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Marmarisa Airport Transfer Destinations
Once a sleepy fishing village, Marmaris has ballooned
into one of the largest resorts on the Aegean coast, if not Turkey.
Little of its history remains, as the town is now a modern development
with tourism at its heart and soul. The population swells to a massive
200,000 in the summer, with most hotels, restaurants, nightclubs and
shops catering to low-cost package holidays, although there are
facilities for all budgets.
Despite the development which reaches
around 10km along the west of the bay, Marmaris is also well-known for
its expanse of green, present the whole year round thanks to the
pine-covered hills which surround the town. There are many beaches
around the bay, and there are ancient cities and seaside villages close
by for day trips. The yacht harbour is the biggest and newest in
Turkey, and therefore the busiest charter port especially for trips
along the Turquoise Coast.
In
addition to the climate, beaches and facilities of the town, the
transportation infrastructure is a definite plus for attracting
visitors. It has easy connections to the nearby airport Dalaman,
ferries to Rhodes, and on the road to Datca and Fethiye. The harbour
has attracted private boats from around the world, with yacht
maintenance and production in the workshops on the Yalanci Strait. With
the climate being comfortable even in winter, and the nearby impressive
mountains and pine forests, Marmaris is likely to remain a popular and
practical holiday spot for a long time.
History
It is thought that the first settlement in Marmaris, whose history
dates back to 3400 BC, began with the arrival of a tribe to the region,
whose leader was called Kar. The area was then called Karla after him,
and its location around the Aegean and Mediterranean Seas always made
it an appealing region.
Suleyman the Magnificent assembled a force of 200,000 in 1322, whilst
launching the siege of the Knights of St John�s base in Rhodes (Rodos).
Soon afterwards, he made the city more powerful with the rebuilding of
the tiny castle overlooking the town. Lord Nelson and his entire fleet
sheltered in the harbour in 1798, en route to Egypt to defeat
Napoleon�s armada at the Battle of Aboukir.
Marmaris
therefore became a place where different civilisations reigned over
time, and there is architectural and historical evidence of Egyptian,
Asdur, Ion, Dor, Persian, Macedonian, Syrian, Roman, Byzantium, Seljuk
and Ottoman presence.
Climate
Summers are extremely hot and dry, with daytime temperatures reaching
up to 35 degrees, and winters are warm and wet, plunging to 5 degrees
at night. The area is quite typical of a Mediterranean climate.
How to Come
By Road
Marmaris is well connected to most places in Turkey by bus, with many more services in summer.
There are buses every hour to the closer resorts of
Bodrum (3 hours)
Fethiye (3 hours)
Izmir (5 hours)
Datca (90 mins)
Long distance direct services include
Antalya (7hours)
Istanbul (13 hours)
Ankara (10 hours)
The bus station is 2km north of the city, and the dolmus stop is near Ulusal Egemenlik Bulvari.
Bus station Tel: (90 252) 412 3037.
By Air
The nearest airport is Dalaman, from which there are many international
charter flights especially from Europe. It is over 100km and takes 2
hours by bus, and there are regular bus services between 07.30 � 22.00.
Dalaman Airport Tel: (90 252) 792 5291.
By Boat
Hydrofoils leave daily for Rhodes in the summer. There are motorboats
three times a week in the summer, and Greek ferries, some of which can
carry cars. The huge bay of Marmaris stretches for miles with the
busy resort town of the same name at its centre. Because of the
popularity of this area it is no surprise that over the years other
villages around the bay have grown to become holiday resorts in their
own right, and we are pleased to bring you two of our favourites. The
first is the delightfully quiet resort of Icmeler which is an easy 8km
from Marmaris, whilst a little further over the pine clad mountains is
the even quieter and ever so pretty village of Turunc.
Icmeler (pronounced 'Itch-mel-air') used to be the little sister resort
to Marmaris, but has now grown into a wonderful holiday resort in its
own right, just 9 km or a 15 minute dolmus bus ride from Marmaris.
Icmeler is quieter than its neighbour with a good standard of hotel and
apartment accommodation, all set back from an excellent sandy beach.
Icmeler does have a handful of discos and night clubs as well as bars
and restaurants, but a short trip to Marmaris will give a wider choice.
Having said that, in our experience most people find Icmeler offers all
they need for a great holiday.
Sightseeing & Activities
Travel
between all these resorts is simple, either by road with a dolmus taxi
or by water taxi. For example a water taxi from Turunc to Marmaris
takes about 45 minutes and the dolmus about 30 minutes. Everyone loves
a bargain so try shopping at the covered bazaar market in Marmaris for
your souvenirs, leather goods and clothes. Otherwise visit the outdoor
market in Icmeler (Tuesdays) and Turunc (Mondays). Excursions and day
trips from these resorts include a visit to Ephesus, one of the
best-preserved archaeological sites in the world. Also worth a visit is
Pamukkale, one of nature's phenomena where hot mineral waters flow down
the mountain and have solidified to form snowy white pools - don't
forget your camera.
The setting of this unique small town/village is truly
magnificent. With a backdrop of hills and mountains, nestling amongst
the intensely green pine forests and olive groves, it is a picture to
behold. The views on the run down into Turunc with the turquoise
Mediterranean sea and islands fading into the background would rival
any in the world. This once thriving fishing village has now largely
given way to providing wonderful holidays and there are many and varied
restaurants, bars and shops, but the charm of this gem is that it has
not lost its� friendly and intimate �local� feel.
The wonderful safe beach, which is lined with restaurants, has recently
achieved the European Blue Flag Award and there is a limited range of
water-sports available. To one side of the bay is a small harbour,
lined with attractive boats and water taxis and for a small price you
can experience an excursion along the spectacular coastline stopping at
coves and bays for swimming and a barbeque lunch.
No matter where you stay in Turunc you are never more than a
10/15-minute level walk from the centre of activity and the beach but
en-route there are mini markets and many watering holes!
Some foreign nationals have settled here including many Brits and
although English is widely spoken, this is clearly a very Turkish
village with a lifestyle to match.
The locals are disarmingly friendly and make you feel very welcome.
They are very family orientated, love children and are eager to share
their beautiful village with visitors.
The climate is fabulous. - The sun shines for 300 days a year and it
rarely rains but when it does, it is usually just a very brief
interlude and clear blue skies are not far behind! Even out of season
the temp is usually warm enough to sun bathe.
Apart from the restaurants/bars and shops, Turunc has one or two night
spots but if you would like to venture further, the larger and busier
towns of Marmaris and Icmeler, with their bustling clubs and nightlife,
are just a short drive or taxi/bus ride away. (for a real treat, the
water taxi is also great!)
So whether you just want to sit round the pool or beach and soak up the
sun, play in the fabulous clear warm sea, enjoy the excellent local
food in one of the fantastic restaurants or maybe take one of the many
available excursions to local historic sites etc., we can promise you a
holiday of a lifetime here in Turunc.
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