
Oludeniz lagoon © Jason Dixon
The coastline along the Mediterranean Sea is an alluring
destination, renowned for its magnificent scenery with picturesque
coves and rocky headlands, turquoise waters, golden beaches and
pine forests. The beautiful landscape, where the Aegean meets the
Mediterranean is the beginning of the Turquoise Coast, dominated by
the mountains of the Taurus range whose cliffs plunge into the sea
of intense blue. Further along the Mediterranean one reaches the
Turkish Riviera as it is known, the region of Antalya; and together
these make up the tourism capital of Turkey. Simple villages share
the water's edge with sophisticated resorts, and fishing vessels
and pleasure yachts mingle together in the sheltered harbours.
Endless days of sunshine make it a paradise for boat cruises,
sunbathing and swimming and numerous water sports, and there are a
variety of restaurants and bars to round off a day on the
water.
The coast also boasts a rich cultural legacy from early
civilisations and is imbued with history and legend, found in
ancient cities and at sites such as the fires of Chimaera at
Olympos, and numerous ruins dotted about the countryside.
Resorts
See our separate guides to the following Mediterranean Coast holiday resorts: Dalyan, Kalkan, Kemer, Belek, Alanya, Fethiye, Antalya, Calis, Turunc, Kas, Marmaris, Oludeniz, Hisaronu, Side and Icmeler
Excursions
Olympos and the Fires of Chimaera
The ancient site of Olympos dates back to Hellenistic times when
it was an important Lycian city and became famous as a place of
worship honouring Hephaestos or Vulcan, the God of Fire. Located on
a beautiful sandy bay, the ruins are spread...
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