Turkey

Secluded Beaches in Turkey

Scattered among the mountainous peninsulas lie hidden arcs of sand, pretty shingle bays and unspoiled villages with simple restaurants opening out on to the beach. Most can only be reached by car or boat, meaning they are rarely busy, even in the height of summer.

Patara, on Turquoise Coast, is a rare stretch of beach, backed by the golden dunes and the Taurus mountains. Due to the strict conservation efforts, there are no buildings around, keeping the beach in unspoiled conditions.

Ovabuku is tucked away on the Datca peninsula, and is the prettiest in a chain of three bays, along with Hayitbuku and Kizilbuk. The beach is a relatively small stretch of creamy shingle, accompanied by a cluster of small restaurants and pensions. The countryside around has a lush pine forests mixed with oak trees.

Butterfly Valley, spectacularly situated between two towering cliffs, stretches out in a V-shape, ending in a sweep of pristine beach. Most visitors access the beach by boat from Olu Deniz or Fethiye, but you can get there on foot, from the road in around 40 mins down and an hour back up.

Hisaronu Bay, has two small beaches that look out towards the Datca peninsula. They are popular with windsurfers as there's a permanent breeze. The equally unspoilt beaches at Selimiye and Orhaniye are a short dolmus-ride away.

Ortakent, Turkey - Bodrum peninsula is scattered with picturesque coves and bays and a self-hire boat is the ideal way to find your very own hidden beach. Lying mid-way along the Bodrum peninsula, Ortakent lies somewhere in the middle and has a delightful beach, market gardens and a rural village. Ortakent the beach offers a range of water sports, from wake-boarding to kayaking and sailing.

Gemiler lies just a short way away from the heavily overpopulated Olu Deniz beach. It's rarely crowded and you can reach it by boat or bus ride from Hisaronu. Surrounded by pine and olive trees, the beach looks across to St Nicholas Island, and there are a couple of good restaurants serving up fresh meze and cold beers.

More Information

Go Turkey Turkey's official Tourism Portal.
Turizm Bakanligi Tourist and travel information by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

Istanbul

For the best part of two millennia, Istanbul, Turkey, has been one of the greatest cities in the world. Though no longer a world metropolis, Istanbul remains one of the most vibrant and magical places in Europe and the Middle East.

Istanbul's centuries of empire have left an extraordinary collection of palaces, churches, mosques and markets from every period of history. The only city in the world, that spans two continents, Europe and Asia, has given Istanbul an unmistakably cosmopolitan atmosphere.

Getting around Istanbul

Excellent trams and boats are the way to travel around this city. From Eminönü harbor, passenger boats travel up the Bosphorus and are a great way to experience Istanbul's famous waterway and the border between Europe and Asia.

Highlights

Saint Sophia, the church of "Divine Wisdom". This masterpiece of Byzantine architecture built by Justinian in 6th century as the cathedral of Constantinople was the centre of the religious life of the Byzantine Empire. For almost five centuries after the Turkish Conquest it ranked first among the imperial mosque of Istanbul. Today it serves as a museum with the unique examples of two religions together.

Blue Mosque, near Haghia Sophia, is famous for the beautiful blue Iznik tile work, ornamenting its walls. Its surrounding six slim minarets distinguish it from other mosques which normally have two or four minarets. It was built in the 17th century, by architect Mehmet Aga by the order of Sultan Ahmed I.

Hippodrome, was the scene of chariot races and the centre of civil activities of Constantinople. Of the monuments which once adorned it, three remain: the Obelisk from Egypt, Serpentine Column from Delphi, and the Column of Constantine.

Basilica Cistern, an enormous underground Byzantine Cistern. 336 Corinthian columns support fine brick vaulting. Sokullu Mehmet Pasha Mosque is one of the most beautiful examples of classical Turkish architecture. It was built in 16th-century by the architect Sinan. The pulpit and prayer niches are covered with beautiful Iznik tiles.

The Church Sergius and Bacchus, is a landmark in Byzantine ecclesiastical architecture. Today, it is known as the “Little Saint Sophia”.

