We love Turkey. It has over 8000 kilometres of coast, a ridiculous number of astonishing ancient sites, historical towns and amazing food. We’ve been 8 times and want to return.
Here’s our top 5:
Ephesus:
Ephesus easily rivals the Acropolis and is Europe’s most complete classical city.
During the Roman Empire, Ephesus had over 250,000 inhabitants and was the fourth largest city in the empire. Today, it’s well preserved and there’s far more to the site than the iconic library of Celsus. It’s busy, but totally mesmerising. Don’t miss: the amphitheatre, the terraced houses, Curetes Way, the Temple of Hadrian, the latrines, Harbour Street and the Agora.
The town of Selcuk has other notable classical sites – check out the 14th century Isa Bey Mosque, the Temple of Artemis and the Cave of The Seven Sleepers.
Tip – if you’re overnighting, stay in the nearby village of Sirince. Despite tourist hoards during the day, in the evening this hilltop village of traditional Greek houses is beautiful, low key and atmospheric. The local food is also amazing.
Cappadocia:
Cappadocia is a geological marvel. Jutting out of the Anatolian plains, it has a stunning, other worldly landscape of eroded “fairy chimneys”. Explore Gulludere Valley to see the best. Don’t miss the beautiful frescoed churches of Goreme. Our favourite attractions were the underground towns of Derinkuyu and Kaymaklı, but the whole area is fascinating and home to the daily dawn balloon flight spectacle. Immerse yourself in a cave hotel and soak it all up.
Tip – beware unsafe balloon trips. Check out safety records before you commit.
Dalyan:
Dalyan is set on the the historical Dalyan River – a the end of which lies Iztuzu Beach. Also, known as Turtle Beach, it’s a nesting place for the endangered loggerhead turtle and has a protected area. Iztuzu also has views of the nearby ruins of Kaunos. However, the best thing is the boat journey along the river which features views of the unique Lycian Tombs.
Tip – don’t miss the boat trip up the river to the natural mud baths and inland lake.
Gallipoli Peninsula:
The remote beaches of the Gallipoli Peninsula are not only historically significant, but they are totally unspoilt. We frequently found ourselves the only people on the beaches we visited. There are 31 Commonwealth War Graves cemeteries for soldiers from containing mainly dead from Britain, Australia, New Zealand, India and Newfoundland. Plus, over 50 memorials, and cemeteries commemorating the Turkish casualties.
Suvla Bay and Anzac Cove are the two main beaches, but we found the Lancashire Landings beach the most evocative.
Tip – you can swim at all of the beaches, the water is crystal clear, but look out for jellyfish.
Assos:
The hilltop 6th century BC city of Assos is compact and little visited, but still home to an agora, amphitheatre and necropolis. The view from the Temple of Athena is breathtaking overlooking the coast and the nearby Greek island of Lesbos. As it’s off the beaten track, it’s another site you can have to yourselves at certain times of the day.
Tip – stay, or at least eat, in the beautiful port of Assos at the bottom of the hill. It’s our favourite place in Turkey.