Turkey Aegean

Pamukkale, meaning "cotton castle" in Turkish, is a natural site in Denizli Province in southwestern Turkey. The city contains hot springs and travertines, terraces of carbonate minerals left by the flowing water. It is located in Turkey's Inner Aegean region, in the River Menderes valley, which has a temperate climate for most of the year. Tourism is and has been a major industry. People have bathed in its pools for thousands of years. When the area was declared a World Heritage Site, the hotels on the site were demolished and the road leading here removed and replaced with artificial pools. Wearing shoes in the water is prohibited to protect the deposits.

Marmaris is a port town and tourist resort on the Mediterranean coast, located in Muğla Province, southwest Turkey, along the shoreline of the Turkish Riviera. Marmaris' main source of income is tourism. It has an exceptional location between two intersecting sets of mountains by the sea, though following a construction boom in the 1980s, little is left of the sleepy fishing village that Marmaris was until the late 20th century. It is also a center for sailing and diving, possessing two major and several smaller marinas. When visiting be sure not to miss the Marmaris Castle and Museum, the Grand Bazaar, the Dancing Fountains, and the Atlantis Waterpark.

Izmir is a metropolitan city in the western extremity of Anatolia and the third most populous city in Turkey. The ancient city was known as Smyrna and the city was generally referred to as Smyrna in English, until the Turkish Postal Service Law made "Izmir" the internationally recognized name. Izmir has almost 4,000 years of recorded urban history and possibly even longer as an advanced human settlement. Its main sights include Agora Open Air Museum, the St. Polycarp Church, the Kus Cenneti bird sanctuary, the Coskun Lunapark, the Hisar and Fatih Mosques, and much more.

Oludeniz (literally Dead Sea, due to its calm waters even during storms; official translation name Blue Lagoon) is a small village and beach resort in the Fethiye district, on the Turquoise Coast of southwestern Turkey. Oludeniz remains one of the most photographed beaches on the Mediterranean. The beach itself is a pebble beach. The lagoon is a national nature reserve and construction is strictly prohibited.[2] The seawater of Ölüdeniz is famous for its shades of turquoise and aquamarine, while its beach is an official Blue Flag beach, frequently rated among the top 5 beaches in the world by travelers and tourism journals alike.

Dalyan is a town in Mugla Province located on the southwest coast of Turkey. Life in Dalyan revolves around the Dalyan Cayi River which flows past the town. The boats that ply up and down the river, navigating the maze of reeds, are the preferred means of transport to all the local sites. Above the river's sheer cliffs are the weathered facades of Lycian tombs cut from rock, circa 400 BC. The ruins of the ancient trading city of Kaunos are a short boat trip across the river. The south of Dalyan on the Mediterranean coast, lies Iztuzu Beach, near the village of the same name is a popular area for sunbathing and swimming.

Alacati is an Aegean town on the western coast of İzmir Province in Turkey, which has been famous for its architecture, vineyards and windmills for over 150 years. It has now made its name in the world of windsurfing and kitesurfing, with its crystal clear water, consistent and steady wind and well acclaimed hospitality. Alacati is one of the most authentic towns in Turkey with stone houses, narrow streets, boutique hotels and restaurants with tables on the streets. Alacati has a great nightlife, where the nightclubs by the seaside are open until morning. The area is also home to the Alacati yacht marina and the famous Port Alacati development.

Bergama is a populous district, as well as the center city of the same district, in Izmir Province in western Turkey, and the second largest district in the province. Its main attractions include the Selcuk Minaret, Cukurhan caravanserai, Great Mosque of Bergama, and the Acropolis, among others. Bergama is also known for its historic quarter, where old Ottoman houses in the traditional style are found.

Bodrum is a district and a port city in Mugla Province, in the southwestern Aegean Region of Turkey. It is located on the southern coast of Bodrum Peninsula, and is also the center of the eponymous district. The city was called Halicarnassus of Caria in ancient times and was famous for housing the Mausoleum of Mausolus, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Bodrum Castle, built by the Knights Hospitaller in the 15th century, overlooks the harbor and the marina. The castle grounds include a Museum of Underwater Archaeology and hosts several cultural festivals throughout the year.

Didim is a small town, popular seaside holiday resort, and district of Aydin Province on the Aegean coast of western Turkey, as well as the site of the antique city of Didyma with its ruined Temple of Apollo. This coast has become a very popular holiday resort, known for its long sandy beaches, clear blue sea, ancient ruins, and its own microclimate, benefiting from hundreds of days of sun annually. Didim has a weekly market, a waterpark, a number of discothèques, smaller bars, and clubs, some with live music. It is also close to a number of other ancient towns and natural formations, such as Lake Bafa national park, the Buyuk Menderes River, and historic sites like Miletus and Priene.

Kusadasi is a resort town on Turkey's Aegean coast, and the center of the seaside district of the same name within Aydin Province. The area has been a centre of art and culture since some of the earliest recorded history, and has been settled by many civilizations since being founded by the Leleges people in 3000 BC. The Roman Empire took possession of the coast in the 2nd century BC and made it their provincial capital in the early years of Christianity. Its main attractions include the city walls with its gates, Kusadasi Castle, Kaleisi Camii, the Okuz Mehmed Pasha Caravanserai, as well as nearby national parks and aquaparks.

Icmeler is a popular Turkish holiday resort situated 8km from Marmaris, on the Datcha peninsula. The town is surrounded on three sides by pine forests. Hiking on the mountains provides fantastic views of the region and is very popular. The town has developed rapidly over the last 15 years, accommodation and other tourist facilities mushrooming across the formerly sleepy village. As a side to the increasing tourism, this village in the Turkish Riviera is seeing an increasing amount of watersports facilities, such as scuba diving, waterskiing and many others. The town developed on the back of tourist seeking a quieter alternative to the overdeveloped Marmaris, many who return annually.

Foca is a town and district in Turkey's Izmir Province, on the Aegean coast. The ancient city of Phocaea is located between the two modern townships of Foca - Yenifoca (literally "New Foca") and Eskifoca ("Old Foca"). Eskifoca stretches along two bays; a larger one named Buyukdeniz ("Greater Sea") and a smaller cove within that large one, named Kucukdeniz ("Smaller Sea"), where the medieval castle is also located. Foca is the site of one of three marine protected areas established in Turkey for the preservation of the Mediterranean Monk Seal, a heavily endangered species of sea mammals.