We visited Dalaman in April 2024.
Whenever someone says about the country “Turkey”, we usually think of Istanbul or Cappadocia & its hot air balloons.
People usually relate Dalaman and the surrounding towns like Fethiye with package / beach holidays but I will have to say that it’s a completely wrong understanding. Along with some beautiful beaches, there are many more places to visit and see here in this part of Turkey. Lots of Historical sites aswell.
Dalaman is a municipality and district of Muğla Province, Turkey. Its area is 608 km², and its population is around 50000. I still feel that this part of Turkey is still an unexplored destination. The Dalaman region of Turkey is generally considered safe for tourists.
As am holding my Indian Visa, I had to go with a E-Visa. Its super easy. You just get into this website and provide the requested documents. The visa will come back to your registered email address in few minutes. (NOTE: Single Entry charge is 44 USD)
Please also note that there are few other websites like this one, which are mostly managed by the private parties. Ofcourse, their processing charges will be more.
We took the RyanAir flight from Dublin to Dalaman. The flight reached there at 9:45PM (flight time was around 4 hours 15 min or so).
When you prepare a plan for Dalaman, I would suggest to book a ‘All Inclusive’ Stay. Patiently wait for a good deal. Believe me, you can get some really good deals.
We had booked our stay at ‘Sundia Exclusive By Liberty Fethiye‘, which is around 45 minutes from the Dalaman Airport. It’s a all inclusive resort. All Inclusive, so buffet breakfast, lunch and dinner will be included as part of your package, as well as snacks at set times and selected local-brand alcohol, soft drinks, tea and coffee. The staff were very helpful and the services were excellent. I would definitely suggest this resort without a second thought. One other good thing with this resort is that they serve food almost 24 hours. So even if you reach Dalaman airport late evening or night, dont bother much about taking parcels to the hotel. Instead, you can have your late dinner at the hotel itself.
Dalaman Airport is the main gateway. Taxis, shuttle buses, and rental cars are available for transportation. Public transport includes buses, dolmuş (shared minibuses), and taxis. A number of airlines fly into Dalaman including budget-friendly options like EasyJet , Jet2 and Ryanair. Ofcourse Turkish airlines aswell.
If you don’t want to hire a guide / taxi or if you don’t want to use a public transport, you can also hire a car from the Dalaman Airport. You can book in advance with companies like Eurocar.
Package holidays in Dalaman, Turkey offer a convenient and hassle-free way to explore the destination and give you an extra layer of security. These carefully curated holiday packages provide travellers with a comprehensive experience that includes flights, accommodations, transfers, and sometimes even guided tours or excursions. While package holidays provide a pre-planned itinerary, there is often flexibility to tailor the package to your preferences.
In case if you would like to plan the trip with a customised itinerary, this blog can be used as a reference. In this blog, I have tried to cover a 3 nights / 4 days itinerary which would certainly cover most of the important attractions.
The main advantage that we got in this trip was that we were able to get a great contact in Fethiye, His name is Tunca. He is a part time Tourist guide (very local to Fethiye). He helped us to finalise the whole itinerary and was with us almost all days throughout this trip.
Without a second thought, I can gurantee that he can be a great support if you are planning a itinenary from your side. He has got some real good rating from his customers. Please see the link for more details: https://www.airbnb.ie/experiences/1074953
DAY 1 : 6 hours Fethiye Day trip including 1 hour Boat ride
Fethiye is best for beach lovers. Situated right on the Mediterranean coast, Fethiye has plenty of beaches nearby including the famous Blue Lagoon. Sightseers will also love Fethiye, whose long history has left it with plenty of sights to see, including the breath taking Tomb of Amyntas.
