The Top Hidden Locations on the Turkish Coastline
Turkey’s appeal to tourists has been steadily growing over the past decade, helping it climb into the top ten most popular tourist destinations in the world. Blessed with an array of different attractions, including idyllic beaches and historic building, as well as long, hot summers lasting from April to November, it’s easy to see why Turkey continues to draw in the crowds.
The majority of tourists visiting Turkey originate from Europe, with Germany, Bulgaria, and the UK amongst the top visitors, sending more than 10 million visitors between them in 2019. Turkey is also very popular amongst Russian visitors in search of a change of scenery.
The capital of Istanbul is a favourite destination, but much of Turkey’s allure lies along its coastline. The southern and southwestern coast is known as the Turkish Riviera and is full of resort towns including Antalya, Fethiye, and Marmaris and it offers a wide range of other activities, such as Yachting. You can drive between them, but the best way to tour the area is chartering a Yacht and see all the splendorous views and hidden beaches that are difficult to access by land, something that you can arrange Here. Here are some of the must-see coastal locations that are too easy to miss.
Butterfly Valley
Named because of the 100 different butterfly species which make this secluded bay their home, this picture-perfect paradise cove is completely inaccessible from the land side due to the surrounding cliff paths becoming too dangerous. While this doesn’t completely keep away the tourists, you’re in no danger of finding the beach overcrowded, whatever day you go.
Unlike neighbouring Oludeniz which has been transformed into a proper tourist resort, Butterfly Valley remains mostly undeveloped. Temporary structures house bars and restaurants which serve their customers directly on the beach, but the pace of life here is much slower than many of Turkey’s other beaches. You can get a shuttle bus from Oludeniz or visit as part of a multi-stop tour. Or sail your own craft into the calm, blue waters and moor up for the day.
Patara
Patara is another undeveloped part of Turkey’s coastline, and it offers spectacular and unique sights to its visitors. Part of a national park, Patara beach is home to colonies of nesting sea turtles, and if you visit at the right time of year, you can spend an early morning watching the eggs hatch and the baby turtles make their way back to the sea.
The beach itself is one of the country’s finest, with 12km of pure, white sand connecting the beach to the ruins of ancient Patara. Blown into sweeping sand dunes, they make the perfect backdrop for a glorious sunset. The ruins themselves are also worth exploring, including the magnificent amphitheatre.
Olympos
Nestled at the bottom of green hills, Olympos is also home to the ruins of an ancient city. Exploring the overgrown ruins will make you feel like an old-fashioned adventurer, a feeling which will continue upon entering the town. An exciting feature of Olympos, and something it has become famous for, is its many tree houses which you can stay in during your visit. The entire town has a rustic feel, with temporary cafes and shops lining the streets all the way to the beautiful beach.
While in town, don’t miss an excursion to see the Eternal Flames of Chimera, an interesting natural phenomenon that sees multiple flames burning through the mountain rocks. Caused by gas escaping from underground, these flames cannot be extinguished and make for a truly fascinating sight.
Kas
This seaside town is literally full of hidden locations as the bay is home to an assortment of shipwrecks and submerged artifacts, all of which you can explore on a SCUBA dive. Kas is a great place to learn to dive, and experienced divers will find plenty of unique sights to see as well. From downed planes, to submerged ships and tanks, and even an entire sunken city, you could spend a whole week in the water.
But there’s plenty to see on land too. Kas is surrounded by beautiful beaches and the clear, blue sea of the Mediterranean. Seafront restaurants and cafes, bustling bars and tourist shops offer plenty of opportunities to soak in the local atmosphere.
In Summary
There are so many fantastic places to see around the coast of Turkey that it’s almost impossible to believe that tourism was dropping rapidly in the country only 6 years ago. Turkey is still a mostly unexplored gem in the Mediterranean, with people opting to choose France, Greece, or Majorca for their beach and sailing holidays.
The plus side of this is that you can often find cheaper holidays to Turkey, but don’t let this trick you into thinking it isn’t worth visiting. The stunning white beaches, ancient ruins, natural waterfalls, and clear, turquoise sea, have to be seen to be believed.
When booking your holiday to Turkey, make sure you include a visit to some of these wonderful hidden gems. Why be the same as everyone else and go straight to Antalya or Istanbul, when there is so much more to see just a couple of hours down the coast? Whether it’s an early morning trip to Patara in search of sea turtles, or an afternoon dive around the sunken treasures of Kas, the memories you make in Turkey will last a lifetime.