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Views Over Bodrum

Intro to the Riviera

Along the southwestern coastline of Türkiye is around 1,000 kilometers of blue waters, ancient ruins, mountains, and the loveliest villages I've ever had the pleasure of strolling through. Rightfully referred to as the Turquoise Coast, the Turkish Riviera is an absolute paradise that, despite having some of the literal best beaches in the world (according to sources like The Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE), global travel publications & reader awards), is still rather underrated, particularly in the West. But I feel that this is changing as people are venturing farther from their usual holiday destinations to try something new!

If you’ve never been to Türkiye, it's important to know you’ll likely be flying into Istanbul as most international flights do not go directly to the Riviera. Spend a few days seeing the city and then head over to what will be your new favorite holiday destination. Be sure to check out all my Istanbul blog posts to know exactly what to expect and do!

• Top Things to do in Istanbul: Fatih District (Balat, Sultanahmet, Eminönü, and Beyazıt)
• Top Things to do in Istanbul: Beyoğlu District (Taksim, Galata, Karaköy, and Vişnezade)
• Istanbul's Pera Palace Hotel Review & Unique History

(L) Marmaris Old Town (R) Views From Simena Castle

So far I’ve stayed in Kaş for 2 months, Marmaris for 2, and Fethiye for 1, and explored via day or weekend trip most things in between! I'm a slow traveler, but if you're visiting on a shorter vacation it would be really, really cool to do a 2-week roadtrip starting all the way down in Antalya and going all the way up to Bodrum, spending 1-2 nights in each major town!! I want to explore other countries too, but somehow I find myself ending up back in Türkiye. There are so many beautiful towns to get to know, and Türkiye is huge, so I'm determined to see as much of it as I can!

Best Time to visit the Turkish Riviera

Spring (May-June) and late summer/early fall (September-October) are the absolute best times to visit the Turkish Riviera. This avoids the intense heat and large crowds of summer and has extremely pleasant weather. Spring has the greenest landscapes and the weather is perfect for hiking and exploring historic sights. Late summer to early fall has super warm waters from the summer heat while the crowds have slowly dissipated, resulting in remarkably quiet and relaxing towns until it's just you and the locals! Avoid winter because it will be chilly, see a lot of rain, beach clubs and seaside hotels have closed for the season, and many areas experience heavier cloud cover.

Turquoise Bay in Kaş

Cities, Towns, & Villages of the Turkish Riviera

The riviera encompasses many, many cities, towns, and villages. The two major provinces are Muğla Province (which includes Fethiye/Ölüdeniz, Marmaris, Datça, and Bodrum) and Antalya Province (Alanya, Manavgat, Serik/Belek, Muratpaşa, Konyaaltı, Kemer, and Kaş).

Here is a brief rundown and my opinions on 6 of the most well-known areas:

Ölüdeniz Beach

7 Reasons why You Should Visit the Turkish Riviera

1 Charming Old Towns

There are around 10 distinct historic old towns along the Turkish Riviera, each of which has narrow, winding cobblestone streets, iconic bougainvillea-covered stone homes, pedestrian zones and Greek-Ottoman architecture. Lots of the old towns have their own castle overlooking the coast, like in Bodrum, Alanya, and Marmaris. There’s ancient ruins, shops and restaurants.

(L) Kaş Old Town (R) Datça Old Town

Envision this: wandering past sleeping kittens in a historic alley, smelling the fresh Mediterranean air and salty breeze, stopping to sit on a teahouse stool for a mid-day chai with castle and sea views. Love the vision? You will love Türkiye's old towns.

2 World-Famous Beaches & Some of the Bluest Waters in the World

You truly don’t know what blue water is until you’ve been to the Riviera! From quiet rocky coves, swimming and snorkeling in clear turquoise waters and boat trips to hidden bays only accessible by sea, to luxury beach clubs with paddleboarding and all the Aperol Spritz you can drink.

Kaputaş Beach

Some of these beaches have been in global top-30 lists for things like best coves in Europe and top paragliding/adventure spots. In fact, Turkey as a whole has 580 ^[1]Blue Flag beaches, making it the third-most successful country in the world for environmental and water-quality beach standards. The majority of these are along the Turkish Riviera - mostly in the provinces of Antalya and Muğla.

While the Riviera has far less Western attention than other coastal destinations like Positano or St. Tropez, for Turkish locals and many nearby European cities, this is the go-to vacation spot!

(L) Lagoon near Kaş (R) Crystal-Clear Waters of Kekova Island (Kekova Sunken City)

3 Historic Sights

The Turkish Riviera is an extremely important location in history. Empires have risen and fallen here, leaving behind ancient amphitheaters, rock tombs, temples, basilicas, underwater cities, myths, and legends. The Turkish Riviera actually has more ancient Greek and Roman ruins than Greece itself!

