A 26 day round trip along the Turkish Mediterranean coast (also known at the Turquoise Coast) was one of our favourite road trips. This is one of the most picturesque, yet relatively low key travel destinations in the whole world. Very few of our friends and family back in the U.K, even knew this place existed preferring to holiday in France, Italy, or Spain. And those who do visit tend to stick to one town and stay at a resort rather than spend too much time travelling along the coast. For us the clear turquoise water, easy bus transportation and chilled out atmosphere at a fraction of the price compared to other Mediterranean destinations mean it’s a place we would come back to in the future.
Where exactly is the Turquoise Coast?
It encompasses the majority of Turkey’s southwest coastline along the Mediterranean Sea. For our trip, I’ll be focusing on a more southern route vising the following towns: Anamur, Anlanya, Antalya, Cerali, Demre, Kas, Oludeniz, Fethiye, Dalyan, Marmaris, Bodrum, Selcuk, Izmir and Pamukkale.
Bus Network around Turkey
Turkey must have one of the most sophisticated bus networks in the world. We had never seen a bus network like it – one bus station can even have 116 buses leaving at a given time. It is one of the most hassle-free ways to travel here and catching a bus is where we learnt of our Turkish words:
Otogar = bus station
Dolmus = local buses, smaller than tour buses that travel from city to city.
The destination will be written on the front window of the bus. If we ever had questions, everyone was willing to help. While not everyone speaks English, they will go and find someone who does for you. We didn’t have a problem and if possible pay in smaller denominations. The price varied quite widely with little logic. We would have half an hour which was $10 for two people and two hour ones which were $2 dollars for two people. To find the local routes most of the time we went to the local otogar and asked the employees or bus driver for the timetable.
Stop 1: Anamur
On our way to Alanya, we stopped at Anamur to view the Anamur castle. Its 6km from the bus stop and we found a great taxi driver that was so excited to take us round. On the way to Anamur we saw a lot of greenhouses, with 100s everywhere in the skyline (3,000s greenhouses in the whole district). It turns out the Turkish government is working on a farming plan to make Turkey completely self sufficient in bananas. It is responsible for 40% of Turkey’s banana production. On the way to the castle our taxi driver stopped at a house and at first with our lack of Turkish and vice versa we didn’t know what to expect and much to our surprise he took us to one of the greenhouses.
We then hopped back and started our drive to Anamur castle, and it worth stopping for its spectacular setting. Because of Turkey’s history with the Ottoman empire all over our road trip it was littered with historical forts and castle. What’s fun about the forts and castles in Turkey is most of the time you can explore freely without following a set route or half of it being out of bounds. We ran freely up all the towers and walked round the castle at the top which seemed like a novelty. This moated castle was worth the stop before we go back on the bus and headed to Alanya.
Stop 2: Alanya
We spent two nights in Alanya, enough for us to visit Alanya Castle, Damlataş caves and the beach. The best part was the castle that is visited via cable car overlooking the famous peninsula. The views are spectacular on the way to the castle. A part of the castle is a (paid) attraction at the very top. You can reach the entrance by walk or by taking a taxi further upwards. But practically everywhere you walk you can see the historical remains. While strolling this part of Alanya, you can quite happily wonder off in any direction. The nature is beautiful, with pristine beaches and historical caves to explore.
Stop 3: Antalya
We then headed for two nights at Antalya. One of our favourite days was hiking round the Ancient City of Termessos. It is a 45 minute drive from downtown Antalya to Termessos. Famous for being the city that Alexander the Great failed to conquer, Termessos is strangely enough one of the best preserved ancient cities in Turkey. Strangely, because one would expect a far greater amount of visitors for a site of this size, so close to Antalya. But it seems it is not on too many people’s radar, even before covid.
Once you arrive at Termessos it’s a 45min – 1 hour hike to the top with ancient ruins nestled in the forested mountain. The city is roughly divided into three areas; the lower city ruins, the city center, and the southern necropolis. You’ll be impressed by its city walls, the Artemis-Hadrian Temple, the gymnasium, and the theatre. Our favourite was the theatre!
What makes Termessos one of our favourite places was the setting combined with the site being unexcavated gives you a real sense of exploring. You are not just looking at ruins here, you are also having a great day outdoors surrounded by the mountains. The lack of tourists and the extent of the site lets you enjoy this fascinating place in silence, enhancing the experience even more.
