Turquoise Coast (Turkey)

Driving Türkiye’s Turquoise Coast

We embarked on our visit to Türkiye with a familiar sense of trepidation, much like we did before exploring Morocco. The usual warnings, innuendos, and insinuations from well-meaning friends, family, and mainstream news sources regarding safety were at the forefront of our minds.

To be honest, after 30 years of backpacking and world travel, Barbie and I have learned to filter out the nervous chatter surrounding off-the-beaten-path destinations. Most people voicing these concerns have never even set foot in the countries they are criticizing. Instead, their apprehensiveness is shaped by the slanted, sensationalized lens of American news media.

From firsthand experience, I am thrilled to report that Türkiye is perfectly safe. In fact, we felt far more secure road-tripping along the Turkish coast than we do in many parts of the USA.

Our Turkish visas were valid for 90 days, and following our “slow travel” philosophy, we dedicated July through September entirely to an epic road trip along the Mediterranean Coast (aka the Turquoise Coast). We moved from beach town to beach town, completely immersed in the spectacular scenery. Because we chose to slow down and spend a minimum of seven days in each location, we didn’t even make it inland to the country’s famous cultural sites.

We underestimated what the Turkish coast has to offer. Between the incredible food, the unparalleled hospitality of the locals, the high quality of the Airbnbs, and the crystal-clear blue sea, Türkiye gets a massive thumbs up from us. 👍

Izmir: Our Arrival into Turkey

     [ Izmir ] (Fly in, stay in Alsancak)
        │
        ▼ (3-hour drive)
     [ Bodrum ]

We elected to fly directly from Naples, Italy, into Izmir to begin our Turkish journey at a relaxed pace, completely avoiding the frenetic energy of Istanbul until the very end of our trip. Izmir is Türkiye’s third-largest city, but it serves as an incredibly pleasant introduction to the coast.

Where to Base

Alsancak is hands down the best neighborhood to stay in Izmir. The area has an amazing vibe, packed with cafes, restaurants, and a vibrant nightlife. The absolute highlight was walking along the Kordon—a massive, grassy waterfront promenade. Every evening at sunset, locals congregate here to chill, drink tea, and just hang out. It was a beautiful, festive outdoor environment.

Izmir Hits:

Kemeralti Turkish Bazaar: A sprawling, historic market perfect for getting lost in.
Bostanli Bazaar: Held on Wednesdays. Hop on a local ferry to get there.
Tavaci Recep Usta & Izmir Sakiz Alsancak: Excellent spots for authentic dinners.
Numan Pita: An old-school lunch joint serving incredible Turkish pita inside the Kemeralti Bazaar.
Caffeine Fix: Baristocrat 3rd Wave Coffee or Poka Coffee Roasters for modern brews; Kahvechi Omer Usta inside the bazaar for a vintage, heavy-hitting Turkish coffee.

Route Note: Just south of Izmir lies the trendy resort area of Cesme and Alacati. We passed on it this time to head straight south, but it is firmly on our itinerary for the next trip.

Our Turquoise Coast Roadtrip

If you want to experience the magic of this coastline, you need time.

PRO TIP: All the places we visited were spectacular in their own way, but I wouldn’t recommend hitting this coast if you only have a one- to two-week vacation. To truly appreciate it, you need at least a month. The magic isn’t in just one stop; it’s the sum of the entire journey.

Our route took us sequentially from: Izmir to Bodrum, Yalikavak, Datca, Akyaka, Marmaris, Dalyan, Fethiye, Oludeniz, Kabak, Kas, Olympos/Cirali, Antalya, and finally, Istanbul.

MUGLA PROVINCE –

Bodrum & Yalikavak: Chic Marinas and Hillside Views

Bodrum is a wildly popular summer resort town famous for its nightlife, attracting both local elite and foreign tourists. The town center is highly compact and walkable.

True to our flashpacker style, we avoided the tourist masses by renting an Airbnb high up in the hills of a local neighborhood. It gave us a quiet, serene environment, a kitchen to cook our own meals, and a jaw-dropping view overlooking the bustling waterfront marina. Years ago, before Airbnb, travelers never had this kind of local accommodation option. Some other nearby options if Bodrum sounds a bit too busy, include:

Yalikavak: Just a 30-minute drive west of Bodrum, this cool little beach town features one of Europe’s chicest super yacht marinas, complete with high-end luxury shopping and fine dining.
Other spots to consider: Gumusluk or Golturkbuku.

