Is Turunc worth visiting?

According to the many tourists who come to this outstanding resort each year, Turunc is definitely worth visiting. The Turkish Riviera is the name given to the beautiful southwest coast where the green mountains meet the blue sea. The plane journey to the nearby airport of Dalaman takes just four hours from the UK and there are numerous flights from several UK airports. The climate is ideal and prices of hotels, restaurants and organized activities are very reasonable. As from 2 March 2020 British citizens no longer have the hassle of obtaining a visa to be in Turkey for up to 90 days within an 180 day period, so there’s every reason to visit this location.

A beach holiday

Turunc bay has a small pebble beach just 300 metres in length with free sun loungers and friendly bars and restaurants nearby that serve food and drinks all day long. Turunc is known for being the most peaceful, quiet resort in the area, suited to people of all ages and families with small children (just remember to supervise young children in the water). The beaches in this area have a Blue Flag, meaning they’re very clean. There are lots of water sports on offer, too, like snorkeling, scuba diving, jet skiing and paragliding.

It’s only a short journey, 20 minutes by water taxi or 30 minutes by bus, to the nearest sandy beach at Icmeler. Also a peaceful, quiet beach with all the restaurants and bars, water sports and sun loungers, it’s a bit longer than Turunc beach, around 6 km.

The two sandy beaches in Marmaris, 20-25 minutes from Icmeler by water taxi, are much livelier. The most central beach is called Marmaris Urban beach. Uzunyalı, otherwise known as Long Beach, is 10 km in length and goes all the way to Icmeler with cafes, restaurants and shops all along.

Shopping

It only takes half an hour to walk from one end of Turunc village to the other, stopping at the gift shops to get souvenirs or visiting the bakeries and restaurants. The Monday market near the harbour sells fruit and veg grown in the region as well as other local produce. Returning from the village you walk past lovely olive groves and fields of corn, small farms and village houses selling their own produce, which used to be the main income here before tourism got going.

Sightseeing

The quiet bays of Amos and Kumlubuk and the Phosphorus caves, which emit light through the rippling water, are popular day trips by boat.

The bus trips to places of interest slightly further away include Pamukkale, a ‘Cotton Castle’ formed naturally out of rock with hot spring water flowing down the hillside turning it white. Saklikent National Park, near the ancient city of Tios, is a stunning gorge with an icy blue river. Or you can visit the ancient ruins of Ephesus and the House of the Virgin Mary in a day.