye thermal springs.