WITH A LONG, hopefully not too cold winter ahead of us, you’d be forgiven for letting your mind wander back into warmer times when the sun was high in the sky and your toes were dipped into cool, clear waters.
And even if that memory only takes you a few months back to a heatwave-infused Seapoint or Myrtleville and not the Mediterranean, it’s nice to dream of more turquoise waters and sandy beaches.
And one coast in particular is so beautiful it’s known as the Turquoise Coast, and is said to be associated with Greek gods like Pegasus and Apollo. Dalaman, which is located on Turkey’s southwest coast contains almost too many beautiful sites to choose from.
But we tried our best to narrow it down to a few breathtaking pictures… Now, where did that passport go to?
As if the aqua colour wasn’t enough to make you want to immediately jump in, the water in this particular lake is fed by thermal springs and it’s absolutely packed full of minerals. What’s more, around this lake you’ll find Turkey’s ‘healing mud’ which tourists slather onto their skin to relax in, year-on-year.
Ranked number three of things to do in Dalaman on TripAdvisor, this beautiful beach is approached via a mountain road that offers equally jaw-dropping views of the four lakes created by the Tersakan River. It’s surrounded by wooded hillsides and it even has an old marble column to tie your boat up if you arrive by sea.
One thing you should know about the beautiful thermal lake we mentioned above is that you might have a shelled companion or two if you go for a dip. That’s because it’s home to lovely Nile Soft-shelled Turtles who are the true owners of the lake. In fact, according to Research Gate, Dalaman has the largest population of them in the Mediterranean.
Spanning over nearly five kilometres, İztuzu is actually named after our shelled friends above. It’s a nesting site of the endangered loggerhead turtle and a natural barrier between the fresh water of the Dalyan River and the Mediterranean. Wooden stakes mark where they nest so be sure not to disturb them while you relax on its golden sands.
Once a thriving city near Dalyan, the rock temple tombs of Kaunos are cut high into the cliffside near what used to be the city’s ancient harbour and used to be burial places of royalty and aristocracy. They’re best seen by boat and are just a few of the ruins of the ancient city of Kaunos thought to have been founded in the 8th or 9th century.
Famous for its big chunks of limestone and rich vegetation, Babadağ is comprised of two summits that face each other, separated by a flood valley. Unlike most mountains, it lies less than five kilometres from sea level which makes it a one of the best places in the world to go paragliding, which many brave tourists try their hand at when visiting.
Actually one of the areas that you’ll float over if you do choose to go paragliding in the region, the lagoon is right next to the nature reserve of Butterfly Valley (home to over 100 butterfly varieties). It’s located where the Aegean and Mediterranean join and as you can imagine, its crystal clear waters make it perfect to scuba dive and snorkel in.
This empty village now serves as a historical monument of approximately 350 roofless and weathered homes, along with two churches and other buildings. Its 200,000 residents left in the 1920s for Greece as war raged between Turkey and Greece, and it’s since been adopted by the UNESCO as a World Friendship and Peace Village.
Another breathtaking angle of the Ölüdeniz Tabiat Parkı (national park), this beach is surrounded by mountains and you can rent paddle boats or of course, paraglide above its eye-catching turquoise waters. It’s known as Turkey’s top beach destination and if you’re just lucky enough, like this photographer, you might even spot a rainbow there.
Reckon you’d like to see a few of these for yourself? Offering Blue Flag beaches, lively tourist resorts and historical sights, holidays to the Dalaman area of Turkey are some of TUI’s most popular holiday destinations in the world. Take a look at everything else that the picturesque region has to offer here.
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