DALYAN-IZTUZU BEACH

Dalyan is a small village built along one side of the Dalyan river, close to the ancient site of Caunos. A group of spectacular Lycian tombs are carved into the cliff face onto the opposite side of the river.

Fish restaurants line the quayside at the centre of the village, while small pansiyon and attractive hotels are built at the waterside on either side of the village.

A full boat tour starts at the hot springs near Koycegiz Lake, and then follows a meandering course down the river through the thick reeds and bamboos towards Caunos. A system of gateways, constructed across the river, catch sea bass and grey mullet as they return the sea after spawning in the lake.

The pretty riverside village of Dalyan offers many diversions including impressive rock tombs, the atmospheric site of ancient Caunos and famous mud baths. Not least of its' attractions is the reed fringed delta along which wooden boats ferry visitors to the wide expanse of Iztuzu beach, made famous by the successful campaign to protect the eggs of the loggerhead turtle.

The border between the sea and the internal marsh is a long narrow beach called "the Turtle’s Beach." This beach is one of the few remaining locations in the Mediterranean sea that has the right conditions for the Giant Loggerhead Turtle (Caretta Caretta) to reproduce. The Giant Loggerhead Turtles have used this beach as a laying ground since time immemorial, especially in June. The females lay their eggs by night in the soft sand, in clutches of about 100. Since the early 90's the beach is closed to the public from 8 pm to 8 am to protect them. The beach is open during the day but swimmers and sunbathers are asked to exercise special care.

The tiny town of Dalyan in the province of Mugla on the South-Western Mediterranean is set in the centre of a broad delta whose natural beauty is completely unspoilt. This is one of the surviving corners of paradise, an area of outstanding natural beauty and historic interest.

The Dalyan Channel, through which water circulates between the Mediterranean and Köycegiz Lake slowly meanders, forming a network of small lakes and waterways through reed beds rising to between 3 and 5 metres in height. (The journey through this natural labyrinth is romantic and mysterious)

With its mixture of fresh and salt water, these wetlands have become home to vast numbers of fish and other water life, as well as the birds of many species which feed on them. Dividing the sea from the delta is the Iztuzu sandbar stretching for 5km east from the mouth of the channel.

With its fine crystal sand, shallow turquoise sea and abundant sunshine, Iztuzu beach is the ideal seaside spot, perfect for swimming for 7 months of the year. It is this beach to which the endangered Mediterranean turtle Caretta Caretta has returned year after year to lay its eggs since time immemorial.

The most famous place in Dalyan is the mud baths. These can be visited by boat from the harbour. Further up the river is Sultaniye hot springs where you can bath in naturally hot spring water, then the 12 km long Köycegiz lake and the town of Köycegiz itself. Down river are the 2300 year old Lycian cliff tombs and the ancient city of Caunos, which is such a must to visit, before you wind your way to the beach. The beach is one of only a few nesting sites of the rare loggerhead turtles and is closed to the public after 8:00pm as after this is when the turtles arrive to come up and lay their eggs. Shopping in Dalyan is suprisingly good and Dalyan has its own market which is open every Saturday.

The Sultanİye Thermal Baths: The Sultaniye Thermal Baths are to the Southwest of Köycegiz lake. The water here at 40 Celsius is second to none. The water at these baths was first used in Caunon times, then by the Byzantines, who rebuilt the accommodations. The ruins of the buildings from the period are submerged beneath the waters of the lake. It is not unusual to see the Turkish elderly make pilgrimages to the baths due to the water’s curative properties in case of neuralgia, rheumatism and skin disorders of the liver, spleen and bowels.

The Mud Baths: "Beauty Mud" which not only cleanses and tones the skin but is said to remedy rheumatism and has anti-ageing properties. After allowing the mud to dry, it can be removed in a natural clear water sulphur pool, at temperatures of around 40 Celsius. This leaves you refreshed and relaxed.
 

There are Turkish nights held in Dalyan with dancing, traditional Turkish costumes, folk music and special food. We will post more details as the season gets under way, or pop into our office for more details.

Health: The Turkish sun is very fierce. Please wear high factor suncream for the first few days. Unfortunately Dalyan has mosquitoes, which sometimes can be a nuisance. In the evening wear mosquito repellent, use electric mosquito tablets in your room and if bitten wash each bite with plenty of soap and water and then apply some antihistamine cream (available from the chemist, or eczane - open 09:00 - 21:00) liberally to each bite. The chemists speak English and are very well trained and stock all internationally known drugs. The water in Dalyan is safe to drink, however it is high in mineral content and drinking two or three litres of it every day, if you are not used to it, can lead to a slightly queasy stomach. We recommend you by bottled water instead.

