Turkey’s Turquoise Coast, also known as the Turkish Riviera, is a long stretch of beautiful beaches where you can enjoy stunningly clear blue waters (hence the nickname) but is also home to ancient ruins, picturesque seaside towns and lively cities making it the perfect vacation destination for everyone.
Explore this incredible region of Turkey with our travel guide.

Photo credit: Taylan Tasbani
Where to stay on the Turquoise Coast
Stretching along 600 miles of Mediterranean sea coastline from Bodrum down to Antalya, there are countless things to see and do on the Turkish Riviera. Accommodation quality is pretty consistent wherever you stay, with everything from international all-inclusive resort hotels to simple hostels, so deciding where to stay very much depends on how you want to spend your time.
The main areas in which you could base yourself are:
Antalya
Antalya is made up of two parts, the old town along the harbour dating back to ancient Roman times known as Kaleiçi, and the modern sprawling city beyond. This is a great part of the Turkish Riviera to stay in with plenty of beaches on your doorstep, as well as one of the largest aquariums in the world, an excellent archeology museum and a fascinating mix of architectural styles.
This stretch of Turkey’s coastline is a dream come true for history lovers, with lots of choices for historical sites you can visit.
Wander the streets of the ancient city of Perge, visited by both Alexander the Great and the apostle Paul on their travels, admire the impressive ruins of the ancient Roman theater in Aspendos or explore the Roman ruins in the charming town of Side.
Fethiye
Fethiye is home to one of the Turkish Riviera’s most popular areas for beach-goers, sitting on a wide bay on the Mediterranean coast, west of the Antalya region.
If you want to focus on relaxation and enjoying the beautiful sandy beaches, this is the place for you.
The natural beauty of Oludeniz beach has to be seen to be believed, with a large range of accommodation options available. From here you can take a boat trip to Butterfly Valley, a protected breeding ground for a huge variety of butterflies – visit between June and October for a stunning display.
You can also take part in a variety of water sports, join one of the many sailing trips on offer or even visit one of the Greek islands, with regular ferries going back and forth from Rhodes during the summer months.

Marmaris
Marmaris is a popular package holiday destination, with lush forests of pine and olive trees serving as a backdrop to the beautiful coastline.
As well as relaxing on the long golden sandy beaches, you can visit Marmaris National Park or join one of the many boat trips along the Turquoise coast that set off from the extensive marina.
Marmaris is also well-known for its nightlife, with ‘Bar Street’ living up to its name when the sun goes down.
Bodrum
An important city in southwest Turkey since ancient times, Bodrum is a fascinating place to explore.
Founded by the ancient Greeks, Bodrum was home to one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus. Sadly there isn’t much left to see nowadays, but there is a small museum at the site which tells its story.
You can see some elements of the mausoleum in the structure of the huge medieval castle which dominates the waterfront. The Bodrum castle was built by the Crusaders, who took stone from the ruins of the mausoleum as part of its construction.
There are lots of lovely beaches along the Bodrum peninsula and it’s a great place to base yourself if you want to explore both the Aegean and Mediterranean regions, you can even reach the UNESCO World Heritage site of Ephesus from here.

How to get to the Turkish Riviera
There are three international airports near the cities of Antayla, Bodrum and Fethiye, all with regular flights to many European destinations. You can also fly into Istanbul and then take an internal flight south.
Once in Turkey you can take one of the many modern buses that go between major towns, or hire a rental car if you will be doing lots of traveling around. Cities like Antalya and Fethiye have local bus services that serve the surrounding area, but be aware that finding timetables and fare information online is not always reliable, so check with your hotel or tour provider before you travel.

Photo credit: Taylan Tasbasi
When is the best time to visit the Turquoise Coast?
The southern coast of Turkey has a typically Mediterranean climate, so expect hot summers and mild winters.
If you want to simply lie on a beautiful sandy beach and relax in the sun all day, maybe taking a boat trip or two, then visit between June and August. This is high season so expect to find lots of people around and higher prices.
The hot temperatures make it challenging to explore ancient sites at this time of year so if you’re looking to get out and explore the Turquoise coast, the shoulder seasons of April to May and September to October are better. The weather is still generally warm and you’ll be able to enjoy everything the Turkish coast has to offer.
While the weather is mild and there are far less visitors around during the winter months, be aware that due to the lack of demand, many of the beach resorts close. Stick to the cities to avoid being disappointed.

What to do on the Turkish Riviera
Here are some of the many things you can do while visiting Turkey’s Turquoise coast, you’ll be spoiled for choice:
Sailing Trips
There is a long history of boat building in this region, the wooden gulet sailboats you will see all along the coast originated on Turkey’s Turquoise coast.
As well as the boats from Oludeniz’s Blue Lagoon to Butterfly Valley, there are many other trips you can do along the Turkish Riviera.
Take a day trip to see Iztuzu beach near Dalyan, also known as Turtle beach due to its colony of loggerhead turtles that come back year after year to lay their eggs, or join a Blue cruise and visit some of the smaller beach towns as you travel past ancient cities, beautiful bays and many beaches, with various itineraries available to choose from.

Photo credit: Taylan Tasbasi
Turkish Riviera Attractions
You could easily spend weeks and weeks exploring the Turquoise coast, with lots of places to go on day trips.
For a more relaxed travel destination, try the small villages of Olimpos and Çirali. These are in a protected area so you won’t find any big hotels or beach clubs here, and the beaches are pristine. If you head inland and up the cliffs, you’ll find archeological ruins and be rewarded with amazing views of Turkey’s coast.
Further up the mountain you can visit the Chimera, known as the eternal flames as the fire coming out of the rock does not have any visible fuel source. Best visited at night, this is part of the Lycian Way, a long hiking route which winds from Fethiye to Antalya through the mountains. Created in the 1990’s but designed to link the ruins of 18 ancient cities, the 320 mile trek can be walked in smaller sections if you don’t feel up to the whole thing. However much of it you follow, you’ll be rewarded with unbelievable views and get up close with some ancient ruins along the way.

Photo credit: Taylan Tasbasi
The town of Patara has something for everyone with a long stretch of beach that is never busy and with a more relaxed vibe, plus you can visit the ruins of the ancient city nearby. Fun fact, this was the birthplace of St Nicholas, yes, Santa Claus himself was born right here.
Visit the fishing village of Kas for two unique sights, the Lycian rock tombs, carved into the side of the mountain above Kas by the people who first settled in this area and the sunken city of Kekova which you can visit by boat. You cannot dive in this specific area, but away from the sunken city Kas is known as one of the best places for scuba diving in the Mediterranean.

Photo credit: Taylan Tasbasi
At the easternmost side of the Turquoise coast is the city of Alanya, where you can take a cable car up to its medieval castle high above the sea to be rewarded with the most incredible views.
Wondering where to start?
As you can see there are a lot of places to visit and lots of things to see along the Turkish Riviera. Planning your travel with a tour operator like us will ensure you get the trip you want without any of the stress of making arrangements – contact us today to find out more about our Turkey tours.
Set sail with us in Turkey!