Topkapi Palace: the great palace of the Ottoman Sultans between the 15th to the 19th centuries. It contains superb collections of porcelains, armor, jewels, illuminated manuscripts, calligraphy, and many objects of art formerly belonging to the Sultans. Take the guided tour of the Harem, a veritable labyrinth of passages, courtyards, gardens and rooms. It includes not only the women's quarters, but also the quarters of the Black Eunuchs, rooms and schoolhouses for the young princes, the Sultan's private apartments, and the apartments called the Cage where the Sultan's brothers lived in more or less honorable confinement.

The complex, which is scattered throughout Beyazit Square, was built by Sultan Bayezid II and completed in the years 1500-1505. It was designed by the architect Yakubsah Bin Sultan. The complex is composed of a mosque, a kitchen, a primary school, a hospital, a medrese, a hamam, a soup kitchen for the poor and a caravanserai. Beyazit Mosque is at the center of the complex. The soup kitchen and Caravanserai are to the left of the mosque and are used today by the Beyazit State Library. The medresse far to the right of the mosque is used as a museum by the Turkish Foundation of Calligraphy. The hamam is some distance from the medresse on Ordu Street next to the Department of Literature. Tombs are found on the Kiblah (Mecca) side of the mosque. Sultan Bayezid II, his daughter Selçuk Hatun and the architect of Tanzimat Fermani, Mustafa Resit Pasa, are buried here.

Shopping

The Grand Bazaar, is a labyrinth of more than 4,000 shops, where prices are never fixed and bargaining is expected. Inexpensive leather goods, fine fabrics, rugs and jewelry of varying quality are to be found. In the Sultanahmet neighborhood , a few blocks away from the Grand Bazar there are plenty of fine boutiques with price tags to match.

Turkey is a great country scattered with stunning ancient artifacts, and populated by some of the friendliest people on earth.

The sun shines endlessly, beaches are fair, prices are low and shopping is excellent, especially leather goods in Istanbul.

Istanbul is a lovely, relaxed, interesting, stunning city encircled by water. Cappadocia, weird and wonderful area of fairy chimneys. Calm, pastoral, inexpensive and spectacular, but a distance from anywhere.
Bursa, a 2,000 year old city, house many fine buildings and a famous natural mineral bath.
Ephesus is an extensive, very well-preserved typically Roman ruin complex about 3km from the agreeable little town of Selçuk.

The Aegean/Mediterranean coast, has lots of beaches and ruins between Izmir and Alanya. Bodrum is crowded but still attractive with many pedestrian streets, good restaurants, big discos and a small beach. It is a good base for boat trips. Olu Deniz is a charming and lively town with great shingle beach.
Patara has a superb sandy beach, dunes and some old ruins. Kas has a small beach and marina. On the central Mediterranean coast with pebble beaches, Antalya is large and historic town. Nearby are the beach towns of Side and Alanya.

Transport systems are efficient and driving is surprisingly safe, apart from mad Istanbul taxi drivers and night driving.

Things to do in Turkey

Best time to visit

April- June, Sept- Nov. For water sports June - Sept. For the eastern part June - Sept.

Festivals

Ramadan: a religious month of daytime fasting when people and services can be erratic. Kurban Bayrami: a four day religious festival during which many facilities will be closed and resorts crowded. Sometime between February and April. Kirkpinar Oiled Wrestling, mid-June, Edirne. Istanbul International Festival of Arts, late June - mid July.

Absolute Turkey Trip

Experience the wonders of Turkey on this journey back in time.

Ancient Ruins, bustling bazaars, beautiful beaches, breathtaking scenery and much more await you on this fabulous adventure through Turkey.

Travel to ancient ruins such as Ephesus, Gallipoli Peninsula, and Troy. Experience the bustling city of Istanbul and the peaceful towns along the Aegean coast. With stunning scenery and a fascinating history spanning thousands of years, you won't want your adventure to end!

