Göcek and Dalyan

Göcek is the first harbour on the Lycian coast when you fly into Dalaman: 26 km, about forty minutes by road. The town is small, a string of cafés and restaurants along the water, but its gulf holds six marinas. It is where most gulet cruises start and finish (a gulet is the traditional Turkish wooden sailing boat). Half an hour to the west, Dalyan shows the other side of the region: a reed-fringed channel, tombs cut into the cliff and a beach protected for turtles.

The Gulf of Göcek from the water

The gulf is enclosed and therefore calm, which makes it a safe haven for boats arriving from far away. Four marinas line the central bay and two more lie in Büngüş Bay. The islands and coves are best seen by boat: Osman Ağa, Boynuz Bükü, Sarsala, Yavan Su (also called Martı) and Göbün, the most sheltered, as well as Domuz Island. Near Göcek, sunken ruins go by the name of "Cleopatra's Baths". You can hire a boat for the day, join a shared trip from the harbour, or go sea kayaking and paddleboarding with local agencies.

For a proper cruise there are two options:

• a private gulet, chartered by the week, Saturday to Saturday. One example at Göcek Marina: a 27 m boat with seven en-suite cabins for up to 14 guests, with captain, cook and deckhand, from €1,890 a day for the whole boat. Food, drinks, fuel and marina fees along the way are extra;
• a cabin on a scheduled circuit, which suits a couple. These circuits usually leave from neighbouring Fethiye: our Fethiye and Ölüdeniz page gives a price.

Dalyan, Kaunos and İztuzu

Dalyan is 33 km from Göcek, about 35 minutes. The village faces Kaunos, an old Carian port that silt has pushed back from the sea. Its acropolis stands on a 152 m hill, ringed by Archaic, Hellenistic and medieval walls. The temple-fronted tombs carved into the cliff above the channel are Dalyan's signature view. Entry to the site will cost €5 from 1 April 2027.

Downstream, İztuzu beach separates the delta from the sea. It is one of the last nesting beaches of the loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta), which grows up to 1.5 m long and 150 kg. No permanent structures are allowed; during hatching, lights and fires are banned so that the young turtles are not led astray as they head for the sea at night.

Upstream from the delta, Köyceğiz sits on the lake of the same name, away from the main tourist routes.

From Dalyan you can also reach Tlos and Saklıkent Gorge, towards Fethiye, in a day; the trip sells from €75 per person. A 9-hour 4x4 tour around Dalyan sells at the same price.

Sabaro's hotel

D-Resort Göcek is a five-star resort of the Doğuş group at the head of the bay, next to the D-Marin marina. It has a private beach with two piers, a pool, a spa and a speedboat for trips at sea. Rooms range from 26 m² attic rooms to a 139 m² suite opening onto the pool. No price was shown for our reference dates in early June 2027, so it is quoted on request.

Dalyan itself mostly offers three- and four-star hotels, none of which Sabaro has selected so far. Visit it as a day trip from Göcek.

When to go

The Dalaman weather station records average highs of 27 °C in May, 32 °C in June and nearly 35 °C in July and August; inland at Köyceğiz, July highs approach 37 °C. The sea is above 24 °C from June to October and reaches 28 °C in August. It hardly rains from June to September; most of the 950 mm of yearly rain falls from November to February, when highs drop to around 16 °C. The best months are May, June, September and October, and the gulet season runs from May to October.

Safety

None of the European foreign ministries that Sabaro follows advises against Göcek or Dalyan; several ask for heightened vigilance across the country. Forest fires are frequent on this wooded coast in summer: lighting a fire or dropping a cigarette in a risk area can mean a fine or prison, and the emergency number is 112. The Safety table on this page gives your country's advice.