There are many blue flag beaches on the western and southern coasts of Turkey. These beaches in the most beautiful bays of the Aegean and Mediterranean attract millions of visitors every year. In this article you can find the best beaches in Turkey for families and couples.
While preparing the list of Turkey’s most beautiful beaches, we tried to choose one from each of the popular holiday destinations. Among them, cities such as Izmir, Mugla, Aydin and Antalya stand out. Because popular holiday towns such as Cesme, Bodrum, Didim, Fethiye, Marmaris, Kas and Kalkan are located in these cities.
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Best Beaches in Turkey 2021
The list of best beaches in Turkey consists of 15 titles. You can find beaches in Fethiye, Marmaris, Cesme, Bodrum and Antalya, which are the most popular holiday destinations in Turkey. Many of these beaches are also historical places. Most are located near ancient cities, while some allow you to swim next to ancient artifacts.
1. Butterfly Valley
Butterfly Valley is located in Fethiye, a popular holiday destination. The Valley is surrounded by high cliffs and it is protected by nature itself. Butterfly Valley is named after a hundred different butterfly species that live in the area. This secret heaven is the place of freedom and nature where individual visitors frequently choose.
It’s not possible to go to Butterfly Valley by land. Therefore, the sea is your only option. For example, you can reach Butterfly Valley by a boat from the Oludeniz. However, there are other options for the ones who can climb. If you are an adventurer, you can climb down the rocks and reach the valley.
The time stops at Butterfly Valley where everything is slow-paced and you can escape from technology here. It’s one of the unique places where you can just feel and observe the beauty of nature.
You can choose to stay in a tent, wooden house, or a bungalow at Butterfly Valley and experience a whole new world here. If you wish to take a flight from Istanbul, you can choose Dalaman Airport as the closest airport to Butterfly Valley.
2. Ovabuku Beach
Ovabuku Beach is located in Datca. Famous historian Strabon once said, “God sent his beloved creatures to Datca for them to live longer.” about Datca where the Aegean and Mediterranean coasts meet.
There are three bays in Datca at Mesudiye Village. The most beautiful of these bays is definitely Ovabuku. The other two bays are Hayitbuku and Palamutbuku. There are a lot of cute hostels and nice houses with a garden in the area for accommodation.
Ovabuku stands out as one of the best beaches in Turkey as it’s still untouched and it’s where you can completely experience a village life. The closest airport to Ovabuku is the Dalaman Airport.
It is usually hard to get to beautiful places and the same rule applies to Ovabuku too. The road to Ovabuku is a little rough and long. Maybe that’s why it’s not so busy. Therefore, you can enjoy the blue and clear water on this beach and have a peaceful and slow-paced holiday.
3. Patara Beach
Patara Beach is located in Antalya, Turkey’s most popular holiday city. The Beach is one of the few places where Caretta caretta lay their eggs. Therefore, numerous documentaries are shot here. It’s also the longest beach in Turkey (18 km) and a beautiful one too. Moreover, the remnants of the Temple of Apollo is close to Patara Beach.
Patara Beach is also known as the birthplace of St. Nicholas, namely Santa Claus. If you wish to visit the church dedicated to Santa Claus, you can go to St. Nicholas Church at Demre.
4. Akbuk Beach
Akbuk Beach is located in Gokova Bay in the city of Mugla. Gokova Bay looks like a tropical island where the forest and the sea meet among the mountains. The sea starts where the forest ends in this bay. Moreover, the water that falls from the hills makes this place even more beautiful. You can find spots at Akbuk Beach where you can watch the forests while you swim.
This bay also boasts camping sites to set up tents or bring your caravan. If you wish to stay at a hotel, there are also numerous options. You will be amazed by the pureness of the sea at Akbuk Bay, which is one of the best beaches on the Aegean coast of Turkey.
Akbuk Bay is located in the north of Gokova Gulf. The bay is 50 km from Mugla, 60 km from Bodrum and 70 km from Milas Airport. You can easily reach Akbuk Bay by land.
