Turkey's Best Beaches

Here are Turkey's top 10 beaches, with nearest big town (in parentheses). Some even rate the coveted Blue Flag for cleanliness.

Important note: most Turkish beaches do not have lifeguards, but some do occasionally have dangerous riptide and undertow conditions. Swim at your own risk, don't swim alone, and make some plan for what to do if disaster strikes.

1. Patara (Fethiye): 50 meters/yards wide and 20 km (12.5 miles) long, this beach 75 km (47 miles) south of Fethiye is Turkey's finest. Accommodations—and shade—are limited, though. (Big photo)

2. Ölüdeniz (Fethiye): Very fine, with good hotels, restaurants and bars, but because it's Turkey's most famous, it can get crowded. (Big photos)

3. Olimpos (Antalya): The opposite of the others: small, secluded, atmospheric, backed by a forest filled with Roman ruins. 79 km (49 miles) southwest of Antalya (map).

4. Side (Antalya): The once-idyllic village 65 km (40 miles) east of Antalya is now crowded and noisy, but the beaches are still fine and unspoiled. Roman ruins abound (map).

5. Alanya: The town (115 km/72 miles east of Antalya) is busy and crowded, but the beaches are so long (22 km/14 miles to the east) that there's plenty of sand for everyone. Great Seljuk castle, too (map).

6. Iztuzu (Dalyan): Good beach, with or w/o logger-head turtles. The town, 8 km (5 miles) NW of Dalaman Airport, the river, cliff tombs and Caunos ruins are a nice bonus.

7. Bodrum Peninsula: Beaches in the towns are not great, but good smaller ones abound: Ortakent Yalisi (coarse sand & pebble), Turgutreis (surfy), and gem-like Gümüslük (map).

8. Kemer (Antalya): Very mod-resorty, but near a lot of interesting day-trip possibilities (map).

9. Pamucak (Ephesus): Big, broad, dark sand, only 7 km (4 miles) west of Ephesus, relatively clean with a few cig butts and bottlecaps (map). (Big photo)

10. Çalış (Fethiye): Long beach near the city cradling yacht-happy Fethiye Bay, good but somehow un-charming, and famous Ölüdeniz is just 10 km (6 miles) away over the hills.

HONORABLE MENTION:

Kızkalesi (Silifke): Known only to Turks and savvy foreigners, the beach is sort of small but the castle out at sea makes up for it.

Sinop: Nice beaches, never crowded, because the Black Sea water is usually pretty chilly.

Kuşadası (Ephesus): Nice enough beaches, but small and very crowded (map).

Antalya: Big, l-o-n-g pebble/coarse sand beach using the Blue Flag System to certify cleanliness (map).

Samandağı (Antakya): W-a-y down near Syria (26 km/16 miles) southwest of Antakya, but has a trash problem.

Anamur (Alanya): Good beach that only Turks seem to know about. Interesting Byzantine ghost town nearby.

BEACH SAFETY:

Note that few Turkish beaches have lifeguards! Be careful of the surf, and prepared to save yourself.