 [ Bodrum ] ───(Car Ferry)───► [ Datca Peninsula ] ───(Drive)───► [ Akyaka ]

Datca: The New Zealand of Türkiye

Instead of driving the long way around, we opted for the car ferry from Bodrum to the Datca Peninsula. Datca is beautifully off the beaten path. The dramatic, winding drives around the peninsula reminded us vividly of our road trips through New Zealand. Having the independence of a rental car here was gold.

The ultimate highlight was Ovabuku Beach, a mellow beach hamlet that perfectly captured the raw, undeveloped energy of Southeast Asian islands from 30 years ago.

The Perfect Day: Drive down to Ovabuku Beach, grab a traditional Turkish lunch directly on the water at Ada Pansiyon, and use their free beach loungers to swim and read for the rest of the afternoon. So relaxing, so fun……we did this drive to hang out here multiple times during our days in Datca. Note, a bit further drive from Ovabuku Beach is Palamutbuku Beach. We never made it to this beach….maybe next time.
Old Datca Town: A tiny, Instagram-worthy stone village. Go for an early evening stroll and dinner.
Food:
1) Sevinc’in Lezzet Sofrasi – our favorite hole-in-the-wall for some real home-cooked Turkish food
2) Datca Koftecisi Sami Usta – outdoor restaurant popular for their meatballs. Turkey does kick ass balls.
Coffee:
1) Sail Coffee Roastery, with nice setting right on the water.
2) Noema – in Old Datca town
3) The Coffee Grinder

Akyaka:

Akyaka: This town has a real cool small coastal town vibe. Located in the pine forest, the town looked like a Swiss ski village. We chose to base here to explore this area instead of the super busy/touristy Marmaris town which was only a 25 minute drive away.

ACTIVITY –
Cinar Beach Club – best place to chill and enjoy the sea as the main beach in town sucks.
Sedir Island – did not go, but popular ferry to Cleopatra Beach
Azmak Riverfront Area – walk riverfront, take a icy cold dip and a 30 min. boat trip down river
to Turgut Falls

RESTAURANTS –
Akcapinar Town – dinner (we ate at Yengec Restaurant….other options: Maki & Vento Italian)
Azmak Riverfront Area – seafood lunch/dinner along river at Kordon, Halil’s Place and Orfoz

Best Caffeine Fix:
Mame Coffee House
Marmaris: Only 25 minutes away from Akyaka, but a total contrast. It is an overcrowded, overbuilt, package-tourist trap. I did not care for Marmaris at all. If you want a more authentic stay in this specific area, look into the smaller towns of Selimiye or Icmeler (a smaller version of Marmaris, which we did not have a chance to visit)

Dalyan: Riverside Vibes

Dalyan is a cool, low-key, river town. With its abundance of fun, casual nightlife and riverside eateries, it gave me major nostalgia for old-school Thailand beach towns. There was something about this small town I enjoyed wandering around in the evenings.

The Beach: Spend your days swimming at the spectacular Iztuzu Beach (Turtle Beach)
Navigation Warning: Iztuzu Beach is an easy 15-minute drive from town. Do not let Google Maps reroute you on a massive, convoluted loop inland. It will absolutely piss you off. Stick to the direct road.

ACTIVITY –
Iztuzu Beach (aka Turtle Beach)
River Boat Tours

Best Caffeine Fix:
Latika Coffee

Fethiye, Oludeniz & Kabak:

Fethiye: The Value Play

Fethiye is a fun and cool hub town lined with an excellent marina promenade that comes alive with a great local buzz after dark and tons of boat trips on tap during the daytime.

Accommodation Tip: Stay directly on the marina. The Calis Beach area of town is a total skip, though you can take a cheap, pleasant water taxi across the bay just to have lunch there, and that is really all the time needed in this beach area.

Our Airbnb on the marina was first rate, with spectacular sunset views. There are tons of good local Turkish Coffee joints around the marina to get your morning fix. However, you can always succumb to visit the super popular Starbucks which was right next to our Airbnb. This location has got to be one of the highest grossing Starbucks in the world as it was always buzzing with locals and tourists getting their caffeine fix right thru the evenings.

ACTIVITY –
Beach Clubs: Help Beach Club & Sea Me Beach Club (both are must visits for the experience)
Kayakoy Ghost Village – nice to walk around
Gocek Sunday Market- boats leave Fethiye marina area. Can self drive or use the local Dolmus bus.

