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Dalyan has been described as “One of the last corners of paradise”, and being surrounded by pine-clad hills, cotton fields and bulrushes, it really is a beautiful place.
Brief TV fame was brought to Dalyan in the late 1980s by loggerhead turtles or, more accurately, by David Bellamy who led a worldwide campaign to halt a proposed development on Dalyan’s pristine five mile Iztuzu beach.
The conservation battle was won and the whole Dalyan delta turned into a wildlife sanctuary in order to preserve its unique flora, fauna and way of life.
Dalyan has everything – an outstanding beach, fascinating wildlife, strong local traditions and the majestic remains of an ancient city.
Boat is the best way to reach the many attractions of Dalyan, including mud baths where you have the privilege – if that’s the word – of being caked in sulphurous, but reputedly therapeutic, mud.
Drifting downstream you pass the haunting, 4th-century BC tombs, which loom, like miniature Greek temples hewn out of the cliffs, high above the river right opposite the town. Marsh frogs croak in the rushes, stripe-necked terrapins and little freshwater turtles dart in and out of the water and, if you are quick, you may catch the dazzling turquoise and gold arc of a kingfisher in flight.
Further down river towards the ‘Dalyans’ – the fish hatcheries – you can be dropped off at the dramatically situated ruins of ancient Caunos, which boast some of the most impressively fortified walls still standing in western Turkey, along with a well-preserved Greek-style theatre, Roman baths and a Byzantine basilica.
You can wander among the shattered columns and the huge chunks of masonry of ancient temples for hours, photographing, drawing or just musing on the beauty of the scene and on glories past.
So much is to be discovered by boat; the variety of birds is bewildering and the sight of small turtles basking at the water’s edge, with their bodies submerged and their heads on the surface, is unforgettable. If you are very lucky you may even find one of the rare loggerhead turtles, the 95-million-year-old species Carretta Carretta, swimming right under the boat in nesting season, if you head beyond the river mouth. You can also disembark here at the end of Dalyans beautiful sandy beach, forty minutes by boat from the town quay. However, those few who know will head by regular Dolmus (a twenty minute journey) to the opposite end of the beach where the views are as spectacular as the peace.
From one tip to the other, the swimming from this vast and unblemished stretch of sand is excellent.
As well as the large fleet of boats, other provisions have been made for visitors to Dalyan, which has developed from a small village into a pleasant little town.
There is now a good choice of restaurants (with fresh river fish a specialty), carpet, jewellery and spice shops and small grocers.
Development is strictly controlled and despite the bustle, the atmosphere is friendly, relaxed and traditional. Local inhabitants still hang their corn and peppers up to dry on strings hung from cottage eaves on the back streets and every Saturday is market day. Devotees of the wonderful.

FROM THE SUN NEWSPAPER 01/10/2005
THE TURKISH DELIGHT TO WALLOW IN – MUDDY LOVELY

With the prospect of months of wind, rain and cold, my favourite pre-winter pick-me-up is to escape to Dalyan, a pretty fishing village on Turkey’s Mediterranean coast.
I have just returned from my third trip there. And nearly every holiday maker I met had been at least as often as I had – some every year for a decade.
Dalyan is not for those who want Ibiza or Ayia Napa-style boozing and clubbing but it is hard to imagine a better beach.
There are no buildings alongside the sands because it is a conservation area and a habitat for loggerhead turtles.
Holiday accommodation is in the village a short distance from the beach, which is shut at night to allow the turtles peace and privacy. Morning fun is trying to spot their tracks.
The water is so clear you can see the fish darting around. Even the hottest afternoons are comfortable because of a cooling breeze.
Lunch on the beach is a special treat, with a couple of ladies cooking traditional Turkish-style sweet or savoury pancakes for £1.
Or you can choose toasties, salads, soft drinks, beer, wine … all on offer from 75p to £1.50.
Dalyan village lies on the banks of a river meandering from Koycegiz lake to the Mediterranean sea, which it joins at Iztuzu beach, You can cruise the river and spot herons, fish jumping three feet out of the water and brilliant blue kingfishers darting among the reed beds.
In the centre of Dalyan, scores of boats along the quay offer trips around nearby islands. You can go to the well preserved ruins of the ancient city of Caunos, just over the river, or upriver and into Koycegiz lake to see the mud baths and thermal springs of Sultaniye.
Dustin Hoffman once visited the mud baths – his pictures are everywhere. You can plaster yourself with warm mud and slip and slither around until you feel brave enough for the cold shower off.
At the thermal springs, naturally hot pools of water are housed in old domed buildings right on the edge of the lake. As you quietly soak, you can feel the aches and pains easing away. The next little bay along the lakeside is an excellent spot for seeing the turtles.
Most hotels will arrange for a boatman to take you for early morning trips to feed them.
New for me this year was an outing to the Saklikent Gorge, the second largest in Europe. It was only discovered in 1988 – by a shepherd called Mehmet.
It is open until the end of October, depending on the weather conditions.
This is because you have to wade into the gorge through a waist-deep stream of pretty chilly water.
It was worth it for the sight of the gorge’s 1,500ft sides – just a yard or two apart – twisting and turning above our heads and throwing the light this way and that.
The full-day trip cost £14 per person and included a visit to the Roman ruins of Tlos plus a three-course lunch.
We ate on traditional couches and low tables on platforms hanging over a fresh water stream. We watched ducklings playing as we tucked in. Fortunately duck wasn’t on the menu.
At Dalyan in the evenings, there is a huge choice of restaurants. We especially enjoyed the Riverside and Caretta Caretta eateries.
Turkish food is very tasty. A truly delicious three-course dinner including wine usually cost us about £15 a head.
And on the sad day you have to say goodbye to Dalyan, it softens the blow just a little that the transfer to Dalaman airport takes just half an hour.

DEIDRE SANDERS

EDITED BY LISA MINOT
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