Places to Visit in Marmaris

Travel notes

Before I begin, if you are curious about life in England, we made a video about it and linked it in the original post. 🙂

Life in England

Map of Marmaris

Towns around Marmaris

Marmaris is known for its scenery, sea, bars and lively nightlife. Its oldest quarter, Kale Mahallesi, sits on a hill projecting towards the water, and the town later expanded down the slopes and along the coast. It is one of Turkey’s major holiday destinations. My original notes put Dalaman Airport about an hour away and Rhodes around 45 minutes away by sea; allow for your actual route, traffic, ferry type and current schedules. Historic buildings around the Ottoman castle have been preserved and restored, many becoming restaurants, bars and shops, with a smaller number still used as homes. Narrow streets and projecting timber upper floors recall other Ottoman towns. Its green forests and beautiful bays made a strong impression on me, and it is a resort well known to European visitors.

Marmaris

What can you do here? Start with Marmaris Castle, one of the main historic sights. There are excursions around the region, longer ‘blue cruise’ sailing trips, day boats, jeep tours, beaches, historic sites, shopping and nightlife. Bar Street is a popular evening destination, with entertainment continuing into the early hours. Shopping opportunities are scattered throughout the town; the Grand Bazaar and Netsel Marina are particularly worthwhile for browsing and other activities. Marmaris is famous for honey, and you will also find jewellery, leather goods, kilims, carpets, clothing and souvenir shops.

Marmaris

The coastline has such variety, with beautiful secluded bays and wonderfully coloured water. There were many British visitors when we went, lively bars and large summer crowds. Boat trips and other activities added to the atmosphere. For a traditional market, my original notes listed the main market in the municipal market building on Thursdays, with a smaller Sunday market in the same building. They also listed Wednesday in İçmeler, Thursday in Armutalan and Sunday in Beldibi; verify the current days locally. Stalls sold Marmaris pine honey, regional woven rugs and textiles, spices, herbs and souvenirs. Cennet Adası, despite its name meaning ‘Paradise Island’, is actually the forested Nimara Peninsula at the entrance to Marmaris Bay. It was a very popular stop on day-boat excursions.

Cennet Adası

There are plenty of places to explore around Marmaris. İçmeler, roughly eight kilometres away, is one of the most popular beach and accommodation areas, particularly with overseas visitors. Turunç is another favourite nearby.

İçmeler

İçmeler has a wide choice of hotels, resorts and guesthouses and plays a major part in tourism around Marmaris. Its attractive bay and beach draw swimmers even when they are staying elsewhere, with both Turkish and international visitors enjoying the water.

Turunç

Turunç is a seaside settlement in a beautiful bay close to Marmaris, and a place I would include in a holiday here. We could reach it by minibus or boat excursion. The winding road offered wonderful views of forest and sea, with the drive taking around half an hour in my notes. As its name suggests, the area has fruit trees, especially bitter oranges. Once a fishing village, it is also a stop for yachts and blue-cruise boats, with vessels from Turkey and abroad moored along the shore. Restaurants get busy in summer. The bay’s beach held Blue Flag status at the time of writing, and facilities were available for visiting yachts; check current status and services before planning around them.

Orhaniye and Kızkumu

A local legend tells of a princess, the daughter of the king of Bybassos, fleeing pirates. Unable to swim, she filled her skirt with sand and scattered it into the sea to make a path to the opposite shore. In the darkness she lost her way and, when the sand ran out, drowned. The story explains the name Kızkumu, ‘the maiden’s sand’. Pine forests and beaches surround the bay, and their reflections create lovely views over the water, which was calm during our visit.

The Gulf of Gökova

Travellers approaching Marmaris from İstanbul or İzmir often know the Gulf of Gökova well. The higher ground offers magnificent views, and stopping at a safe viewpoint is part of the journey’s pleasure. Descending towards sea level, you reach the well-known town of Akyaka—somewhere I would not simply drive past. The water looked a little choppy and cloudy when we visited, but the scenery was worth seeing, especially the forests in every shade of green. I did worry, as I have in other Turkish resorts, about increasing pollution and development around Marmaris. I hope we look after what makes it special.