Dalaman holidays

Why visit Dalaman

The reason to know Dalaman is what surrounds it. This is the heart of the Lycian coast, where pine-covered mountains drop to a sea of coves and islands. Oludeniz has its sheltered blue lagoon and the paragliders drifting down from Babadag; Dalyan has reed-lined river channels, rock-cut tombs and a turtle-nesting beach; and Fethiye offers a working harbour, ancient tombs above the town and boat trips to a scatter of islands. Marmaris brings a big marina and nightlife, Gocek a quiet sailing scene. One airport opens all of them, each with a different character.

What Dalaman feels like

Because it serves so many places, the region has no single mood. Gocek and Dalyan are calm and green, given to boats, birds and slow river afternoons. Fethiye and Oludeniz mix scenery with activity, from paragliding and diving to walking sections of the long-distance Lycian Way. Marmaris is the loudest, a full resort town with a promenade and a night-time strip. Threading them together are pine forests, turquoise water and Lycian ruins half-hidden in the hills. Summers are hot and long, spring and autumn warm and green, and the coast is at its liveliest from June to September.

Sights across the coast

• Oludeniz and the Blue Lagoon: A sheltered lagoon of still, clear water beside a spit of beach, with tandem paragliders launching from Babadag mountain above.
• Dalyan, Kaunos and Iztuzu Beach: River boats thread reed channels past Lycian tombs carved in the cliff to a long sandbar beach where loggerhead turtles nest.
• Fethiye and its rock tombs: A harbour town on a wide bay, with the Tomb of Amyntas cut high into the rock above the old streets.
• Saklikent Gorge: A deep canyon inland from Fethiye where a cold river runs between towering walls and visitors wade upstream.
• Kayakoy: A hillside of roofless stone houses, a Greek village left empty after the population exchange of the 1920s.
• The Twelve Islands: A sheltered cluster of islands off Gocek and Fethiye, a favourite run for gulet day cruises.

The resorts Dalaman serves

• Gocek: A small yachting town close to the airport, ringed by marinas and sheltered by the Twelve Islands; quiet and green.
• Sarigerme: A long sandy beach backed by pine near Dalaman, low-key and family-minded, with turtles nesting on the shore.
• Fethiye: The main harbour town of the coast, with a marina, market, ancient tombs and boat trips, and Calis beach nearby.
• Oludeniz: The scenic resort below Babadag, built around its protected lagoon and beach and known for paragliding.
• Dalyan: An inland river town among reed beds and rock tombs, reached by boat to its turtle beach and mud springs.
• Marmaris: The largest and liveliest resort of the group, further west, with a big marina, castle and nightlife.

The Lycian coast table

Eating along this coast means Aegean and Mediterranean flavours with the sea close at hand. Fethiye's fish market is the local institution: you choose the catch from the stalls and a surrounding restaurant grills it for you. Meze plates of olive-oil vegetables, samphire and wild greens open most meals. Up in the hills, gorge-side restaurants serve trout from cold streams, and the region's pine forests yield a dark, resinous honey eaten with clotted cream. Village breakfasts of flatbread, olives, honey and cheese are a ritual in their own right.

• Fethiye fish-market grill
• Alabalik (river trout)
• Mugla pine honey with clotted cream
• Gozleme (stuffed flatbread)
• Olive-oil meze and samphire

Getting around the region

This is a spread-out region, so plan to move between bases rather than expect one to serve all. Dolmus minibuses link neighbouring towns and beaches, such as Fethiye to Oludeniz or Marmaris to Icmeler, and intercity coaches run between the larger centres. River and sea boats are part of the transport at Dalyan and Fethiye. Many visitors hire a car at the airport to reach the ruins, gorges and quieter coves, though the mountain roads are winding. Dalaman Airport is a transfer hub rather than a resort, set on the coastal plain with the holiday towns spread to either side. Gocek and Sarigerme are the closest, Dalyan a short drive, Fethiye and Oludeniz around an hour away, and Marmaris the longest transfer over the hills.

Practical pointers

• Turkish coastal resorts are relaxed, but cover up away from the beach and dress modestly at mosques.
• Iztuzu and other turtle beaches are protected, so keep to marked areas, take litter away and avoid the nesting zones at night.
• Haggling is normal in markets such as Fethiye's, so keep it friendly and commit only if you intend to buy.
• Tipping is customary for restaurants, boat crews and guides, usually a small percentage or rounding up.
• Match your base to your pace: Gocek and Dalyan for calm, Fethiye and Oludeniz for scenery and activity, Marmaris for nightlife.
• Paragliding at Oludeniz is a tandem flight from Babadag and depends on the weather, so allow flexible days.
• Dalyan is reached by river boat, and the trip takes in the rock tombs, Iztuzu beach and the mud springs by the lake.
• Saklikent's water stays cold even in high summer, so wear grippy sandals for wading.
• Hiring a car at the airport opens up the Lycian ruins and gorges, so leave time for the winding roads.
• Fethiye's Tuesday market and its fish market are worth planning a day around.

Best for

• Beach time
• Quieter travel

Key facts

Dalaman essentials

Climate & seasons

Typical stay

• Weekend-friendly
• Short break (2–5 days)

Dalaman works as a weekend break just as well as a longer stay.

Getting there

Dalaman is served via DLM.

• DLM

Is it your kind of trip?

Pairs well with

Compare with

Similar destinations

More in Europe

Near Dalaman

Travel style

• Short-trip friendly
• Beach

Frequently asked questions