47 Best things to see & do in Turquoise Coast

Crewed gulets ply Turkey’s beautiful Lycian coast, offering a deliciously barefoot experience with swimming, lazing on deck and fine local food.

A natural phenomenon of extraordinary beauty, Pamukkale’s cotton-white travertines, created by carbonated springs, dazzle alongside the evocative Roman-era ruins of Hierapolis.

Turkey’s top ancient site combines intact colonnaded streets, painstakingly restored facades and stunningly painted villa interiors to evoke Roman-era life in unparalleled richness.

An ancient and evocative Roman spa city dating back to AD 80 with a fabulous inland setting, above the famed calcite travertine pools of Pamukkale.

An epic 540km hiking trail through magnificently rugged coastlands from Fethiye to Antalya, that immerses visitors in Turkey’s history, nature and culture.

Riverboat trips offering swimming, sunning, mud-wallowing, visits to ancient ruins and beautiful scenery, along with the chance to spend time on beautiful Iztuzu Beach.

Wonderful classical sites, surprisingly little visited and often still in their atmospheric ‘unimproved’ state, give glimpses of Byzantine and Ottoman life.

Fun- and sun-filled boat tours to discover the beautiful scenery of Fethiye Bay, with the chance to swim and snorkel off unspoilt islands and tranquil coves.

Selling everything from fruit and veg to fake designer goods and hand-made leatherware, Turkey’s weekly markets are heaven for shoppers and an authentic experience for all comers.

A memorable 4km walk and wade along Turkey’s most dramatic canyon, followed by a stop at one of the charming waterside eat stops clustered beyond the entrance.

The hamam, or Turkish Bath, is the most civilised of rituals – a deeply restorative sweat-out, skin cleanse, relaxation and massage rolled into one. A quintessential Turkey experience.

The beach that launched a thousand brochure covers, Oludeniz combines a gorgeous swathe of sandy beach with a tranquil lagoon, backed by tamarisk trees and mountains.

A thrilling adventure activity combining swimming, abseiling waterfalls, walking/wading and jumping into pools. All amidst a setting of towering limestone gorges and canyons.

Our summary of the typical foods, ingredients and flavours, cooking styles, dining scene and best foodie experiences in Turkey’s Turquoise Coast.

Turkey’s outstanding beach is 15 kilometres of perfect sand backed by dunes and the extensive ruins of ancient Patara – and home to populations of nesting loggerhead turtles.

One of the most beautiful coves on the Lycian coast, Butterfly Valley is either accessible by boat from Oludeniz, or by an extremely vertiginous walk down from Faralya. It’s not advised to try this hike without a guide and the right equipment.

A unique 9km circular paddle around the beautiful inlets and sarcophagus-strewn bays of Kekova, for all abilities.

A compellingly haunting ‘ghost town’, hidden in the mountains behind Oludeniz, providing moving insights into little-known aspects of modern Turkish history.

A beautiful town of exceptional Ottoman merchants’ houses and cobbled lanes, set amidst vineyards in the hills above Ephesus. If you can, visit first thing in the morning or at the end of the day, to avoid the busloads of tourists.

A former hippie hangout, now a mindfulness and yoga mecca, Kabak occupies a lovely beach at the end of the road east of Oludeniz. Campsites and simple bungalows close to the Lycian Way.

Among the world’s top tandem paragliding experiences with stupendous coastal views, take off from the peak of Babadag Mountain to land half an hour later on Olu Deniz’s famed beach.

A UNESCO-listed World Heritage Site, Lycia’s ancient hilltop capital is famous for its ‘pillar tombs’ – whose exquisite friezes were removed to the British Museum in the 19th century – and the grand colonnaded way leading to the sarcophagus-scattered necropolis.

One of the seven wonders of the ancient world, the mausoleum was originally built in 350 BC and reached 45 metres high. There’s little left of it now, but it’s worth visiting for those with an interest in archaeology.

Afkule, which translates as ‘Tower of Forgiveness’, is an abandoned monastery in a remote and beautiful cliffside location, near Kayakoy. It’s a 20-minute walk through pine trees from the end of the dirt track – worth it to see the former monks’ cells, a cistern and lovely views over the sea.

