Turkish Riviera

A coast in southwestern Turkey where the Mediterranean meets the Aegean, with pine forests, bays and ancient Lycian cities, famed for Blue Cruises and the Lycian Way.

The Turkish Riviera, also known as the Turquoise Coast, broadly refers to the coastal belt of southwestern Turkey stretching east from the Bodrum Peninsula through Marmaris, Fethiye and Kaş to Antalya and Alanya, spanning Muğla and Antalya provinces; this page merges the earlier draft entries "Turkish Mediterranean & Aegean Coast" and "Turkish Turquoise Coast." Key highlights include the Ölüdeniz Blue Lagoon and paragliding from Babadağ near Fethiye, Saklıkent Gorge, Kaputaş Beach between Kaş and Kalkan, the sunken city of Kekova, the Lycian rock tombs, and Antalya's old town Kaleiçi, the Aspendos theatre, Düden Waterfalls and Alanya Castle. There are two classic ways to travel: one is a 3–7 day "Blue Cruise" aboard a traditional wooden gulet, hopping between islands and anchoring in bays between Fethiye and Olympos or between Bodrum and Marmaris; the other is a self-drive along the D400 highway, recommended for 5–8 days, and fit travelers can hike sections of the roughly 500 km Lycian Way. For transport, the airports of Antalya, Dalaman and Bodrum cover the eastern, central and western sections respectively, with several domestic flights a day from Istanbul; long-distance buses along the coast are cheap and frequent. In summer temperatures often exceed 35°C and European package tourists crowd in, so choose spring or autumn for hiking; many bays can only be reached by boat or on foot, so bring sun protection and cash.

Destinations

Itineraries