There are different companies that do the city tour. If you couldn’t book one prior, sometimes you will be able to do it from your hotel itself. Different agencies visit the reception/lobby area and you can check with them for trips. We covered the following on the day 1:
| 1 Hour Boat Trip |
| Fethiye view point |
| Butterfly Valley View Point |
| Lycian Rock Tombs (Tomb of Amyntas) |
| Akvaryum Bay |
| Kayaköy Ghost Town |
| Aquarium Cove Fethiye |
| Blue Lagoon (Oludeniz) |
| Fethiye Market |
Tunca came with a convertible car and that made the day 1 road trip an exciting one.
We started our journey with a Boat trip (1 Hour). Tunca owns a small boat and we used his boat for this trip. It was indeed a great experience. Sometimes waves were a bit harsh but manageable.
Lycian Rock Tombs (Tomb of Amyntas):
Carved into the cliff sides above the town and looking out over the ocean, the Fethiye Lycian Rock Tombs offer a fascinating glimpse into the city’s ancient past, dating back to 350 BC.
The only way to reach the tombs is by climbing up the hillside (there is ticket price involved here) . It’s a short walk but leave yourself plenty of time to admire the ruins and take in the views along the way. You can see as far as the Greek island of Rhodes on a clear day. Please note that you will have to climb around 200 steps to reach the tomb.
If you are planning to visit a histrorical place, It is always advisable to go through the history of that place before visiting. It will help to get more context of what you are going to see there or what the guide would be speaking about.
In this 1 day trip, you will see lot of view points enroute. Some of them are very good for drone photography.
Kayakoy (Ghost town):
Its been designated as a “World Friendship and Peace Village” by UNESCO. The town was abandoned after the Turkish Greek Population exchange that took place after the founding of the Turkish Republic in the 1920s.
The ghost town of Kayakoy is tragically all that is left of a once-thriving village in Turkey. It was built in the 1700s, but it has been completely deserted since the 1920s.
Kayakoy has around 3500 preserved houses and three churches. The largest of the churches is the beautiful and deserted Basilica of Panayia Pyrgiotissa. To get the most out of this area, I recommend booking a guided tour to Kayakoy with a knowledgeable tour guide who knows the town’s history. This way, you can get an accurate and informed insight into how the terrible events unfolded here.
We had lunch at a Traditional restaurant named ‘Antik’ in Ghost town.
We tried the local food ‘Gozleme’ and ‘Ayran’. Food was tasty. It was also a nice experience to watch the preparation of ‘Gozleme’.
Butterfly valley View Point & Beach
The name comes from more than 90 species of butterflies that can be observed at a certain time of year at an inner point of the valley. There are 2 opions to see this place. Many tourists take the boat trip which has this place as one of the destination and the other way is by road. Please note that you will have to walk a short distance to reach the view point fom the main road. That short distance is not a proper walkway, instead you will have to do a short hike to reach the point. The walking path is a bit tough and uneven. If you have any walking difficulties, it might be challenging. Definitely, this is a must seee place.
There was a person taking Drone photography. Charges was around 500 TL. The Drone video came out really nice.
After almost 6 hours (including 1 hour boat trip) , now it was time to reach back the hotel. Its indeed a scenic roadtrip.
Day 2 : Olüdeniz Paragliding and Saklikent Gorge
Olüdeniz Paraglyding:
This was the most exciting day in the whole trip.
I started off the day with Olüdeniz Paragliding. There are ‘N’ number of companies offering the Paragliding experience. Most reputable paragliding companies will offer transfers, full insurance, and professional instructors. So always ensure to go with a reputed (or one with great reviews), evenif the cost is slightly high.
There are different options like Tandem (for beginners), extended thermal flight and acrobatic flights.
I had booked an tour with Gravity Paragliding. I was extermely happy with their service. The overall flight time was around 30 minutes or so.
Scared of heights? Fear not; you’ll be securely strapped to a trained pilot who will control the paraglider while you sit back and admire the views.
You will get an opportunity to leap 1800 metres off Babadeg Mount and land on the beach on a thrilling paragliding experience. Paragliding off Babadag Mountain is typically done in tandem with a qualified instructor, so you do not need any prior experience to paraglide in Dalaman.