This tangle of streets is shopping heaven, if you don’t mind the odd bit of pressure selling. Everything from kitchen utensils to kids’ clothes is on offer, along with fresh produce, ceramics, jewellery and the ubiquitous fake handbags and clothes. Barter hard.

Antalya is rich in waterfalls; among the most striking are the ones at Duden where walkways, caves and cafes offer an escape from the heat in shaded surroundings 12km northeast of the city. Swimming not permitted.

The monumental Temple of Apollo is largely intact within its hem of tottering or fallen fluted columns. Home to one of the great oracles of the ancient world, the temple stood for hundreds of years without ever being completed, as the mason’s marks on uncarved stonework reveal.

An annual summer programme of music, ballet, theatre and opera in a range of impressive outdoor venues including the great theatres at Ephesus and Pergamon as well as in the port city of Izmir itself.

Little Sidyma is a place of enormous charm; a picturesque and little visited ancient town whose sarcophagi and beautifully coffered tombs are now scattered amidst the gardens and fields of the present hamlet of Dodurga.

A restored Roman amphitheatre that can seat up to 13,000, the site dates back to the 4th century BC. Some of the names of those who bought seats can still be seen carved into the stonework.

This lovely ancient site, occupying steep pine-clad slopes above the Meander Delta, is a rare example of an intact ancient Greek settlement. With an especially beautiful odeon (auditorium) and temple, Priene offers a winning evocation of Hellenistic city life at the time of Alexander the Great.

The riverside setting is the key here as much of this ancient city, barring a few stand-out sarcophagi, is choked in vines and laurels. Enjoy the nature, the birdlife and turtles, and the beach, which leads beyond a headland to the adjacent one at Cirali.

Occupying a spectacular position at the tip of the Datca Peninsula, with its harbours still used by visiting gulets, Knidos is in the midst of an extensive archaeological restoration. Works continue along the ancient stoa, the theatre and the numerous temples.

Housed in restored Roman granaries of the ancient port city of Andriake, this new museum houses exhibits showcasing the religious, economic and social life of Lycia from 800 BC to AD 300.

Bodrum’s weekly market, held in the Pazar next to Dolmus station, takes place on Tuesday (for textiles) and Friday (fruits and vegetables). The textile market is famous throughout the region; alongside the beautiful cottons and linens, there are also kilims (carpets), clothing and kitchenware on sale.

Go for the full package – hamam, sauna, exfoliation, oil massage and water massage at this simple hammam opposite Bodrum’s bus station.

Less touristy than neighbouring Kalkan, Kas’ Friday market is a mix of local produce, fake goods and beautiful fabrics, with handbags for a fraction of the price of those in the town’s designer stores.

Small but perfectly formed, Kaputas is famed for its crystal-clear waters and soft sands, squeezed between two cliffs on the Kas-Kalkan road. It takes 187 steps to reach it from the road, but well worth the effort.

Held on a Tuesday, stretching out along the banks of a dry river bed, this is a market for both locals and tourists, with excellent leatherware and ceramics that are far cheaper than in the town’s shops.

The most beautiful of all ancient Lycian cities, Pinara is a tumble-down joy set deep in the hills above the Xanthos Valley. The theatre is especially beautiful, as are the so-called Royal Tombs set in a glade of ancient plane trees.

Interesting, small museums with exhibits including jewellery and artefacts from underwater necropolis and the skeletons of historic vessels. It’s housed in the Castle of St. Peter, a 15th-century fortress situated on a rocky peninsula between two sheltered bays.

Re-opened in 2020 after a full re-modelling, this traditional working hammam offers an authentic, restorative experience.

An atmospheric and historic old town hammam, located in a warren of domes tucked away in the central Paspatur district.

An inland site, home even now to a scattering of villagers, Stratonikeia is a magnificent and little-visited city with outstanding remains, not least the monumental North Gate and the gymnasium.

A unisex hamam in Antalya’s picturesque old city, dating back to the 15th century offering rejuvenating massage and steam.

An original 15th-century Ottoman hammam, offering a unique grape-seed exfoliation treatment, located close to the nightlife district of the town.

An amazing Roman aqueduct on the Lycian Way, just a 2-minute walk from the main road near Kalkan. The surviving stretch of some 100m can be walked with care.