RESTAURANTS –
Fethiye Pas Kebap
Hilmi Restaurant – @ Fish Market

Top Value Spot: We fell in love with Lezzet Lokantasi, a real local, hole-in-the-wall serving a 3-course meal for just $2 USD. I regularly splashed out and doubled down: 6 courses for $4 USD. A true legendary value play.

Best Caffeine Fix:
Starbucks on Marina – I know, not very indigenous but great location.
Keci Coffee Roastery

  [ Fethiye ] ───(20 mins)───► [ Oludeniz ] ───(45-min hairy drive)───► [ Kabak ]

Oludeniz: Paragliding and Blue Lagoons

Oludeniz is a bustling, high-energy resort town set against massive green mountains and some of the bluest water I have ever seen. It also happens to be the paragliding capital of the world. It is delightfully trippy to sit on the promenade and watch hundreds of paragliders drop from the sky and land right next to your beach chair.

Oludeniz is just a 20 minute drive away from Fethiye. However, I would recommend a separate stay at one of the boutique hotels for a few nights, directly on the beach in ‘Lower Oludeniz’, in order to take in the true vibe of the town and everything being accessible by foot.

Pro Tip: Oludeniz town also has an upper part just 10 minutes north, called Hisaronu. It’s an ugly strip of tourist restaurants and shitty shops. Definitely stay in the lower part of Oludeniza right on the sea at one of the top boutique hotels.

Escaping the Crowds: We visited during peak summer, and the world-famous Blue Lagoon, a 10 minute walk outside of the town centre was packed completely to the gills with people. It was an amusing study in how humans love to congregate in tight quarters! I would assume if we timed our visit to the shoulder season in early September, the Blue Lagoon would look magical. To escape the madness, we parked our butts at No. 1 Beach Club down on the main beach, which offered great sun loungers, solid food, and a DJ playing endless covers.
Babadag Mountain: Take the cable car/gondola up to the summit to watch the paragliders take off. There’s a restaurant at the top that makes for an unforgettable sunset view. If you are feeling brave like Barbie and I, you can self drive up the mountain, just hold that steering wheel tightly.
The Lycian Way: For diehard advanced hikers, this renowned 300-mile trail stretches all the way from Oludeniz to Antalya (about a 30-day trek). A 30-day hike sounds fairly miserable to me, but you can sample small sections of the trail between beaches—just avoid the sweltering summer months.

ACTIVITY –
Beaches:
Oludeniz Beach
Kidrak Beach
Blue Lagoon
Beach Clubs: No. 1 Beach Club & Virgo Beach Club

Paragliding
Babadag Mountain – observe paragliders taking off high up on the mountain
Pirate Ship Boat Excursions – for young guns only who like to party their asses off.

Best Caffeine Fix:
Fly Coffee
Pellini Coffee

Kabak: “Zion National Park Meets the Ocean”

If you want to completely escape package tours and neon lights, make the spectacular, slightly hairy 45-minute drive south from Oludeniz to Kabak.

Kabak, is a small village on the Turkish Mediterranean with a laid-back atmosphere. An absolute bohemian paradise. It is the perfect place to escape the noise and package tourist groups. The big activity here is doing nothing, kicking back and enjoying the beach and natural environment.

We stayed directly on the beach at Sea Valley Bungalows, and the atmosphere felt like a vintage, laid-back adult summer camp. Waking up to the sound of crashing waves in a hidden mountain cove was perfection.

Flashpacker vs. Backpacker: While there are upscale boutique resorts hidden in the cliffs, staying right on the sand is the move. We loved walking over to the campground next door (Kabak Natural Life) to grab our morning caffeine fix at PSI Coffee and chat with the visiting backpackers.
The campground reminded me of my childhood days at summer camp

The landscape here is best described as Zion National Park meeting a pristine blue sea—just raw mountains, greenery, and farm animals wandering around. I assume Kabak Beach changed over the years but it sure looks like the area has retained its authenticity and has not gone hipster like so many similar unique beach enclaves.

ANTALYA PROVINCE –

Kas: The Crown Jewel of the Riviera

Following a brief stint in remote Kalkan, we embarked on a jaw-dropping coastal drive—reminiscent of Australia’s Great Ocean Road—along the Turquoise coast, toward the seaside town of Kas.

We are following the mountainous coastline along the south of Turkey with all the towns we passed thru, skirted the Mediterranean sea. Consequently, the seaviews are significantly enhanced by selecting Airbnb’s located at a higher elevation. We had such relaxed Airbnb experiences in Bodrum & Datca, high up on the mountains, overlooking the town centre and sea. Consequently, we once again elected to rent an Airbnb with a similar setup for our 10 nights in Kas.

