Aslan Retreat

Places to visit

Dalaman is 45 minutes by car to fethiye, a beautfiul town with an old bazaar, harbour and ancient Lycian and Roman ruins and the most famous beach in Turkey, Olu Deniz, is 15 minutes further on. Gocek is 20 minutes from Dalaman and is a smart and picturesque boating resort with lots of good restaurants, shops and nightlife. You can take an all day 12 island boat trip from there. Marmaris, a busy tourist resort, is 1 hour and 30 minutes away. Koycegiz, which is 30 minutes away, has a beautiful lake with promenade and cafés.

Dalaman beach is unspoilt with a natural sandy beach and just one restaurant and pool (great place) along its stretch. Whereas Sarigerme beach (20 minutes away) is beautifully laid out with gardens and pine trees leading to a wide stretch of sandy beach. Sarsala beach is about 30 minutes drive along an unmade up road through beautiful countryside and past a lake, right off the beaten track. Boats often stop for a few hours and there is a café. Istuzu beach (about 45 minutes drive) is stunning, with a lake on the other side of the beach.

Our most favorite place to visit is Dalyan, 30 minutes away, which is a picturesque small holiday resort on the river. You can take boat trips to the Istuzu beach, or to the old ruin and rock tombs (Caunos), or a trip up river to Koycegiz lake with thermal springs and mud baths. there are also interesting shops and restaurants, bars and some nightlife in Dalyan.

On the way to Dalyan in the Leylek restaurant, which is also a nature reserve for migrating storks - a truly beautiful haven to while away a few hours.

This holiday would suit people with a sense of adventure and a desire to get away from the hordes of holiday-makers and get a real taste of Turkey. not for those who like to party every night.

To get the most out of this area, it would probably be most convenient for you to hire a car. We could arrange it for you (it's cheaper this end, if you book beforehand). However, it is possible to manage without it but it's more time consuming. The main bus depot, which you can get buses to all over southern Turkey is in Dalaman town. There are no buses available from the house to the town. If you do decide to hire a car, it is easy to find your way around the area and there's not too much traffic to contend with.