5. Oludeniz
Oludeniz is located in Fethiye, which has magnificent beaches. In addition to being a beautiful beach, the Oludeniz (also known as Dead Sea) is important to sustain the variety of creatures that live in it. The Oludeniz is a world-famous beach in Turkey and it offers visitors the chance to swim among giant turtles and other sea creatures.
Oludeniz Beach (aka Dead Sea) justifies its name with its still and windless beach. Moreover, it’s an amazing place to take photos like Belcekiz Beach, the neighboring beach of the Oludeniz . Oludeniz and Belcekiz are located on the skirt of a hill named Babadag. This area is also suitable for paragliding. You can see hundreds of other adventurists while you paraglide.
Oludeniz is also a place that photographers will definitely want to add to their portfolio. So you can be sure of taking great pictures here. Considering all these features, Oludeniz stands out as the best beach in Turkey in 2021. The closest airport to reach the Oludeniz is the Dalaman Airport.
6. Kaputas Beach
Kaputas Beach is located in Antalya, on the Mediterranean coast of Turkey. Kaputas Beach is nature’s wonder which is located between Kalkan and Kas. It’s seven kilometers from Kalkan and this area is populated mostly by the British.
As the beach is below the road level, you can only reach the beach by walking. Even though it’s challenging to reach the beach, you will realize it’s worth it. Kaputas is not only on the list of Turkey’s best beaches but also among the best ones in the world thanks to its turquoise blue sea.
As there is no café or restaurant in the area, it will be a good idea to bring your food to Kaputas Beach. You should also note that all the beaches in Kalkan Bay are Blue Flag ones.
Kaputas Beach stands out as the best beach in Turkey for couples. It is also the best beach to swim on the Mediterranean coast of Turkey in 2021. The closest airport to Kaputas Beach is Dalaman Airport.
7. Cirali Beach
Cirali Beach is one of the beautiful beaches in Antalya. Cirali Beach is a Blue Flag beach located in Olympos archeological site and it’s truly unique. After you pass by the museum entrance point, you can reach the beach after a 10-minute walk among the remnants of the ancient city.
Cirali has cool water as the water from river beds make the water at Cirali deeper. Therefore, it offers both a historical and natural atmosphere. You should note that the sea here is a little stony and sandy. As there are no facilities nearby, you should bring your towels with you.
Cirali Beach, which gives you the opportunity to swim next to the ruins of an ancient city, stands out among the best beaches in Turkey in 2021. Olympos does not have large all-inclusive hotels and is preferred by young travelers. You can find small hostels, tree houses or bungalows to stay in the area. The closest airport to Cirali is Antalya Airport.
8. Ilica Beach
Ilica Beach is located in Cesme, the resort that has become more and more popular in recent years. In Ilica, there are warm water resources, namely mineral water. Therefore, Ilica Beach is named after this mineral water.
It’s believed that this mineral water helps in treating rheumatism, dermatological disorders, rachitic, liver, and urinary tract related problems. The closest airport to the area is Adnan Menderes Airport that is 96 km from Ilica Beach.
9. Iztuzu Beach
Iztuzu Beach is nearby Dalyan in the city of Mugla and it boasts a 4.5 km long beach. The beach is nature’s wonder as it is between the salty water of the sea and soft water.
As it is also the biggest egg laying spot of Caretta Caretta in Turkey, it’s known as “Turtle Beach” too. You should note that the beach is closed between 20:00 to 08:00 in order not to disturb the turtles.
Iztuzu Beach is a must-see place not only for swimming but also for the beauty of nature, and is among the best beaches in Turkey in 2021. You can reach Iztuzu Beach via Dalaman Airport. Dalaman-Dalyan route takes 20-25 minutes by car.
10. Amos Beach
Amos Beach is located in Marmaris, a very popular holiday destination among Europeans. Amos Beach derives its name from the word Amos in the Hellenic language, which means “Temple of Gods”. You can find some remnants from the Roman Empire here. It also offers its visitors an amazing beach inside the forest.
Amos Beach is 25 km from Marmaris and it attracts visitors from all around the world due to both its natural beauty and its feature as an ancient city. When the beauty of the sea meets the perfectly preserved theatre, cistern, temple and monuments, a fairy tale atmosphere is the only thing you can expect at Amos.
