Purple Hearts… Dalaman Holidays 2014
Purple Hearts… Dalaman Holidays 2014
For most travellers, Dalaman on Turkey’s Southern Aegean coast, is little more than an airport stop for visits to either the beach resorts of Fethiye, the southeast, or Dalyan to the northwest coast. However, it’s definitely worth basing yourself here, particularly if you have transport that will enable you to see the highlights of the region.
Things to do on Dalaman Holidays 2014, Turkey
Take a hike
Take a walk through the Lycian Way to explore the more unspoilt aspects of the region. Between Fethiye and Antalya, the mountains rise steeply from the wooded shoreline and small bays, offering beautiful views and varied walking opportunities. It’s likely that the only other people you are likely to see will be the farmers and goat herdsmen that tend to the pastures each day. The Lycians themselves were a democratic people, with a unique style of art and a luxurious standard of living. Although they absorbed Greek culture, they were later conquered by the Romans. Their graves and ruins abound on the peninsula, which comprises many remote historical sites.
Indulge in a mud bath
The spas in Dalyan are internationally renowned, attracting visitors with their sulphur-rich mud baths. The baths are believed to provide relief from many rheumatic and skin conditions and some have said that a mud bath in Dalyan has even left them looking younger. Either way, this great experience will leave you feeling relaxed and refreshed for the remainder of your holiday.
Try your hand at paragliding
On route from Dalaman to Kalkan, you will pass the cliffs above Olu Deniz, where you can find paragliding like you’ve never seen it before. If the idea of jumping from a cliff with another person holding onto you also sounds appealing then Olu Deniz is your new favourite place, particularly as it now hosts for the International Air Games each October.
Party at the Lycian Festival
For three days at the end of June, Kas hosts the annual Lycian Festival. Folk-dancing troupes from Turkey and beyond perform in one of Dalaman’s largest and most vibrant festivals. The festivities are met with street food, lots of drink and a lively, party atmosphere to the early hours of the morning.
Take a hydrofoil to Rhodes
Taking a hydrofoil trip from Marmaris to Rhodes for the day is a quick and cheap option that gives you more travel for your money. You can also do a similar trip to Kos, but we recommend Rhodes for its historical sites and beautiful tavernas. You don’t need any visas or documentation to take the trip.
Places to see on Dalaman Holidays 2014, Turkey
Kalkan
This stunning, well-maintained fishing village is just south of Fethiye. Its well-facilitated and attractive accommodation, and heaps of first-rate eateries make it a wonderful place to visit. And what’s more, the hotels and shops of the day become rooftop restaurants at night, providing the perfect spot for viewing the harbour at sunset.
Patara Beach
Patara Beach is nine miles of almost completely deserted golden sands. As it is an archaelogical area, you will be required to pay a small fee to go onto the beach, but thw soft sand and shallow waters will most definitely make it worth the money. You can also head up into the dunes of the Beach, where you’ll find unexcavated Roman ruins such as temples and columns of buildings with sand blowing over them and Marram grass growing in their creeks and crevices.
Myra and Kekova
St Nicholas (the original Father Christmas) was the bishop of Myra. He dropped gifts down the chimney of poor people’s homes so that their daughters would have a dowry upon marriage. He wore a red costume and a red hat (no surprises there) and has been celebrated in the Christmas story ever since.
Nearby, the town of Kekova has a ancient Lycian underwater town that sank beneath the waves after an earthquake. You can hire a canoe and sail over the rooftops and market squares of the old city, the home to hundreds of people.
Where to eat in Dalaman
If you’re staying in the centre of Dalaman, you’ll find a great deal of choice when it comes to where to eat. The numerous restaurants on offer span from the more casual cafe restaurants to the smarter, find dining end of the spectrum. Dalaman is also famed for its tea gardens – a lovely place to spend an afternoon. Try our favourite haunt, the Akkaya Garden for a meal to remember.
Dalaman cuisine
As Dalaman is less touristy than many other parts of Southern Turkey, you will be glad to discover there are no British style pubs and restaurants – it is traditional Turkish here. Turkish cuisine is renowned as one of the world’s best, considered to be one of the world’s three main cuisines due to the variety of its recipes, its use of natural ingredients and its flavours and tastes. A main meal will usually begin with soup and meze (a variety of small cold and hot dishes made for sharing), which is usually made up of Tarama salad, cacik (taziki), dolma (vine leaves or peppers stuffed with rice), börek (pastries) and arnavut ciğeri (cubes of fried liver), but there are many varieties and alternatives. The main course is usually meat or fish, served with çoban salatası, a salad made of tomato, cucumber, parsley and onion, dressed with olive oil and lemon juice. Try a siş kebap (grilled cubes of seasoned meat on skewer), or if you prefer something hot and spicy, try an Adana kebap, made of minced lamb and hot peppers and spices formed around a flat skewer.
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