I selected the 9AM slot and they picked me up from hotel at 7:50 AM. It is almost a 45 minutes drive from hotel to the mountain bed.
As I had travelled during a shoulder season, they had clubbed their travel van with another company. It took another 25-30 minutes to reach the top of the mountain which is at 1800 meters. The company had arranged a very experienced Pilot who has been flying since last 11 years.
The wind was harsh. And my pilot did not take any risk. He asked me to wait until the wind condition was manageble. I had seen some other companies coming and do the paragliding even in the adverse wind conditions which I felt was very risky.
The company representative asked me to keep the valuables in a locker in their shop. I did that and later I realised that it was a mistake. If you leave your phone, you are really missing the beautiful photography options at the moutain top. So I would suggest to take the phone with you. Anyway the Pilot will collect all your valuables before the flight and will keep it in a very safe bag with him. It will be handed over to you once you complete the flight.
Another mistake that I have seen many people doing was that they book back to back tours with the travel companies with very limted time gap. Like 9AM paragliding, 10:30AM Boat trip and so on. We had some people in our van who have done something similar. Please don’t go with an assumption that paragliding will start at the exact time. There are some very important external conditions like wind which will be play a key role. On our flight day, the wind was very harsh and the flight could not not start at the designated time. Many of the co-travellers had to leave for the boat trip without doing the paragliding. They had to go for the boat trip and come back later in the afternoon or evening to do the paragliding. So my suggestion is that its always better to leave a half day excusively for paragliding. (Ex: If 9AM is your flight time, it better to leave your day free until 1PM, so that you have enough time to adjust with the time that is lapsed). Also remember that this is happening slightly outside the main city and you might need atleast a hour or so for commuting back to the hotel.
Olüdeniz is one of Turkey’s best places for tandem paragliding. It offers incredible views of the beach and Blue Lagoon below.
The take-off was smooth, and the pilot talked to me throughout the flight and took photos and video on a GoPro (you usually have the option to buy these at extra cost later, but it’s worth checking the details beforehand). Definetely take a copy of those photos and videos as it is a memory to cherish for ever.
I stayed calm and focused on everything that my paragliding instructor was telling me. We ran down the slope, the wind caught our parachute, and suddenly, we were floating in the air.
I realised that paragliding was one of the greatest things I have ever done . It’s terrifying, but ridiculously rewarding.
Ölüdeniz is one of the most photographed beaches in the world for paragliding.
I felt completely safe during the experience, but it is important to choose an Oludeniz paragliding company that is well-established, licensed and has a good reputation for safety. Licensed operators undergo regular inspections and adhere to safety regulations set by local authorities.
You will be able to get an excellent top view of the The Blue Lagoon in Ölüdeniz (natural marvel, one of Turkey’s most iconic coastal destinations). Please note that this Blue Lagoon is one of the most visited places in Turkey. People visit here for swimming, snorkelling and so on. You will find a range of bars and restaurants where you can relax. As far as I know, there is a National park nearby this Blue Lagoon, which has a small entrance fee.
Saklikent Gorge:
Around an hour away from Fethiye, you’ll find the second-largest gorge in Europe – Saklikent. This place is a real natural beauty.
Seems like, a shepherd from the area was on a quest to locate his missing goat when he stumbled upon it near the gorge’s entrance.
Aside from being huge, it’s also extremely deep, and the shade from the sun is very welcoming. As you move futher, look up at the huge limestone cliffs on either side. As you reach the water crossing point, you’ll feel how cold the water is when it flows directly from the mountains!
In Summer, nomally the authorities tie a rope for few meters (some 500metres or so). Tourists can hold the rope (if required) for walking through the water body. As we had gone during the off season, the tourists were very minimal (almost nil) and no such ropes were seen. So we did not venture much into the water body.
This is a very intersteing destination worth visiting. You need to purchase tickets at the entrance of the Gorge. This awe-inspiring gorge was formed millions of years ago by the natural forces of water erosion, creating the deep canyon and steep slopes that we see today.