Day 1 Istanbul

Day 2 Istanbul

Night train to Ancara

Day 3 Ancara/Capadoccia

Explore the capital city of Ankara before you start your journey to Cappadocia.

Day 4-5 Capadoccia, which means 'Land of beautiful horses', is such a unique holiday resort due to Mother Nature's overwhelming generosity. The volcano eruptions whose lava and ashes have long ago been swept away and the land now shaped by rivers, streams, rain, snow and ice. Erosion has created an unsurpassed supernatural landscape.

Day 6 Konya

En route to Konya, enjoy an included visit to the mystic underground city of Derinkuyu. In the evening, there is time to explore the old capital of the Seljuk Turks.

Day 7 Antalya

Journey back in time as you have an visit to the Mevlana Museum and the fascinating Graeco-Roman sites of Aspendos and Perge.

Day 8 Uçagiz

A stop at Phaselis, an ancient Lycian city, and a short trip to Chimaera, where you can see the eternal flame before continuing on to the beautiful coastal village of Uçagiz.

Day 9 Kas

Take a boat to Kekova island to discover the well preserved archaeological sites, where some of the old houses were completely immersed by earthquakes during the Byzantine period. Walk up to the Simena castle to enjoy the views and archaeological ruins.
Stay overnight in the charming costal town of Kas.

Day 10 Pumukkale

Continue to the inner Aegean region to the well known Cotton Fortress, Pamukkale and Hierapolis antic site.

Day 11 Selçuk

Visit the ancient site of Ephesus.

Day 12 Bergama

Travel to the magnificent Acropolis of Pergamon to visit and spend the night in in Bergama.

Day 13 Çanakkale

Explore the historical site of Troy.

Day 14 Galliploi, Istanbul

On your way to Istanbul for the last part of your journey stop at Gallipoli, where thousands of lives were lost in the Battle of the same name. See the Anzac cove, the memorial site, Chunuk bair, Lone pine.

Day 15 Istanbul

Europe

Italy

Greece

Spain

France

Relaxation in Hamams

Our favorite form of recreation in Istanbul (if we can call it that) is a traditional Turkish bath (hamam). Many visitors find their first bath a bit unsettling, but we highly recommend the experience. (Traditionally, women and men bathe in separate chambers, which are staffed by same-sex body scrubbers and masseurs, but in tourist areas, mixed bathing with male masseurs is becoming more common.) Typically, you begin by stripping naked and donning a towel. Thus clad, you head off to a steam room, from which you will emerge feeling, well, steamed. You then proceed into another room where you lie on a marble slab and are soaked, soaped and massaged by an attendant who usually has the physique of a professional weightlifter. Next comes a session with a loofah, which is rubbed on your body to remove all dead skin.

After the massage, you will be soaped and rinsed, after which you can rest and get dressed. The usual bath session lasts about 90 minutes, and because this is a long time to be exposed to such hot temperatures, we recommend periodically splashing on some cold water. As you leave, be sure to tip the staff near the exit. A common tip is about 10% of the cost of the bath. Historic baths such as Cagaloglu Hamam or Cemberlitas Hamam are beautiful, but they are also the most frequented by tourists, which means they can be expensive and the massage can be mediocre. For a more authentic experience, you will have to brave a smaller local hamam.

Cagaloglu Hamam, a historic Turkish bath that has been in continuous operation since the 18th century. Monday-Saturday 8 am-10 pm (men only after 8 pm). Yerebatan Caddesi 34, Cagaloglu, Istanbul. Phone 0212-522-2424.

Camberlitas Hamam were designed by a famous architect, Mimar Sinan, and built in 1584 . Open Monday-Saturday 8 am-8 pm. Vezirhan Caddesi 8, Cemberlitas, Istanbul. Phone 0212-522-7974.

Suleymanive Hamam is the ancient bath attached to the Suleymaniye Cami is beautiful, but it offers only mixed bathing and male masseurs, which might not suit everyone. Mimar Sinan Caddesi 20, Istanbul. Phone 0212-519-5569.