Turkey Beaches: The Most Beautiful of the Turquoise Coast

Dreaming of sparkling emerald waters, ancient ruins by the sea, and golden sands that stretch for miles? Turkey beaches offer some of the most spectacular coastal landscapes in the world, blending deep history with modern luxury. Whether you want to paraglide over the famous blue lagoon of Ölüdeniz, explore the 11 miles of pristine dunes at Patara, or find a hidden cove along the Bodrum Peninsula, the Turkish Riviera has a perfect spot for every traveler. Join us as we explore the must-visit shorelines that make the "Turquoise Coast" a bucket-list destination for sun-seekers and history buffs alike.

When you’re a country with coastlines along the Aegean and Mediterranean seas you’re bound to be spoiled for choice when it comes to decent beaches and that’s certainly the case with Turkey. Some, like those around Marmaris, are well-known to foreign visitors and come with all the amenities a holiday-maker could ask for. Less developed options also abound, like those on the Datça Peninsula, while some, like those on the islands of Bozcaada and Gökçeada, are hugely popular with Turks but only slowly gaining a reputation with visiting holiday-makers.  Visit Istanbul Turkey here, or  Kusadasi for the most Affordable in the Turkish Mediterranean.  Here are the top beaches in Turkey:

Patara Beach

Patara Beach is 11 miles west of Kalkan by road on Turkey’s Mediterranean coast, and is a very long and uncrowded beach.  Patara Beach is 12 miles long and 50 meters wide, and never crowded.  The beach is a 12 kilometer long sandy beach set between mountains and sand dunes along the back of the beach.  Voted as one of the top beaches in the world, it is known as the “widest beach of the northern Mediterranean.  Only a 15 minute walk from some of the major ruins, and even in the height of summer it is never crowded.  There is a cafe, and you can rent sunbeds and umbrellas. 

Ölüdeniz Beach

The beach is why most people visit Ölüdeniz. The famed lagoon beach is a protected national park (Ölüdeniz Tabiat Parkı) that you pay to enter. Both the public beach and lagoon get heavily crowded in summer. There are showers, toilets and cafes, and sun-shades, loungers and paddle boats can be rented.  If you’re looking for an easy-going day on the beach, you can’t really go wrong here. 

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Çıralı Beach

Çıralı beach is 3.2 km. long and is one of the best beaches of Turkey. Olympus ancient city and unquenchable fire of Lykia; named Chimera is located in the right and left hand side of the beach. Çıralı is has a significant reproduction area for caretta caretta species sea turtles with its clean sea and quite beach.  Çıralı Beach offers you a lot of options on attractions at the beach to include daily boat  and yacht trips, canoeing, kayaking, fishing and snorkeling.  There are also rental bikes available.

Bitez Beach

Bitez Beach & Bay is approximately 6km from Bodrum, and has a crescent shaped cove with a long sandy beach.  The area is well maintained,  with lots of olive and citrus groves. Bitez Beach and bay is known as an ideal location for water sports, because of it’s calm and shallow waters. It attracts beginner windsurfers in the morning, and in popular with intermediate and advanced windsurfers in the afternoon when the off-shore winds pick up.  Enjoy scuba diving, windsurfing, parasailing, water skiing, banana boats, sailing, kayaking, and much more!

Iztuzu Beach

Turtles and tourism coexist on the protected 4.5km of hard-packed sands of Iztuzu beach. Tracks emerging from the sea are visible on the sand in June and July, where turtles have dragged themselves ashore to lay their eggs, and the marshes behind the beach are often alive with other wildlife too. While lack of shade is often a problem on this beach, the gently shelving seabed calms the choppy waters, making Iztuzu excellent for children.

Kabak Beach

The small village of Kabak is the perfect place to escape package holiday groups and most visitors come here to chill out in one of the many wooden huts and bungalows, set in the pine-forested valley behind the sand-and-pebble beach. Wear mosquito repellent in the summer though, as these pesky insects are everywhere.

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Aydıncık Beach

The best (and closest) of several south coast beaches, just 10km from the town, this beach is 1500m of sugary blond sand, lapped by warm, pristine water. The salt lake just inland is a major habitat for migratory birds, especially flamingos, and the entire area is supposedly a protected reserve – though this has neither prevented tourist development nor deterred Balkan tourists from wallowing in the shoreline’s black mud, said to have healing properties.

Kemer Beaches

People visit Kemer for sun and sea. The beaches are mostly of large pebbles and stones, although the ones near the yacht marina and Yörük Parkı are of sand.  Visitors to Kemer can find a variety of beautiful golden sand beaches.  Kemer beaches also have a variety of water sports activities such as parasailing, jet skiing, banana boat rides, snorkeling, scuba diving and more.  There are also plenty of boat trips from Kemer.  Moonlight beach, located just behind Kemer marina, is one of the beaches of Kemer and the main beach in the area.  Shops and restaurants have signs, ads and menus in Russian, Arabic, German and other foreign languages for the benefit of international visitors.  Kemer is great for have a sun-filled fun day at the beaches.

Sarigerme Beach

It is a beautiful stretch of sand; tiny grains, almost powder-like between your toes, and sun loungers set back from the sea, with boardwalks between bed and water. Its in turtle nesting territory, so beach chairs are carefully placed.  Sarıgerme Beach is controlled by an organization known by its acronym SARÇED, which enforces its rules and keeps the area in good condition.  If you are a beach worshipper and you are a love sandy beaches, then Sarıgerme is going to be a great beach for you.  If you’ve got kids and you need a beach vacation where beach, big hotel, pool, kids clubs and activities are right at your finger tips then again, Sarıgerme beach is the place for you. It is a beautiful little place and has a number of places serving food and drinks, with umbrellas and beach chairs rent.

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