Renting an Airbnb directly in the town centre and being within easy walking distance to the amenities in town is definitely convenient and has many advantages. However, because we had a rental car, we once again chose an Airbnb high up in the mountains rather than the town center. The tradeoff was entirely worth it. Living in a more local neighborhood higher in the mountains provided unmatched serenity and views of the entire peninsula’s sunset. We did manage to ease off on multiple occasions to the downtown area to get our morning caffeine fix at one of our favorite coffee cafes in Turkey at a place called Godo Coffee.

There are three (3) areas to stay in Kas:
1) Mountains – for the views/sunsets. We stayed here.
2) Peninsula – more isolated & surrounded by the sea w/ relaxed atmosphere.
3) Town Centre – if you want to be in the thick of the vibrant nightlife (cool jazz bars), restaurants and boutique shops running along the picturesque cobblestone streets.

                       [ Kas Accommodation Options ]
                                    │
       ┌────────────────────────────┼────────────────────────────┐
       ▼                            ▼                            ▼
 [ The Mountains ]           [ The Peninsula ]            [ The Town Centre ]
  Serene local life,          Isolated, quiet,             Vibrant jazz bars,
  unmatched sunsets.          surrounded by sea.           cobblestone streets.
  

Kas is the complete Turkish Riviera package. Upon arrival, there was an immediate sense of relaxation. Tons of boat trips are on offer daily but the numerous beach coves (some of the best in all of Turkey) is what makes Kas so incredibly beautiful. The crystal clear turquoise water color close to the shore and the deeper blue hues further out is what makes the Aegean waters in Kas a true oasis. It was like swimming in aquarium. Kas was a true favorite of ours.

Beach Hopping: The coves here are some of the best in Türkiye.Beaches outside of Town:
Kaputas Plaji

Seyrek Cakil Plaji

Patara Plaji

Bilal’s Beach
Delos Beach

Beaches on Kas Peninsula:
Incebogaz Plaji – on the peninsula and can swim on both sides of peninsula here.
Belediyesi Halk Plaji –
Hidayet Koya Plaji –

Beaches in Town:
Kucuk Cakil (aka Derya Beach/Cinar Beach)
Buyukcakil Plaji (aka Big Peb)
Excursions: Take a day boat tour out to Kekova to see the famous Sunken City and the ancient village of Simena (Kalekoy). The Friday Market is also nice to visit.

Cirali: The Bohemian Hideaway

I hate to sound like a broken record, but we got to experience another gorgeous coastal drive. We passed numerous beaches on the drive to Cirali. At any point, if you are feeling adventurous, you can pull off to the side of the road and walk down to your very own private beach cove. The best beach cove of the bunch to stop for a swim looked to be Finike Mağralı Koy.

CIRALI is a bohemian hippie enclave with great beaches and ancient ruins. The town had a very similar laid back atmosphere as the previously visited Kabak Valley but with a much larger beach and town to explore. Cirali had a very Southeast Asian island feel to it and it also reminded me of a cleaner version of the hippie/rastafarian enclave of Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica.

The green mountain backdrop of Cirali Beach is stunning. We spent an entire week completely vegged out on beach loungers at Karakus Restaurant and got our daily coffee fix from Beaver Coffee House, We left our rental car parked the entire time; the only proper way to navigate Cirali is by bicycle or on foot. We could have easily hunkered down here for a way longer period of time as the relaxed tropical atmosphere is so conducive to taking it easy.

It’s now onto our last stop along the coast, Antalya. We conclude our Turkish journey in Istanbul to close out our 3 month stay in Turkey.

Antalya City:

After years of being continuously on the move, Barbie and I have discovered that doing absolutely nothing is one of the greatest luxuries in life. By the time we hit the major city of Antalya, we had no agenda. We just wanted to swim and stare at the Mediterranean from our balcony. It was the ultimate form of meditation.

Antalya is a sprawling city, so we split our 10-night stay in half to experience two different worlds:

First 5 Nights: We stayed in a condo directly across from Konyaalti Beach, which is the best beach in town. The beachfront strip is beautifully developed with paths, cafes, and beach clubs. Because the daytime heat was intense, the walking and bike paths were perfect for exercise right after the sun went down.
Last 5 Nights: We relocated deep into the historic Old Town (Kaleici). It was incredibly fun wandering the maze of ancient alleyways, exploring the historic architecture, and walking down to the hidden marina where Mermerli Beach is tucked away.