13-Nights Turkey: Istanbul, Cappadocia & Walking the Turquoise Coast - The Geluxe Collection

Gocek

Gocek lies in the beautiful gulf of Fethiye, surrounded by pine clad mountains. The bay is famous for its marinas and offers yachting, and boating. The waterfront is lined with bars and restaurants, and a little more inland visitors will find the market square, which is lined with unique shops selling antiques, Turkish crafts, and some unusual carpets. Historical attractions include the Temple of Leto, which houses a beautiful ancient mosaic, The hidden city of Sakikent, surrounded by a canyon, waterfalls, and includes a mud bath. Visitors willing to hire a boat can visit partially submerged Byzantine ruins on Tersane Island, and have lunch at the restaurant there.

Dalyan River

Dalyan is a largely undeveloped, tranquil village offering classic Turkish hospitality, and attractions. The thermal springs at Sultaniye, and the Dalyan mud baths are also not to be missed and make for an out of the ordinary holiday experience. The surrounding wetlands are home to a variety of wildlife and birds, and the town is adjacent to pine-covered mountains and lush fields, making this an excellent destination for nature-lovers. Boat trips are popular with visitors, as are jeep safaris, mountain-biking, kayaking, paragliding, fishing, snorkeling and more.

Bodrum

Sirince

High in the hills above Selcuk, Sirince (pronouned shirin-jay) is a village with an interesting history that provides an alternative base for visitors to Ephesus or a pleasant day trip from the nearby cities of Selcuk, Kusadasi, Izmir or Aydin.

In Turkish, Sirince means "quite pretty," but legend has it that it started life as Cilginca, which means the exact opposite. With its row upon row of lovely Ottoman houses tiered on the hillside, the village was so beautiful that its original inhabitants, a group of freed slaves, feared the jealousy of their neighbors. Choosing a name that belied its beauty was an attempt to conceal the reality, and in a way, one could wish that they had stuck with that plan, since in recent years so many tourists have started to descend on Sirince that it is becoming much harder to appreciate its charm.

Nevertheless, the village boasts some particularly exquisite places to stay, and the best way to appreciate the village is certainly to stay there, because after the coach parties move on later in the afternoon, life reverts to something of what it once was. There are few specific attractions there—the main reason to visit is to admire the domestic architecture and enjoy the views.

However, people do crowd into the restored 19th-century church of St. John the Baptist, a reminder that before the enforced Greco-Turkish population exchange of 1924, this was a Greek village with a Christian population.

Sirince is known for its fruit wines that are on sale everywhere. You'll find them sold alongside locally made lace and garden produce. Unfortunately, a lot of what is now sold there has nothing to do with the village.

Cappadocia

Istanbul

This centuries old capital guards the slender waterway between the Mediterranean and the Black Sea, and is the doorway between the East and West. Visitors can explore remnants of Byzantine Constantinople in the Sultanahmet district, where you will have the chance to see ancient splendors, such as the Haghia Sophia, the Blue Mosque and Topkapi Palace. At night the city boast a lively nightclub scene and excellent Turkish dining options that may include cultural entertainment and dancing. Istanbul also features splendid shopping malls, boutiques, and hand crafted items can be found all over the city.