14 most beautiful beaches in Turkey
Are you looking for the most beautiful beaches in Turkey?
I’ve made a short list of the top beaches in the country.
It was rather a difficult choice for me to make.
Along the 7,200-kilometer coastline in Turkey, you will find a great selection of sandy beaches and secluded bathing bays.
To make it easier for you to choose your seaside resort for the summer, I have included on my list the 14 most beautiful and famous beaches in Turkey.
And then, I’ll tell you my favourite beach in Turkey.
The most beautiful beaches in Turkey: inspiration for your next trip
1. The Oludeniz Beach and the Blue Lagoon
The Ölüdeniz beach, together with its “Blue Lagoon”, is regularly ranked among the 10 most beautiful beaches on the Mediterranean.
The “Blue Lagoon” is protected from the rest of the sea by the peninsula-shaped Ölüdeniz sandy beach. This makes the water particularly calm and clear.
2. Kaputas Beach: Located along the steep, secluded coast between Kas and Kalkan
Kaputas Beach is located below the steep coast between Kas and Kalkan on the Lycian coast. Its hidden location and the turquoise blue sea water rates it as one of the most beautiful beaches in Turkey.
3. Pirate bay at the ruins of Antioch ad Cragnum in Gazipasa
Pirate bay is a real insider tip. It is located next to the ruins of the ancient city of Antioch ad Cragnum. They belong to the district town of Gazipasa, 40 kilometres east of Alanya. The most special thing about the bay is its hidden location.
It is separated from the sea by a 40-meter-high rock wall. Only a narrow rock gate connects the beach with the land.
4. The Butterfly Valley on the Lycian Coast
The Butterfly Valley is located near Oludeniz on the Lycian coast. At the end of the three-kilometer-long valley, there is a narrow sandy beach.
You can either reach it via a hiking trail or with boat trips from the surrounding seaside resorts.
5. The Mermerli Beach between the marina and cliffs of Antalya
The Mermerli beach in Antalya is located between the marina, the old sea walls and the 40-meter-high cliffs on which the Antalyan ancient town of Kaleici stands.
The beach chairs belong to the Mermerli restaurant above.
From the beach you’ll have a wonderful view of the ships in the harbour and you can get food and drink from the restaurant.
6. The Olympus Beach: Located between the ruins of Olympus and the ecotourism town of Cirali
The Olympus Beach belongs to the ecotourism town of Cirali. It is located on the Lycian coast, in the province of Antalya. The beach is under ecological protection due to the thousands of turtles that lay their eggs there every year.
At the southwest end of the beach, a small river flows along the beach and into the sea. In the valley behind are the ruins of the ancient port city of Olympus.
7. Cesme: Ilica Beach with its thermal springs in the sea and good wind
Cesme is one of the most up and coming coastal cities in Turkey. The city is known as a summer and weekend getaway destination for the high society of Istanbul and Izmir.
After all, the small resort featuring good wine and bathing has one of the most beautiful beaches in all of Turkey, Ilica Beach.
The thermal springs that arise on the seabed are quite an attraction.
This means that the water is always pleasantly warm in many places. The wind conditions on the Turkish Aegean coast ensure that Cesme is a paradise for sailors and kite surfers.
8. Iztuzu Beach in Dalyan: nature reserve, estuary and Lycian rock tombs
Getting to the protected Iztuzu Beach is a bit of an adventure. You must arrive by boat along the river delta of the Dalyan River to reach the sea.
During the journey, you will see overgrown rock tombs, sea turtles and untouched natural landscapes.
9. The Konyaalti Beach in Antalya
Konyaalti Beach connects Antalya’s old town with the Taurus Mountains in the background.
It is a great place to relax during the day with its comfy beach chairs and umbrellas. Because the kilometer-long beach never gets completely full, you will always find a few quiet spots to relax there.
During the evening, the Beach Park at the eastern end is one of the main centres of nightlife in Antalya.
10. Cleopatra Beach in Alanya
The name Cleopatra Beach goes back to the lovely Pharaoh Cleopatra. She received the entire stretch of coastline, including the city of Alanya as a present from Marcus Antonius after the death of Julius Caesar.
The beach is located in the centre of Alanya, and it offers many different activities besides beach loungers and parasols.
11. Patara Beach: Kilometres of sandy beach, sand dunes and the ruins of Patara
Along the 20-kilometer-long Patara Beach, the wind blows between the sand dunes located among the ruins of the ancient port city of Patara.
Even during the main summer season, you will meet only a few other bathers on the beach along the Lycian coast.
12. The most beautiful beach in Istanbul: The islands of Kinali and Büyükada in the Sea of Marmara
The island of Kinali is one of the nine Prince islands. They are located a few kilometres southeast of the Bosporus in the Sea of Marmara.
You can take a ferry from Istanbul to reach it in 60 to 90 minutes. As an alternative to Kinali, there is also the Prince Island of Büyükada.
13. Bathing bay of Phaselis: Bathing in the harbour basin of an ancient city harbour
Phaselis, founded 2,700 years ago, was once one of the most important trading cities on the Turkish south coast.
Only ruins and the old harbour basins remain from the former city. Today, they form three wonderful bays around the Phaselis peninsula.
14. My personal favourite is hiding in the Tosmur district of Alanya
Why is this, in my opinion, the most beautiful beach in Turkey? Because in five minutes I can walk from my balcony to the beach and swim comfortably in the turquoise blue sea.
The most important thing for me is the feeling of relaxation and tranquillity on the beach. I don’t care for crowded stretches of beach with loud music. That’s why “my little beach” in Tosmur is just right for me.
My second and third favourite places among the most beautiful beaches in Turkey is the Pirate bay in Gazipasa and the city beach of Gazipasa.
Reader’s question: Do you have your personal favourite beach in Turkey? If you have any good insider tip, please share it in the comment section below
