Best Beaches of Turkey

1. Patara, Turkey’s longest beach

This broad strip of gently shelving white sand is not only Turkey’s longest beach, but also its most beautiful. Kids love its warm shallows, the legions of body-surfable waves and the serried ranks of dunes backing it. Development at its stunning south-eastern end has been confined to one very reasonably priced beach café with umbrellas and sunbeds for hire, reached through the romantic remains of a Roman city preserved in the shifting sands. The low-key Patara Viewpoint hotel, run by Muzaffer and Anne-Louise, is set around a pool on a quiet, leafy hillside behind the ruins. They have been providing a friendly service for visitors to this unique spot in south-west Turkey for over 20 years – a service that includes free rides to and from the beach and an optional weekly barbecue.

Iztuzu Beach, Dalyan

This is an incredible eco-beach. Catch the local bus from Gülpinar Road in Dalyan for a breathtaking ride and then walk from the last stop through the nature reserve to the far cove. Yogis, snorkellers, dippers, a class from the local school and a vast space. You can't put sun umbrellas into the sand in June and July as the loggerhead turtle eggs are hatching just below the surface.
Lucybellamy

3. The Bodrum Peninsula

Studded with olive groves and domed white Ottoman-era cisterns, the beautiful rocky finger of the Bodrum Peninsula has long been a favourite with Turkey’s well-heeled elite. The downside of this popularity has been the inevitable tourist development, the upside is that it has been (for the most part) done with taste. The peninsula’s main town, all-white Bodrum town, clustered around the splendid castle of St Peter, is extremely attractive. There are plenty of pretty beaches out on the peninsula, including Bitez and Türbükü, and windsurfing opportunities aplenty. The exclusive Mandarin Oriental, Bodrum, is set on the lusher northern shore of the peninsula. With two beaches of its own, a pool complex, a cutting-edge spa, chic restaurants and sounds provided by Istanbul’s hip Babylon club, this is the perfect sophisticated holiday hideaway.