A big pine-backed bay with a marina, a castle and a bar street that has a reputation. It also has quieter neighbours ten minutes away, and it's the cheapest good holiday on this coast.
Both are a few minutes down the same bay and neither has a bar street.
Marmaris town has Bar Street, and it's exactly what you'd expect — loud, young and open late. Icmeler, eight kilometres round the bay, is family-focused with a shingle beach and pine-covered hills behind it. Turunç, another twenty minutes on, is smaller again and properly quiet. The sea is the same and the prices are similar. Almost every unhappy Marmaris review comes from someone who booked the centre expecting Icmeler.
A bay, a river delta with turtles, and the best-value boat trips in the Mediterranean.
A river through reed beds past Lycian rock tombs to a turtle-nesting beach. Mud baths on the way back. The best day out here.
Wooden boats around the bay with swim stops and lunch. Extraordinarily cheap, and the reason people come back.
A small Ottoman fortress above the old town, with the harbour laid out below. Half an hour, and the old quarter around it is worth the walk.
Twenty minutes round the headland by boat or road. Small, quiet and considerably prettier than the town beach.
Ninety minutes by catamaran to Greece. Take your passport; it's a proper border crossing.
Cleopatra's Beach, with sand said to have been shipped from Egypt. Protected now — you can't take any home.
One long bay, and the further from the centre the quieter it gets.
Marina, castle, and Bar Street. Cheapest, busiest, and loud until late.
Eight kilometres round the bay. Shingle beach, pine hills, and the usual family choice.
Twenty minutes further. Small, pretty and low-key, reached by a winding road or a water taxi.
Behind the town. Cheapest hotels, a walk or dolmuş to the beach.
May to October. High summer is hot and the resort is at its busiest.
July and August reach 34°C and Marmaris fills. May, June, September and October are warm, calmer and much cheaper. The sea stays swimmable into late October. From November most hotels close for the winter.
4h 15m to Dalaman (DLM), seasonal from most UK airports.
About 90 minutes from Dalaman. Longer than most Turkish resorts — worth knowing with children.
Turkish lira. Cash for markets, boats and dolmuş.
Dolmuş minibuses run constantly between Marmaris, Icmeler and Turunç for a few lira.
We'll pick between the town, Icmeler and Turunç, and write the payment plan out in full.
The centre is, in high summer. Icmeler and Turunç are on the same bay and completely calm.
About ninety minutes from Dalaman, which is longer than most Turkish resorts. Factor it in with young children.
It's the best on the Turkish coast, which makes it among the best in the Mediterranean. Food and drink are notably cheap.
Marmaris is greener and cheaper with better boat trips. Antalya has better sand, more history and a bigger airport.
Flights, accommodation and transfers as one package. Every one can be reshaped — different dates, different board, a different airport, or a stopover on the way.
Guide prices, per person, based on two sharing, including return flights, accommodation and transfers. They indicate what a holiday of this type has typically cost and are not an offer or a quotation. Your price depends on dates, party, board basis, departure airport and availability, and is confirmed in writing before any payment is taken.
Ready-built itineraries with flights, transfers and internal hops booked as one package, ATOL protected. Every one can be reshaped around your dates.
10 nights · May–Jun, Sep–Oct · from £1,449pp
11 nights · May–Jun, Sep · from £1,149pp
10 nights · Mar–May, Sep–Nov · from £849pp
11 nights · Apr, Oct · from £2,699pp
12 nights · Jun–Oct, Jan–Feb · from £3,399pp
12 nights · Jul–Oct · from £3,099pp
11 nights · Jun–Oct, Dec–Feb · from £1,799pp
11 nights · Nov–Apr · from £2,199pp