Amos Antik Kenti (Marmaris)

The Lycians formed the world's first democratic federation right along this coast. Alexander the Great marched through to conquer the Persians, followed by the rise of the Romans, the Byzantines, and the Ottomans. In legend, these very cliffs hide the eternal flames of the Chimera, these turquoise beaches were gifted to Cleopatra by Mark Antony, and Saint Nicholas—the real Santa Claus—was born right here.

(L) Myra Antik Kenti (Demre) (R) Simena Sarcophagus (Kaleköy)

Pretty much every town along the Riviera (and on the trails, mountains, and coastal cliffs between) is filled with these sites! If you’re at all interested in history, this is the place to go!

4 Hiking Trails

There's easy access to breathtaking trails, most of which go past hard-to-reach historic sites that you wouldn’t see otherwise! Tall forest mountains line the turquoise coastline and there are insane panoramic views everywhere you look!

A section of the Lycian Way that passed by ancient rock tombs

Some of the best hiking trails on the Turkish Riviera include the Lycian way, Carian Trail, Mount Chimaera, Saklıkent National Park, and many many more smaller trails. Hikes like the Lycian Way and Carian Trail are multi-day, long-distance treks, but they have sections that are easily accessible and just a few hours long, typically out-and-back.

Views From the Sleeping Giant Hike in Kaş

5 Incredible Value for Luxury

Your money on the Turkish Riviera goes so much further compared to destinations like the French Riviera or Amalfi Coast—you can experience luxury beach clubs, boat trips, tours, and boutique stay experiences for a fraction of the cost. You could go on an all-day adventure with meals included for less than $30 USD. It's the most affordable hassle-free day you could ask for.

A lot of beach clubs either (1) have the deal that you just have to buy one thing (no matter the cost) and can use all their facilities, or (2) they have a small minimum spend policy, meaning if the minimum spend is $20 you have to buy $20 worth of food or drinks to then stay as long as you'd like. Their amenities almost always include paddleboards or kayak, sunbeds, showers, changing rooms, Wi-Fi, etc.

6 The Cat Culture

If you like cats, you’re going to LOVE the Turkish Riviera (and really Türkiye as a whole). The ‘street cats’ here are neighborhood cats (or community cats) - they belong to everyone and everyone is sure to take good care of them!! If you see cats with a ^[2]clipped ear, it means they have been to the vet and been vaccinated and neutered. Most of them are very friendly. Many houses ‘adopt’ these cats, and they’ll hang around their home to sleep, be fed, pet, etc. Residents leave out fresh water and feed them all the time.

I always see adorable interactions with cats, but one of my most recent experiences while writing this post happened at an ice cream shop on the promenade in Marmaris. A cat walked over meowing to the owner, who got out a bowl and poured the cat some fresh milk to drink! The cats are very happy and you will see them absolutely everywhere. It’s the cutest and one of the most unique cultures surrounding these cats. I’ve never seen an entire country treat ‘strays’ so well!

When we were staying in Kaş for a few months, we had a beautiful cat that would climb up the building onto our third story balcony to get inside our apartment. We'd feed her every day - she got so used to this she would come inside and meow in the kitchen at specific times - and she'd sleep soundly on our rug and couch. I miss her so much but I know she's being taken care of by others!

7 Turkish Breakfast & Mediterranean Cuisine

The fresh Mediterranean/Aegean cuisine is actually to die for. For breakfast on the riviera, you cannot (under ANY circumstances) miss getting a spread of a traditional Turkish kahvaltı (breakfast) with an unforgettable coastal view. It typically includes some eggs cooked however you'd like and a wide variety of side dishes - cheese, jam, honey, veggies like tomato and cucumber, simit (a circular sesame bread). And it is traditionally accompanied by Turkish tea (chai). It is literally SO good.

One thing though, it’s an extremely large spread and the less people you get it with the less likely you’ll be to finish it. I’m not sure what they do with it after, but I can only hope (and assume) they give as much as they can to the cats or use scraps for compost!

Most towns and villages have weekly summer markets where local farmers sell their fresh harvests for an affordable price. I have bought some of the best jams and freshest fruits & veggies, olives and olive oils, cheeses, and nuts at these markets! I highly recommend the figs and figjams down here.

(L) Kaş Friday Market (R) Fresh Fruit on a boat in a lagoon on the riviera

Bring Turkish Lira because most stalls only take cash. The bigger ones have more than just food - they also have textiles, clothing and other accessories! They also often have some fresh dishes being made, particularly my favorite being Gözleme (essentially a flat pancake stuffed with any variety of toppings like spinach with cheese or sesame paste with sugar!)

Walking around the towns you'll pass lime, fig, lemon & pomegranate trees, grape vines, and so many other things growing right in local's yards and on the sides of the street!

🌊Thanks for reading! If this post helped you plan your dream escape to the Turquoise Coast, share it with a fellow traveler or save it for later. Be sure to follow me over on Instagram (@blondevelvet_travel) and subcribe to my blog to be the first to know when I drop a post!

Don't forget to browse my other posts on visiting Türkiye, the best Euro Summer destinations, and my top Hiking Guides before you go. Happy traveling, and see you on the next adventure! 🗺️💛