Places to visit in

Turkey

Datça Peninsula (Datça Yarımadası) is notable for its rich blend of ancient history and outstanding natural beauty. The western tip holds the ancient city of Knidos, an important classical-era port and cultural center. The peninsula's landscape — pine-covered hills, olive and almond groves, and a jagged coastline of coves and bays — supports high biodiversity and is important for migratory birds and marine life. The area also preserves traditional Aegean and Anatolian village life and architecture in places like Eski Datça (Old Datça).

Marmaris is a historic port town on the Turkish Riviera (Aegean coast) known for its strategic harbour, long maritime history and position at the meeting point of the Aegean and Mediterranean cultures. The area has roots in ancient Caria and later Ottoman influence; today it is a prominent resort town combining seaside tourism with traditional Turkish culture. The surrounding pine-clad hills, clear turquoise bays and sheltered marinas make it important both as a natural attraction and as a gateway for Blue Cruise sailing routes.

Dalyan is an area of high historical, cultural and natural significance. It sits near the ancient city of Kaunos (with Lycian-Roman ruins and dramatic rock-cut tombs), and the Dalyan Delta — a protected wetland and important nesting site for the endangered loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta). The area combines archaeology, coastal ecology and traditional Turkish village life, making it a unique destination for history buffs, nature lovers and eco-tourists.

Kaunos is an ancient Carian city located near modern Dalyan in southwestern Turkey. It was an important Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine port and commercial center whose harbor later silted up, leaving impressive ruins inland. The site is renowned for its rock-cut tombs, monumental theater, agora, city walls and layered archaeological remains that illustrate centuries of cultural change. Kaunos also sits beside a rich wetland and lagoon system, making it important for both heritage and natural landscapes.

İztuzu Beach (also known as Turtle Beach) is a 4.5 km natural sandbar on the southwestern coast of Turkey near Dalyan, celebrated primarily for its global importance as a nesting site for the endangered loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta). The beach and surrounding wetlands form a protected habitat that supports coastal biodiversity and the Dalyan Delta ecosystem. İztuzu is also an example of successful conservation: international and local campaigns in the 1980s prevented large-scale development and led to legal protection of the area.

Ölüdeniz Blue Lagoon is one of Turkey’s most iconic coastal landmarks, celebrated for its calm, turquoise waters and dramatic mountain backdrop. Located near Fethiye on the southwestern Turquoise Coast, it is both a natural reserve and a major tourist destination. The lagoon’s sheltered waters and unique color contrast with surrounding pine-clad slopes and limestone cliffs, making it important for coastal biodiversity, scenic value and outdoor recreation.

Butterfly Valley (Kelebekler Vadisi) is a protected natural canyon on the southwestern coast of Turkey near Ölüdeniz (Fethiye). It is renowned for its rich biodiversity, especially the presence of numerous butterfly species including the endemic Jersey tiger (Euplagia quadripunctaria). The valley's steep limestone cliffs, Mediterranean flora, and secluded sandy beach create a unique microhabitat and scenic landscape that draws nature lovers, photographers, and ecotourists. It is also part of the broader Lycian coastal region, famed for its natural and historical heritage.

Saklıkent Gorge is one of Turkey's deepest and longest gorges, carved by millennia of water erosion in the Taurus Mountains. It is an important natural landmark in southwestern Turkey, showcasing dramatic karst landscapes, steep limestone walls, and a dynamic river system. The gorge highlights the region's geological history and contributes to local biodiversity by providing unique microhabitats. It is also a popular recreational and eco-tourism destination near Antalya and Fethiye, playing a role in local tourism economies.

Patara was a major port and city of ancient Lycia and an important member of the Lycian League. The area combines rich archaeological remains (the Roman theatre, Lycian parliament, necropolis and ruins of the harbour) with a long natural sandy coastline. The beach is one of Turkey's longest sandy beaches and a protected natural habitat—an important nesting site for the endangered loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta).

Xanthos–Letoon is a UNESCO World Heritage Site representing the political and religious heart of ancient Lycia. Xanthos served as the Lycian capital and features major funerary and civic monuments reflecting Lycian, Greek, Persian and Roman influences. Letoon is a nearby religious sanctuary dedicated to the goddess Leto and her children Artemis and Apollo, important for understanding Lycian cult practice and Hellenistic temple architecture. The combined site is outstanding for its well-preserved tombs, inscriptions (including Lycian language inscriptions), and the relationship between urban center and sacred landscape.

Kabak Bay (Kabak Koyu) is a secluded Mediterranean bay on the Lycian coast near Fethiye in Muğla Province. It is valued primarily for its natural importance: steep pine-covered slopes, clear turquoise water, and relatively untouched coastal environment. The bay is part of the network of trails and coastal features that make up the Lycian Way, a long-distance hiking route with continuous links to ancient Lycian culture and coastal heritage. Kabak's low-impact, eco-friendly accommodation and small-scale local settlement help preserve its landscape and biodiversity.

