Hidden Tips

One of the best ways to examine the area is to join ‘12 Islands’ boat tours on a very popular chopped boat that leave from the close by town of Göcek. A lot of domestic tour operators in Sarigerme village sell tickets for this trip which usually starts with a hotel pick-up. After all, you are drawn through a whole day of sailing over and around the most beautiful pine-clothed isles and into a veritable maze of turquoise-carmine indented bays, swimmable chillout spots on an excursion as well as tasty lunch served ‘on deck’. It is a day not easily forgotten–a highlight of any vacation along this coast.

Hop on the local dolmuş to Ortaca a small market town which is located nearby on Friday as it is the main market day. The market is quite a vibrant affair and quite crowded with the people – you can find them buying all kinds of things from fresh fruit and vegetables, spices, and cheeses to textiles. A good place to bargain hard for a deal, taste some of the local street food, and walk away feeling you have been in an authentic Turkish town rather than around the big resorts.

For the trip to the Dalyan mud baths, it is recommended combining this with the nearby village of Dalyan. An escorted boat tour down the Dalyan River passes long row of ancient Lycian rock tombs, carved in the cliff face many centuries ago. Then, you are ‘bathed’ in the therapeutic mud, allow it to dry in the warm sunlight and wash it off in a warm sulphur pool. Quite hilarious and refreshing.

The main Sarigerme beach is nice. If I had to recommend something, it would be to go check the even quieter and undeveloped beach at Aşı Koyu. It’s a beautiful, secret bay that can be reached in half an hour by car from the hotel through a breathtaking twist along a forest road. The beach is unspoiled, the water transparent and there’s just a tiny simple place to eat freshly cooked fish. Really nice to run off to for a quieter and more natural beach day away from the resort crowds.