Services: Shops in Dalyan are open from 09:00 to midnight. The post office (PTT) is in the centre of town and operates an efficient mail service, letters arriving in England approx. Four days after posting. The phones are cheapest to use at the post office and operate using cards bought from inside. A five minute call can be made to England by using a 100 unit card. To phone England dial 00 44 and then miss off the zero from the area code. Remember if calling from a hotel room to dial 9 first. There are many internet cafes in Dalyan that are very inexpensive to use.

Dalyan achieved international fame in 1986, when developers wanted to site a luxury hotel on nearby Iztuzu beach, a breeding ground of the endangered Loggerhead Turtle. A major international storm blew up, with David Bellamy championing the cause of the conservationists. Thankfully the development was stopped and the beach is now protected area.

Life in Dalyan revolves around the Dalyan Çayı(stream/river) which flows past the town. The boasts that ply up and down the river, navigating the maze of reeds reflected bright green in the water, are the preferred means of transport to all the local sites.

Dalyan means "timber fishing weir". Bass and mullet swim upstream from the sea to Köyceğiz Lake, spawn, and when returning to the sea they are caught in the "dalyans".

Besides its success in the field of tourism, the area surrounding Dalyan is agriculturally productive and fertile; cotton is grown here as well as all sorts of fruits and vegetables - these are all on display in the market on Saturday, when villagers come from miles around to sell their produce.

Above the river on sheer cliffs are the weathered facades of Lycian tombs cut from living rock, circa 400 BC.

To the south of Dalyan on the Mediterranean coast, lies Iztuzu beach, a fine place for sunbathing and swimming, but more famous for the Caretta Caretta (Loggerhead Sea Turtles), which have been in existence for 95 million years! There are regular boat and minibus(dolmuş) services to the beach. Please be aware of the wooden stakes in the beach to mark nesting sites. The road route is particularly scenic, offering unrivalled views of Sülüngür Lake and apart from one nasty hill, the thirteen kilometres is not unpleasant by mountain bike especially in the cooler months.

Iztuzu, Dalyan's turtle beach, was voted the best beach in the world in 1995.
 

Iztuzu Beach
Iztuzu beach soured to world fame in 1986 when David Bellamy led a campaign to halt a proposed development on Dalyan's pristine five kilometres of sand. As a result of the conservationist's success the entire Dalyan delta has been designated a wildlife sanctuary.
Arguably the best beach in Turkey, Iztuzu is also one of the few remaining nesting sites of the caretta caretta loggerhead turtles, a rare 95 million year old species. The beach is closed to visitors between 20:00 and 08:00 from May to October when the turtles come ashore to lay their eggs and later the hatchlings make their way to the sea by moonlight. In the daytime as well, the eggs need protection and a line of wooden posts marks the area nearest to the sea, where visitors are asked to refrain from positioning sunbeds and umbrellas or otherwise disturbing the sand more than is necessary to access the water.
Iztuzu is the ideal beach for everyone children, sun lovers, walkers and nature buffs. Turtle tracks, scrapings where the turtles have hauled themselves onto the sand, are visible in June and July. The beach is frequented by other wildlife as well including lizards and tortoises. The swimming is very safe along the length of the beach EXCEPT for the area where the river joins the sea - here the currents are strong and there is a great deal of boat traffic. The never failing afternoon breeze, known as the Meltem, can whip up the sand and means the water can be choppy and murky but the gently sloping seabed makes the beach ideal for youngsters.
It takes 20 minute to travel the 12 kms to Iztuzu beach by road. Minibuses leave from the P.T.T. every half-hour from 9:30 with last return service leaving the beach at 18:30. The way is picturesque and clearly signposted from the centre of Dalyan. Profusely flowering oleander bushes and gnarled trees deformed by the harsh winter winds line the route, which circumnavigates Sülüngür Lake bafore ascending to offer glorious views over the delta.
The "road end" of Iztuzu is more scenic, pleasantly sheltered and, as Dalyan's municipality beach, cheaper for sunbed hire and refreshment. If you are using public transport access by road is also easier option if you want to stay for just couple of hours than by boat.
To walk from one end of Iztuzu Beach to the other along the several kilometres of untouched, golden sand between is a pleasure certainly not to be missed.