Beaches in Turkey

Oludeniz lies in the Fethiye district of Mugla province on the Mediterranean, and the main Belcekiz shore is pebble rather than sand, so pack reef shoes. It is Blue Flag certified and has showers, sunbeds and beach clubs the length of the promenade. The Babadag ridge behind it is where tandem paragliders launch, and they land on the beach through the day. This is the busiest stretch on the Turquoise Coast from June to September.

Patara is Turkey's longest beach, running west of Kalkan in the Kas district of Antalya province. It is a protected loggerhead turtle nesting site, so no hotels or permanent structures are allowed on the sand and the beach clears at dusk through the nesting season. You reach it through the Patara ruins, and one ticket covers both. Pale fine sand and dunes, but almost no natural shade.

Kaputas is a small cove 7 km from Kalkan and 20 km from Kas, reached by 170 steps down from the coast road. The sand is fine and pale but the sea shelves steeply within a few metres, so it suits confident swimmers more than small children. Roadside parking fills by mid-morning in July and August. There is a snack bar, sunbeds, showers and toilets at beach level, and no hotels.

Konyaalti is Antalya city's western beach, a mix of sand and grey shingle under the Taurus foothills, so footwear helps. The water runs noticeably cooler than the rest of the Gulf of Antalya because an underground stream feeds the bay. Behind it the beach park holds cafes, an aquarium and a waterpark, and the tram and city buses reach it from Kaleici. If you are staying in Antalya's old town rather than a resort, this is the beach you will actually use.

Lara is the sandy strip east of central Antalya, in contrast to the sand-and-shingle mix at Konyaalti on the west side. It is lined with large themed all-inclusive resorts, which is why most package itineraries to Antalya place you here. The public section sits at the eastern end, past the hotel frontages. The Lower Duden waterfall drops straight into the sea from the cliffs at its western edge.

Kleopatra Beach runs west from Alanya's castle promontory and has the softest sand on this part of the Mediterranean. Alanya sits 133 km east of Antalya and holds the warmest sea on the Turkish coast, close to 29 degrees in August and still swimmable in October, which gives it the longest season in this list. Sunbeds, showers and changing cabins run its full length. Jet skis, parasailing and dive boats operate from the town end.

Iztuzu is a 4.5 km sandbar separating the Dalyan river delta from the sea, and it is the most tightly protected beach in Turkey. From 1 May to 31 October it is closed to the public between 20:00 and 08:00 so loggerhead turtles can nest, and umbrellas, sunbeds and digging are banned inside the marked nesting zones. Most visitors arrive by river boat from Dalyan; a road reaches the eastern end. Speedboats are banned within a mile of the shore.

The Blue Lagoon is the sheltered inlet at the northern end of Oludeniz, cut off from the open sea by a sand spit. It is a national nature reserve, construction is prohibited, and a small entry fee applies at the nature park gate. The water is shallow and still, which makes this the easier half of Oludeniz for families and weak swimmers. It is also the landing area for paragliders coming off Babadag.

Bitez is a scallop-shaped bay just west of Bodrum town with calm shallow water, which makes it the family choice over the louder beaches near the marina. It is Bodrum's windsurfing base, with boards and lessons through the season. Tangerine groves back the bay and the front is low-rise restaurants rather than high-rise hotels. Bodrum sits on the Aegean, so expect wind in the afternoon and cooler water than the Turquoise Coast.

Cesme is 85 km west of Izmir on an Aegean peninsula, and its town beach is sand with clear shallow water. The peninsula draws a mainly Turkish holiday crowd rather than package tourists, so it feels unlike Antalya or Marmaris. Ilica nearby has thermal springs and Alacati is the country's windsurfing capital. Being Aegean, it is breezier and the water is cooler, and the season is closer to June to September.

