The sunshine and sparkling waters near İzmir are best embraced along the Çeşme Peninsula with the white sands of Altınkum, Pırlanta, and Alaçati offering a retreat for swimmers, sunbathers, kitesurfing, and windsurfing enthusiasts. Ilıca and Sifne Bay even have healing natural springs that seep through the seabed on Çeşme’s northern coast to lures those with an interest in natural remedies.
Windsurfing in Alaçati on the Çeşme Peninsula. Photo © Sanai Aksoy/123rf.
Where the southern Aegean coast meets the Mediterranean, the Bodrum Peninsula overflows with blue-flag beaches known to be the safest, cleanest, and most environmentally friendly in the world. Beach-loving families seeking shallow calm water can safely vacation here, reveling in the bays of Bodrum, Gümüşlük, Bitez, and Akyarlar.
The shallow waters at Bitez beach is ideal for children. Photo © Engin Korkmaz/123rf.
Along the Mediterranean coast, the sunshine warms several shores worthy of a dip. Dalyan’s Iztuzu is a four-kilometer stretch of pale sand popular among day-trippers and endangered loggerhead turtles.
Farther east, the pebbly lagoon of Ölüdeniz is touted nationally as the best seashore and bluest waters in the country. Sharing national top billing with Ölüdeniz, the 19-kilometer-long latte-colored sands of Patara Beach between Fethiye and Kalkan offers a little surf. Rounding off the best of the beaches in Turkey is the open-water Kaputaş. A path down a rocky gorge from the coastal D400 highway between Kalkan and Kaş leads to a small shingle cove that’s popular for its secluded ambiance.
Excerpted from the Second Edition of Moon Istanbul & the Turkish Coast.