We then headed back to Kaleici. This serves as the Old Town for Antalya and was once the city centre. It is the perfect place to explore the Ottoman flare Turkey is known for. Structures here can be dated to several eras including Roman, Byzantine, Seljuk, Ottoman along with some new modern buildings. Each night on the way back to our hotel we would pass through Hadrian’s Gate. Hadrian’s Gate was built in honour of the Roman Emperor Hadrian who walked under its archways in the year 130 when he visited Antalya
Apart from the history, we visited the Duden waterfall on our walks around the town. We saw the waterfall from land but saw boats were out at sea. If we did the waterfall again it would be from the sea to appreciate the scale of the waterfall. On our final night we found an incredible beach stop called Mermerli beach. What we liked about Turkish beaches compared to most European ones was there was not an extortionate fee for a sun lounger and most places relied on spending a small amount on food and drinks. It was now time for us to take a short journey to Cerali.
Stop 4: Cerali
Cerali from what we read was the backpacker stopover along the Turquoise Coast. We decided to spend one night to explore the Lycian ruins, pebble peach and see Mount Olympos. This is a very charming town and as soon as you enter everything about the town seems self sufficient and it has an eco-tourism feel about it. Cirali is just touristy enough to be easy (English-speaking waiters, picture menus at the restaurants) but isn’t yet ruined by chain hotels or big resorts. In fact, the locals here do not let any non-local residents build any hotels or businesses here in order to preserve its charm.
We walked along the pebble beach for half an hour to find the ruins of the ancient Lycian City of Olympos. There is a small entrance fee to pay to pay to explore the ruins. Apart from the directional signs there is not much signage so walking round can feel a bit haphazard, however the advantage is your able to explore the ruins freely which was a lot of fun. We then chilled on the beach and ate the best hummus and flatbread on the trip whilst making friends with the local Turkish restauranteurs.
Whilst on the beach we read about the roasting marshmallows on the chimaera flames and had to try it out. Best seen just before sunset, the Chimaera is a cluster of flames on the slopes of Yanartas, where you will see the eternal flames known as Chimaera. These flames have been burning mysteriously among the rocks since ancient times. Today’s explanation for the flames is methane gas deposits, but either way the flames seem miraculous.
We grabbed a bag of marshmallows and then headed on an hour walk to Yanartas. It was a picturesque walk in between the mountains and was quiet. Once you get to the national park its an 800m path to see the chimaera flames. We had not toasted marshmallows for years so felt like a novelty seeing these flames light up whilst scoffing marshmallows down. Before making our way to Demre the next day, we decided to visit the beach famous for its turtle hatching. It was an early start from 5am. We were a few weeks off the hatching season so didn’t see any hatch but one of the conservationist showed us a baby turtle that hatched before we arrived much to our surprise and joy.
We then packed up and headed on the bus to Demre.
Stop 5: Demre
The main landmark in Demre is the ancient city of Myra. Here you can see a well preserved amphitheatre and rock tombs. The tombs were interesting as local people buried their dead closer to the sky in the belief of immortality. We did a quick walk round Myra as being in the middle of Turkish summer was 40 degrees that day. We then stopped by to see the Church of St Nicholas, a bishop who lived here and is now referred to as Santa Claus.
After walking round town it was time to cool down the next day. There are some great boat trips to do from Demre which are a lot cheaper than from Kaş, ,ainly because less tourists visit Demre and the distances are shorter. We did a boat trip from Dembre vising Kekova island, Simena Castle, Gokkaya Bay and Pirates cave. It was one of our favourite boat trips ever.
The one advantage of travelling during Covid is most of these places we had to ourselves and are surrounded by the locals. The locals on the boat loved telling us the history of their country and where to go next. Kekova island is known as the Sunken City, as half sank under the sea after a large earthquake. The area is protected so you are not allowed to snorkel under the ruins but can clearly see the sunken city from your boat.
We then continued to the island of Kalekoy. Our first glimpse of the town of Simena was jaw dropping. Weaving through tiny islands dotting the coast, you curve around a cove and begin to see a an array of mismatched houses that look to be thrown against a steep cliff. It is very picturesque.
The biggest draw to the island is Simena castle. It is a fairly easy hike to the Simena castle along the pathway littered with cafes and ice cream shops where you can stop for a breather. Though the walk is easy as we did this in peak of Turkish summer the ice cream stops were very much welcomed. Entry to the castle costs 10 TL and although there is not a huge amount to see, if you like history its worth a visit. Another cool feature about the island is you can snorkel near a partially submerged Lycian tomb.