Dalaman Airport is the closest airport to Amos and it’s 90 km from the area. Amos Beach stands out as one of the best beaches in Turkey for couples in 2021.
11. Altinkum Beach
Altinkum Beach is the most famous beach in Didim and it’s named after its golden color sand. There are numerous beautiful beaches in Didim, which is one of the districts of Aydin. However, Altinkum is by far the most popular beach compared to others.
As Altinkum Beach attracts people like a magnet in the summer, there are all sorts of social facilities that one may need. Restaurants, cafes, and bars along the coast make it possible to spend a good time all day long.
Altinkum Beach stands out as one of the best beaches for families in Turkey in 2021. If you are going on holiday in the Aegean coasts of Turkey, you should add Altınkum to your list.
12. Incekum Beach
Incekum Beach is located in Marmaris and takes its name from the beautiful sand it has. Its sea is pure and clean like an aquarium. The base of the sea is sandy too. Therefore, it’s regarded as one of the best beaches to swim in Turkey.
Incekum, on the other hand, is the neighboring beach of Kleopatra Beach. Kleopatra Beach is a unique place due to its special sand, and located on an island known as Sedir Island in Turkey. You can reach this spectacular beach only by boat.
In Incekum Beach, you can find a facility that provides food, drinks, sunbeds, and cabins. You can reach Incekum from Camlica Village in Marmaris by a minibus. And Dalaman Airport is the closest airport to Marmaris.
13. Sarimsakli Beach
Sarimsakli Beach is located in Ayvalik, where Turkish people living in Istanbul have summer homes. There are many accommodation options in Ayvalik and it’s highly popular in the summer.
Thanks to the highway from Istanbul to Izmir through Osmangazi Bridge, the distance between Ayvalik and Istanbul has dramatically dropped.
Sarimsakli Beach is the most beautiful beach in Ayvalik thanks to its pure water and fine sand. All sorts of facilities to dine and swim can be easily found at Sarimsakli Beach.
The water at Sarimsakli Beach is really cool. The water here is not warm even in July, so you can enjoy the cool sea after walking on a burning sand.
14. Kadirga Bay
Kadirga Bay is located in Canakkale, which stands out among the holiday destinations close to Istanbul. Canakkale is a vacation spot that stands out because of a few reasons. The first of these is that it has the magnificent Assos Ancient City built on a hill. The second is that Troy, where the Trojan War took place, is in Canakkale.
After you visit these ancient cities, Kadirga Bay is the best option to cool off and spend a good time as it’s nearby these ancient cities. This beach is named Kadirga (Ottoman battleship) as this was the stop for the damaged galiots of the Ottoman navy.
Kadirga Bay is one of the beaches in the northwest of Turkey with its long and wide stony beach and its clear water that is worthy of its “Blue Flag” title. You can find facilities on the beach and accommodation options that are affordable for everyone. You should remember that the region is a little windy and the sea water is cool here.
15. Gumusluk Bay
Gumusluk Bay is located in Bodrum, the most popular high-end holiday town of Turkey. The best facilities and most beautiful bays in Turkey are located in Bodrum. It’s also a cruise ship port. Therefore, it houses millions of people every year.
Every bay in Bodrum is different in its own way. In fact, Gumusluk is not the most popular bay in Bodrum. However, Gumusluk Bay stands out with its untouched nature and beauty.
Gumusluk is a safe harbor if you like Bodrum but want to stay away from the noisy atmosphere it creates. It’s where live music instead of beach music is played and life in this town is more slow-paced than its counterparts in the region.
You can also walk to Rabbit Island on the stony road built in the Ancient Age. The Rabbit Island can be seen from the shore and you can get to the island by walking in the middle of the sea.
It’s also a fishing town where you can sit at the tables in the sea and put your feet in the water while you drink raki and enjoy your fish. If you want to join Bodrum’s vibrant nightlife, you can reach it with a short drive from Gumusluk.
Best Beaches in Turkey in 2021 by Serhat Engul
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