Butterfly Valley is a pebble cove at the mouth of a gorge below Faralya, a few kilometres south of Oludeniz. There is no road in: you arrive by day boat from Oludeniz or Fethiye, or take a rope-assisted scramble down from the clifftop that is not for casual walkers. The valley is a protected area and records over 100 butterfly and moth species, including the Jersey tiger. Boats leave in the morning and return late afternoon, so check the last sailing before you go.

Icmeler is a Blue Flag beach 8 km southwest of Marmaris, sheltered in a bay ringed by pine-covered hills. The shore is mostly sand, which is not the norm on this stretch of coast, and the bay stays calm enough for beginner swimmers and first-time watersports. Dolmus minibuses and water taxis shuttle to Marmaris through the day. It is quieter than Marmaris town but still crowded in July and August.

Antalya is one of Turkey's oldest cities and its main resort hub, set on the southwestern coast against the Taurus Mountains. Its beaches are lined with large, all-inclusive resorts often compared to Las Vegas in scale, making it the default choice for travelers who want a beach-first Turkey trip over Istanbul's city sightseeing or Cappadocia's landscapes.

Sedir Island, marketed as Cleopatra Island, sits in the Gulf of Gokova and is reached only by boat from Camli or Akyaka, about an hour from Marmaris by road plus a short crossing. Its beach is made of near-spherical grains formed by erosion of the local sandstone, not the Egyptian sand of the legend. The sand is protected by law, so you cross it on boardwalks and removing any of it is an offence. The ruins of ancient Kedrai, including a theatre, stand behind the shore.

Fethiye is a port city located on the Turquoise Coast of Turkey. Known for its natural harbor and turquoise blue waters, Fethiye is situated around 144 kms away from Antalya in the Aegean region of Turkey. Several rock tombs and beachfront promenades make for tourist spots in the city. The postcard-worthy backdrop of Fethiye, with dense forests, blue coastline and smaller islands nearby, make the city a perfect destination for a beachy holiday.

Ilica is a 1.5 km sand beach in the Cesme district of Izmir province, named for the thermal springs that surface beneath the bay and warm the shallows. The water stays waist-deep a long way out, which suits children and anyone learning to windsurf. Thermal hotels and spa resorts line the front. Alacati, a short drive south, is Turkey's main windsurfing centre and takes the stronger winds.

Ladies Beach, or Kadinlar Denizi, is about 2 km south of Kusadasi centre and takes the highest footfall of any beach in the town. It is a short sandy bay with a promenade of cafes, restaurants and hotels immediately behind, so food and shade are a few steps away. Rentable sunbeds cover most of the sand by mid-morning in summer. Kusadasi is the port for Ephesus, roughly 20 km inland, so most itineraries pair the two.

Kidrak is a pebble beach roughly 3 km southeast of Oludeniz inside Kidrak Nature Park, with a small entry fee at the gate. Pine forest backs it and it draws far fewer people than Belcekiz, though the beach clubs still fill in August. The seabed drops away quickly, so it works better for swimming than for wading with young children. There is parking at the entrance and a dolmus from Oludeniz.

Calis is a 4 km beach about 5 km north of Fethiye town, and the surface is shingle and coarse pebble, so sandals matter here. It faces west across the bay, which makes it the best sunset spot on this coast. A water taxi crosses to Fethiye harbour, and restaurants and small hotels line the promenade. The afternoon wind that arrives most days brings out windsurfers and kitesurfers.

West Beach runs from Side's ancient town towards Colakli and is long, sandy and shallow, which is why Side sells so well as a family resort. The Temple of Apollo stands on the headland where the beach begins, so a swim and Roman ruins fit into one afternoon. East Beach, on the other side of the peninsula, is longer but rougher and better suited to parasailing than swimming. Side is about 75 km east of Antalya.

Kemer's beaches are stone and shingle rather than sand, which catches out visitors expecting the Antalya brochure image. The town sits 43 km southwest of Antalya with the Taurus range rising directly behind, and that mountain backdrop is the real draw. Several bays along the shore between Beldibi and Tekirova hold Blue Flag status. The ancient harbour at Phaselis, a short drive south, has three small beaches set among Roman ruins.