DAY 3 : Just Relax in your hotel room
This was a day for complete rest. As mentioned earlier, Sundia Exclusive By Liberty Fethiye is a All Inclusive hotel and its close to the beach. We spend most of our time at the hotel room, pool and beach.
As the Calis Beach is near by, we spend some time walking in the beautiful pathway near to the beach. You can also rent a electric bike or scooter and roam around.
If you don’t want to take rest and want to make a effective use of this day, I would suggest 1 day trip to Pamukkale and Hierapolis.
DAY 4 : Dalyan Boat trip
You don’t have to book any tour company for doing this tour. You can do it all by yourself.
Arrange a taxi or rent a car or a Public transport to reach Dalyan. It took us around 50 minutes to reach from our hotel. We saw a lot of orange trees enroute in both sides of the road.
From the Pier/Jetty, you can direcly take a boat (250 TL / person). During the season trime, boats will be starting every 10 minutes or so. There are lots of boats for service. This rate is for public tours and the only disadvantage is that you will have to wait until 15-20 people onboard the boat. But I was told that these boats will be able to fill their capacity in 10 minutes during the regular season / peak time. Many of the boats used for Dalyan River tours are typically traditional Turkish wooden boats called “piyade” or “kayik.” These boats are well-suited for navigating the river’s shallow waters and narrow channels.
If you don’t want to wait long and if you are ok in paying more, you can directly take a private hire (might be around 2000 TL). Please note that these are all shoulder season rates and might vary based on seasons.
The boat takes around 40 minutes one side and there is a stopping at Iztuzu Beach (Turtle Beach) for almost an hour. So, please be prepared by taking some eatables/water with you. Some boats might have snacks/drinks/beer and so on, whcih you can purchase directly.
This area is now a protected breeding ground for the ‘Caretta caretta (Loggerhead) Sea Turtle, and you might get a chance to see them. Unfortunately, we didn’t see even one turtle. We were told that its very tough / rare to see turtles during the day time. So keep your expecatations minimal. But this 5-6 kms stretch of the golden sand beach is really beautful.
On a typical Dalyan boat trip, you will sail through pretty reeds and also pass the Lycian rock tombs.
These cliff-carved tombs, dating back to 400 BC, are the final resting place of the kings of Kaunos. They are so imposing and beautiful that they almost don’t look real.
In this blog, I just tried to cover some of the very interesting destinations that we visited in Dalaman. However there are many places (and experience) which is missed out in this blog. Please find a short list below:
Mud Bath experience in Dalyan
Dalyan 12 island tour
Paddle boarding in Selimiye
Fethiye Fish Market
Fethiye Market
Marmaris day trip (Night life, Dancing Fountain and so on)
Jeep Safari in Dalaman area
Exploring The Aegean Islands Near Dalaman (Boat trip)
Akyaka & The Azmak River (River Cruise)
Letoon
Kaunos
Selimiye
Island Hopping in Göcek
Selale Waterfalls in Turgut
Saint Nicholas Island Kayaking Tour
Babadağ Teleferik (Cable Car)
Sarsala Cove
Sarıgerme
Yuvarlak Cay Cold Springs
Village of Kalkan
Akkaya Valley
Blue Logoon
Dalaman is also famous for the beaches. Please see a small list below:
Sarigerme Beach
Patara Beach
Kaputaş Beach
Carette Beach
Summary:
- This is indeed a great destination, definitely recommended.
- If you want to avoid a rush period, I would suggest to avoid May/June/July, as the resorts gets pretty booked up throughout thsose months. July might be the hottest and busiest month, attracting sun-seekers and holidaymakers.
- Weather in Dalaman is warm 365 days of the year. Shoulder months like April or August will be better time to visit as the rush will be relatively lesser.
- Turkish Lira (TRY) is the official currency. Credit cards are widely accepted, but carrying some cash for smaller purchases is advisable.
- If you like fresh fish and fresh food, Fethiye is an ideal location.
- English is widely spoken in tourist areas.