Natural importance: Kaputaş Beach is a striking coastal cove on the Turkish Mediterranean between Kaş and Kalkan, celebrated for its turquoise waters, dramatic steep limestone cliffs and a narrow inlet that creates sheltered, clear swimming conditions. The site is part of the rugged Lycian coastline and is valued for its scenic and geological features rather than major historical structures. It is a highly photographed natural landmark and contributes to the region's coastal tourism appeal.

Kaş is a picturesque coastal town on the Turkish Riviera (Mediterranean coast) with rich layers of history and outstanding natural beauty. Historically, Kaş sits above the ancient Lycian city of Antiphellos; remnants from Lycian, Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine periods (rock-cut tombs, an ancient theatre and ruins) are visible around the town. Culturally Kaş retains a relaxed fishing-town atmosphere with traditional architecture, local handicrafts and strong maritime traditions (sponge diving and fishing). Naturally, Kaş is renowned for its crystal-clear turquoise waters, remarkable underwater archaeological sites and high biodiversity—making it one of Turkey's premier scuba-diving and marine-experience destinations.

Kalkan is a picturesque coastal town on Turkey's Turquoise Coast in Antalya Province, historically part of the Lycian region. It developed as a harbor and later a fishing and agricultural settlement. The area surrounding Kalkan contains Lycian archaeological sites (notably Patara and Xanthos a short drive away) and is close to the submerged ruins around Kekova. Today Kalkan's whitewashed, terraced townscape, traditional stone houses (many restored Greek/Ottoman-era buildings), and dramatic coastal scenery make it culturally and naturally significant as a conservation-minded tourism destination.

Myra Rock Tombs (near modern Demre, Antalya Province) are among the best-preserved examples of Lycian funerary architecture. Carved into a high limestone cliff, the tomb facades date from the late classical through Roman periods (roughly 4th century BCE to Roman Imperial times). The site illustrates Lycian beliefs about the afterlife and social status — tomb facades often mimic wooden houses or temple fronts and were meant to display the deceased's rank. Myra is also historically significant as the seat of the ancient bishopric where St. Nicholas served in the 4th century, linking the site to later Christian traditions.

St. Nicholas Church (Demre, Turkey) is a 6th-century Byzantine basilica built on the site associated with Saint Nicholas of Myra (c. 270–343 CE), the bishop whose historical reputation for charity inspired the modern figure of Santa Claus. The church is one of the most important early Christian pilgrimage sites in Anatolia and an outstanding example of Byzantine ecclesiastical architecture in the Lycian region. It sits near ancient Myra and the classical port of Andriake, linking it to Lycian, Roman and Byzantine cultural layers.

Kekova Island and the Sunken City (often associated with the Lycian settlements around Simena/Kaleköy and Üçağız) are a valuable archaeological and natural area on Turkey's southern Mediterranean coast (Antalya Province). The coast preserves submerged remains of Lycian, Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine settlements—houses, walls, cisterns, tombs and sarcophagi—visible in clear shallow waters. The region is part of an officially protected area (Kekova Special Environmental Protection Area) due to its cultural heritage and sensitive marine ecosystems (seagrass meadows, fish populations). The site illustrates ancient coastal settlement patterns and dramatic landscape change caused by earthquakes and sea-level changes that partially submerged urban areas.

Olympos is an ancient Lycian city on Turkey's Mediterranean coast with continuous habitation from the Hellenistic through Roman and Byzantine periods. It was an important maritime and trade center with Lycian rock-cut tombs, a Roman theatre, baths, agora, and city walls. The site also sits within a rich natural setting—pine-covered hills meeting a pebble-sand beach—making it notable for both archaeology and coastal ecology. It's part of the Antalya region's multi-layered cultural landscape and is close to the protected areas of Beydağları Coastal National Park.

Çıralı & Yanartaş siteleri, Likya kıyısının doğal ve tarihsel zenginliğini bir araya getirir. Çıralı, Caretta-caretta deniz kaplumbağalarının yumurtlama alanı olan önemli bir sahildir ve Akdeniz bitki örtüsü, zeytinlikler ve bakir plajlarıyla dikkat çeker. Yanartaş (Chimera) ise yeraltı gazlarının sürekli yanması sonucu oluşan doğal "ebedi alevler" ile ünlüdür; bu fenomen antik çağlardan beri bilinir ve bölgeyi mitolojik, kültürel ve jeolojik açıdan değerli kılar. Ayrıca yakınlardaki Olympos antik kenti ve Likya lahitleri, bölgenin arkeolojik önemini güçlendirir.

Phaselis (ancient Greek: Φασηλίς) is a coastal ancient city on the Lycian-Pamphylian frontier, founded by settlers from Rhodes (7th century BC). It became an important maritime and commercial hub with three natural harbors, connecting inland Anatolia with Mediterranean trade routes. Over centuries Phaselis passed through Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine phases; visible remains include a theatre, agora, aqueducts, baths and necropolis. The site is also important for its natural setting—pine-clad hills, sandy coves and crystal-clear water—now part of the coastal ecosystem near Olympos-Beydağları National Park.