Stop 6: Kas
We had been in Turkey for four weeks by this point. Every time we asked a Turk what’s their favourite part of the Turquoise coast the answer would always be Kaş. When we arrived it did remind us a lot of Cape Town. The laid back atmosphere is evident as you meander through colourful streets, cute shops and historical alleys.
Around 18km west is one of the most beautiful beaches we have ever visited. Kaputas is a medium sized beach tucked away in a mountain cove. We decided to hop on one of their minibuses (dolmus) from the central bus station (otogar) to get there. The unique thing about Kaputas is the stunning colour of the water where the mountain fresh water meets the sea. It is quite magical and can understand why Kaş is a special place for many Turks.
The next day, I decided to do something I had not done before, paragliding. Kaş was the perfect spot to learn as a beginner to paraglide, the 600-1000m hill on Asas looking over Kaş and the Greek island of Kastellorizio is just about perfect. It was a lot easier than I thought especially the take off as once the wind enters the parachute your up and away so quickly. I looked out over the stunning Cukurbag Peninsula as the whole Mediterranean stretches out before you before landing right in Kaş.
Stop 7: Ölüdeniz and Fethiye
We arrived into Fethiye to explore Ölüdeniz as its much cheaper to stay there than in the centre. After dropping off our bags we straight away got on a bus for 20 minute to visit the blue lagoon at Ölüdeniz. More than the blue lagoon, Ölüdeniz is famous for its paragliding and as soon as you walk out onto Ölüdeniz beach your surrounded by paragliders falling out of the sky. We made our way dodging the paragliders to the Blue Lagoon. It costs 7 TL to enter and once inside your surrounded by greenery and water overlooking the mountains. Boats are not allowed to limit noise and disruption, however you can rent a pedalo boat and go round the permitter of the lagoon. This was fun and great way to cool down from all the sun. Also you can go into the water as well to cool down before hopping back on the pedalo. We then headed back before starting to explore the rest of Fethiye.
The next day as with everywhere along the Turquioise coast is famous for the Lycian tombs. Although you can see the tombs from pretty much everywhere in Fethiye, you can opt to pay a small entrance fee to climb the 200 stairs for a closer look. We did a morning hike to see the Amyntns tombs and then it was time to head to Dalyan.
Stop 8: Dalyan
Dalyan was one of our top three best towns in Turkey. It is a very charming town set beside the Dalyan river in stunning, protected countryside and has a dramatic backdrop of beautiful mountains. The locals have worked hard to preserve the area. The famous turtle beach has a turtle centre which you can visit. Established by environmentalist June Haimoff, the beach-hut-cum-research centre is now a museum where visitors can find out more about the work carried out here to protect the turtles. We then headed to the beach which is two minute walk from the research centre. Turtle beach is one of my favourite beaches in the world. The water was shallow and it did not matter how far out the water was I could always touch the floor. It felt like a novelty being 5’5. It was beautiful scenery overlooking the mountains and after relaxing on the beach we decided to book two boat tours over the next two days.
We did two river tours, one to visit the tombs and another around the 12 islands. We saw the mud flats of the river delta, a beautiful lake, an ancient tomb built into the cliffs and enjoyed the shores of Lake Köyceğiz to visit the mud and sulphur bath on offer along its shores. It was a lot of fun! Dalyan has plenty to discover beyond the Mediterranean sunshine and is a place that we will come back to in the future.
Stop 9: Marmaris
Marmaris is a well established sea resort and has charm with its quaint old-town streets, castle and natural surroundings. We were only here for one night to see Marmaris castle. The same boats trips we did at Dalyan you can do in Marmaris as well. In our short visit it was good to get our bearings and plan the last few legs of the road trip.
Stop 10: Bodrum
Bodrum like Kaş is famous among Turks for its picturesque coast line, old town streets and history. We found out unexpectedly that its home to one of the Wonders of the Ancient World, the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, a monument so extravagant that its reputation would survive the turmoil of time. However, the same could not be said of the mausoleum itself. The mausoleum has been reduced to its foundation. It is interesting walking round and imagining what was once there.
We then headed to Bodrum castle to watch the sunset as its open till late. The castle is beautiful and has a surrounding forts so there is plenty to explore with towers, ramparts and coats of arms galore. What we loved most were the views from the castle over the marina. It was beautiful.
