This tourist resort located in a natural harbour and surrounded by dense forests is about an hour away from Dalaman airport. This extremely popular tourist resort has a population of 28,000, which can swell up to 250,000 during the peak of the tourist season catering mainly for British holidaymakers.

The town has a variety of different activities from relaxing and lying on the beach to going out and learning about the local history.

Things to do

Marmaris hosts two different beaches with Folk Beach being located in the center of town, and Uzunyali Beach being the more popular beach located next to it.

This long sandy beach stretches over 10km along the Mediterranean coast. The beach on one side sits next to clear turquoise water making it perfect for swimming, and a traffic free promenade lined with bars, shops, cafés and restaurants on the other side.

Nearby Icmeler also has a popular 6km long golden sand shingle beach where one can relax, go jet skiing, get on the back of a banana boat or admire the scenery whilst parasailing. Also check out Turunc which is only a short boat ride away.

Every morning an armada of boats leave the harbour in Marmaris taking people on day trips around the clear blue waters to the nearby islands, beaches, and caves.

A lot of the cruise companies follow a similar itinerary and often visit Paradise Island, Phosphorus Caves, Fish Bay and Amos Bay. However, check the itinerary before you leave because it often changes.

All the trips come inclusive with lunch, and some include soft drinks too. The trips also provide a great opportunity to go snorkeling and explore the nearby underwater wildlife.

First built by the Ionians over 3’000 years ago, Marmaris Castle located behind the marina provides something for those craving to learn a bit about the local history. The castle since then has been rebuilt and repaired several times, and was even used during World War I suffering significant damage from the French.

After this, it was used as a residence until it was turned into a museum in 1991. You can now learn about the history of the castle and the local area, and visitors are provided with spectacular views of the area.

You cannot visit Turkey without experiencing the delights of the Turkish culture by having a Turkish bath. Many hotels and businesses in the area now offer Turkish baths during the day and the whole process typically last 2 hours and involves a full body scrub, a foam and oil massage.

At the end will feel completely relaxed and rejuvenated.

At night, Marmaris comes to life with a large variety of bars, restaurants and clubs providing great entertainment for everyone.

The local Bar Street located behind the marina is aimed at a younger crowd has numerous bars and clubs playing different types of music to suit all.

There are also many sports bars along the street showing live English football. For those looking to experience a bit more of the culture, there are some bars and restaurants that have a ‘Turkish night’ which traditional performances from local entertainers.

Our Top Tips

• Marmaris Marina offers a wonderful view of the sun going down. Go on a boat trip from here you can swim, visit a village, take the lunch and then come back at the marina.

• Marmaris Mountains are really spectacular and are all around you! Swimming in the sea with the background of mountains all around you is really magical.

• Dalyan River provides access to Dalyan from the sea running past the mud baths up to the top of the lake. From Iztuzu beach it runs through the marshes past Kaunos keep an eye out for egrets & kingfishers in the reeds, and turtles in the river.

• Dancing Fountains are another highlight of Marmaris. The show starts at 9pm and 10:15 pm and last around 30 min.

• Icmeler Beach is a very nice beach, better than Marmaris beach which is 5 minutes’ drive from Icmeler.