About Dalyan

Dalyan is a holiday destination for those looking for something a bit special. The small town spreads along the riverbank, and faces magnificent Lycian rock tombs carved into the rock face. Hidden from view is the ancient ruined city of Kaunos, once a thriving port. Boats ferry local people and visitors upstream to the clean waters of Koycegiz Lake (pictured below in April), which is rich in birdlife, and downstream, through the meandering reedy delta, to the sandy arc of Iztuzu beach, where loggerhead turtles can nest in safety.

The area surrounding Dalyan is a conservation area so no large or high-rise hotels are permitted, and there is no building allowed along the beach. Dalyan is a lively market town, offering a wide choice of restaurants, bars and shops, boat trips, bike hire and, a short drive away, activities such as horse riding, white-water rafting, trekking and scuba diving. The beach, which is 6km long and has parasols and snack bars at each end, can be reached by a 15-minute bus ride through spectacular scenery, or by river taxis. The sea is clean and warm.

Car hire is available for trips further afield – to the classical sites of Ephesus, Priene and Aphrodisias, for example – but there is plenty to do in and around Dalyan that doesn’t require a car trip. Visitors in the high season may prefer not to hire a car, or just take one for a few days. If you don’t feel like walking back to the villa after an evening out or in the midday sun, taxis are plentiful, and cheap.