Apart from that for us, Bodrum felt like it was a well known tourist resort compared to other towns in Turkey. We did a boat tour round Bodrum the next day but everything felt rushed. Unlike Kaş which I could we could why its loved by many Turks for us – Bodrum didn’t have as much charm.
Stop 11: Selçuk
After seeing the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus we were back on the history path again heading to Selçuk, famous for Ephesus. We decided to spend two days here. It is a beautiful, peaceful, and small town.
We decided to start with seeing St John Basilica and Selçuk Castle on our first day. The ruins are fun to explore like most ruins in Turkey these can be explored freely. On our way back, we wanted to stop and see the Temple of Artemis. We tried opening the gate to the entrance but it was locked. We thought maybe it was not open because of covid. Nick then found a back entrance and after walking down a dusty paths, pulling branches and jumping over a gate we found a secret entrance and saw the Temple of Artemis, our second ancient wonder of the world in barely three days. However, like the Mausoleum it has been reduced to its foundations but it was worth the detour.
The next morning we got up early to start exploring Ephesus before the sun was on our backs as being the middle of Turkish summer it can reach 40 degrees some days. Second only to Rome in its importance as a centre of the Empire, Ephesus is huge and its best to visit in the morning when not a lot of people are around, so can marvel at its vast ruins. Overall two days was a good amount of time to see the small town of Selçuk and its sacred history.
Stop 12: Izmir
We were then back to the hustle and bustle of cities and arrived in Izmir for three days. Izmir is the third largest city in Turkey and we decided to spend three days here. We did a walk along Izmir’s Kordon (waterfront promenade), Izmir’s most recognisable attraction. It is a walkway along the heart of the city packed with different cafes and shops to visit along the way. There was not much to do in Izmir apart from that, so decided to head out of the town the next day.
We got on a bus to Alaçatı from Izmir which takes about 50 minutes to get there. The bus is only 8 TL and the scenery along the way is beautiful. Alaçatı was beautiful with its painted cafes, colourful flowers, and cobble streets. Though it seemed quite far to go for a whole lot of lounging. I think after our fast paced days in Selçuk relaxing in the boiling sun wasn’t for us. Probably the only ‘attraction’ in town were windmills that date back to the 19th century and overlook the entire village. Do not get us wrong it is a beautiful town especially if your looking to relax and chill. I think we have been on the round for so long that it was not for us.
On our last day in Izmir, we visited the Roman Agora of Smyrna. Its an ancient city dating back to the Roman empire. The best part is the reconstructed archways which give some idea of what it would have been like to walk through a real Roman City. We spent three days in Izmir and was probably enough to do one day here.
Stop 13: Pamukkale
Pamukkale is one of the strangest and most bizarre destinations we have visited and loved it! It is one of the world’s first tourism destinations as many centuries ago people believed the waters of Pamukkale had healing properties.
Pamukkale means ‘cotton castle’ in Turkish and it is not hard to see why. The whole structure stands out stretching over a mile a half with dazzling white travertines look out of place against the green countryside. There are two entrances, the upper one that drops off tour buses and the one at the bottom, where a lot fewer people enter.
We decided to skip the crowds and start at the bottom at 8am the next day, spending time lazed around in the warm clear water. It was fun as your able to get into the pools at the bottom, relax and enjoy the beautiful landscape. I think it helped we went early before the crowds as by midday it was filling up fast. The terraces at the very top you’re not allowed to swim in these pools as they are formed naturally (the lower ones were man-made) and so the terraces at the top are a lot more pristine.
Wit your ticket it gives you access to both the entrance to Pamukkale and Hierapolis for 25TL. Some people come purely for the pools and do not visit Hierapolis. We thought the ruins were fantastic as hardly anyone around and can run wild exploring the place.
The Turquoise Coast is a fantastic road trip and is seriously underrated compared to its other Mediterranean counterparts. It has the most turquoise water I have seen anywhere in Europe and Cerali, Dalyan, Selcuk, Kas and Antalya were probably are favourite spots on our road trip.
It was now time for us to pack our bags and head to Istanbul to have our first covid tests since restarting our travels. We got word from our guide who we met in Kenya back in March about great deals for the Great Migration this year. It was previously out of reach and something we would love to do so we headed to Istanbul for the tests before flying back out to Kenya to restart the Africa leg of our trip.