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Dalyan has been described as "One of the last corners of paradise", and
being surrounded by pine-clad hills, cotton fields and
bulrushes, it really is a beautiful place.
The un-spoilt Mediterranean village of Dalyan will offer you a fantastic
family holiday experience.
You have the choice of hundreds of first class bars, restaurants and even
a few discos.
Dalyan and Turtle Beach are in a National Park of Turkey and also a wildlife
sanctuary.
Because of this, the small resort has kept it's typical Turkish Mediterranean
charm and appeal.
Many people return to Turkey and Dalyan year after year, many people never
leave.
There are many things to do in Dalyan and Turkey including sailing, mud
baths, turtle spotting in the river, Turkish baths, white water rafting,
snorkelling, and diving.
Please visit beautiful Turtle Beach and the ancient ruins of Kaunos. (Some
of the oldest in Turkey).
Dalyan sits on the river fed from Lake Koycegiz, the local mountain streams
converge on Lake Koycegiz and then gently flow from the lake past Dalyan
to the Mediterranean Sea and Turtle Beach.
Beautiful
Iztuzu Beach or better known as Turtle Beach is home to the endangered Loggerhead
Sea Turtle.
Locals and tourists alike enjoy the natural mud baths and thermal springs
at the side of Lake Koycegiz and then sail though the maze of reed beds
past Dalyan to Turtle Beach, passing the ancient Dalyan rock tombs carved
over 3000 years ago that look over Dalyan.
Dalyan is an area of stunning natural beauty, an area of sea, river, lakes,
mountains and pine forests.
Wonderful un-spoilt Dalyan in this fantastic corner of Turkey is the perfect
place to enjoy the relaxing and exotic culture of Mediterranean Turkey.
Brief TV fame was brought to Dalyan in the late 1980s by loggerhead turtles
or, more accurately, by David Bellamy who led a worldwide campaign to halt
a proposed development on the pristine five mile Iztuzu beach.
The conservation battle was won and the whole Dalyan delta turned into a
wildlife sanctuary in order to preserve its unique flora, fauna and way
of life.
Dalyan has everything - an outstanding beach, fascinating wildlife, strong
local traditions and the majestic remains of an ancient city.
Boat is the best way to reach the many attractions of Dalyan, including
mud baths where you have the privilege - if that's the word - of being caked
in sulphurous, but reputedly therapeutic, mud.
Drifting downstream you pass the haunting, 4th-century BC tombs, which loom,
like miniature Greek temples hewn out of the cliffs high above the river
right opposite the town. Marsh frogs croak in the rushes, stripe-necked
terrapins and little freshwater turtles dart in and out of the water and,
if you are quick, you may catch the dazzling turquoise and gold arc of a
kingfisher in flight.
Further down river towards the 'Dalyans' - the fish hatcheries - you can
be dropped off at the dramatically situated ruins of ancient Caunos, which
boast some of the most impressively fortified walls still standing in western
Turkey, along with a well-preserved Greek-style theatre, Roman baths and
a Byzantine basilica.
You can wander among the shattered columns and the huge chunks of masonry
of ancient temples for hours, photographing, drawing or just musing on the
beauty of the scene and on glories past.
So much is to be discovered by boat; the variety of birds is bewildering
and the sight of small turtles basking at the water's edge, with their bodies
submerged and their heads on the surface, is unforgettable. If you are very
lucky you may even find one of the rare loggerhead turtles, the 95-million-year-old
species Carretta Carretta, swimming right under the boat in nesting season,
if you head beyond the river mouth. You can also disembark here at the end
of Dalyans beautiful sandy beach, forty minutes by boat from the town quay.
However, those few who know will head by regular dolmus (a twenty minute
journey) to the opposite end of the beach where the views are as spectacular
as the peace.
From one tip to the other, the swimming from this vast and unblemished stretch
of sand is excellent.
As well as the large fleet of boats, other provisions have been made for
visitors to Dalyan, which has developed from a small village into a pleasant
little town.
There is now a good choice of restaurants (with fresh river fish a specialty),
carpet, jewellery and spice shops and small grocers.
Development is strictly controlled and despite the bustle, the atmosphere
is friendly, relaxed and traditional. Local inhabitants still hang their
corn and peppers up to dry on strings hung from cottage eaves on the back
streets and every Saturday is market day.
The
people are so incredibly friendly you will probably never want to leave.
Devotees of the wonderful.
FROM THE SUN NEWSPAPER 01/10/2005
THE TURKISH DELIGHT TO WALLOW IN - MUDDY LOVELY
With the prospect of months of wind, rain and cold, my favourite pre-winter
pick-me-up is to escape to Dalyan, a pretty fishing village on Turkey's
Mediterranean coast.
I have just returned from my third trip there. And nearly every holiday
maker I met had been at least as often as I had - some every year for a
decade.
Dalyan is not for those who want Ibiza or Ayia Napa-style boozing and clubbing
but it is hard to imagine a better beach.
There are no buildings alongside the sands because it is a conservation
area and a habitat for loggerhead turtles.
Holiday accommodation is in the village a short distance from the beach,
which is shut at night to allow the turtles peace and privacy. Morning fun
is trying to spot their tracks.
The water is so clear you can see the fish darting around. Even the hottest
afternoons are comfortable because of a cooling breeze.
Lunch on the beach is a special treat, with a couple of ladies cooking traditional
Turkish-style sweet or savoury pancakes for £1.
Or you can choose toasties, salads, soft drinks, beer, wine ... all on offer
from 75p to £1.50.
Dalyan village lies on the banks of a river meandering from Koycegiz lake
to the Mediterranean sea, which it joins at Iztuzu beach, You can cruise
the river and spot herons, fish jumping three feet out of the water and
brilliant blue kingfishers darting among the reed beds.
In the centre of Dalyan, scores of boats along the quay offer trips around
nearby islands. You can go to the well preserved ruins of the ancient city
of Caunos, just over the river, or upriver and into Koycegiz lake to see
the mud baths and thermal springs of Sultaniye.
Dustin Hoffman once visited the mudbaths - his pictures are everywhere.
You can plaster yourself with warm mud and slip and slither around until
you feel brave enough for the cold shower off.
At the thermal springs, naturally hot pools of water are housed in old domed
buildings right on the edge of the lake. As you quietly soak, you can feel
the aches and pains easing away. The next little bay along the lakeside
is an excellent spot for seeing the turtles.
Most hotels will arrange for a boatman to take you for early morning trips
to feed them.
New for me this year was an outing to the Saklikent Gorge, the second largest
in Europe. It was only discovered in 1988 - by a shepherd called Mehmet.
It is open until the end of October, depending on the weather conditions.
This is because you have to wade into the gorge through a waist-deep stream
of pretty chilly water.
It was worth it for the sight of the gorge's 1,500ft sides - just a yard
or two apart - twisting and turning above our heads and throwing the light
this way and that.
The full-day trip cost £14 per person and included a visit to the Roman
ruins of Tlos plus a three-course lunch.
We ate on traditional couches and low tables on platforms hanging over a
fresh water stream. We watched ducklings playing as we tucked in. Fortunately
duck wasn't on the menu.
At Dalyan in the evenings, there is a huge choice of restaurants. We especially
enjoyed the Riverside and Caretta Caretta eateries.
Turkish food is very tasty. A truly delicious three-course dinner including
wine usually cost us about £15 a head.
And on the sad day you have to say goodbye to Dalyan, it softens the blow
just a little that the transfer to Dalaman airport takes just half an hour.
DEIDRE SANDERS
EDITED BY LISA MINOT
travel@the-sun.co.uk
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