Dalyan Tours from Marmaris

Dalyan, a small town southeast of Marmaris, grew up along the river of the same name. The river flows out of Lake Köyceğiz and into the sea, forming a lush delta full of reed beds and birdlife. A legend about the maiden Byblis and the youth Kaunos is tied to this place: according to the story, the river appeared where the unhappy girl in love threw herself from a cliff, and Kaunos himself founded the city that took his name.

Along the riverbed and on the cliffs above the banks you can still see the Lycian tombs, carved around 2,500 years ago. The boats pass right by them, and from the water you get a clear view of how the tombs were cut straight into the sheer rock face above the river. This necropolis is considered one of the oldest historical monuments in Turkey.

Dalyan has an open-air spa complex on the lakeshore with pools of hot thermal water and mud baths. The water contains sulphates, chlorides and bicarbonates, and the mud is rich in minerals. Many visitors come to Dalyan for full courses of treatment in these thermal waters. A single visit to the springs on a day trip is great fun and a real experience, and you can take loads of funny photos.

The day ends at İztuzu Turtle Beach, one of the few stretches of coastline that remain untouched, about five kilometres long. Every summer, large Caretta caretta sea turtles come here to lay their eggs, and some of them no longer make long migrations and live in the river delta all year round, often swimming up to the boats. The gently sloping sandy entry into the water and the warm sea make the beach comfortable for children too.