5 Summer Spots in Turkey I Wish I Were Right Now

This week, temperatures in Warsaw have hovered between 16-20 C (60-68 F), which is not exactly the kind of summer weather I had in mind.

So once again, I find myself dreaming of the summers we spent on our Turkey trips. I long to swim in the warm, turquoise waters of the Aegean Sea or the Mediterranean Sea.

I realize there are so many destinations we never experienced in Turkey, and I’m just torturing myself with my daydreams. We don’t have any beach trips planned this year, but we will be spending four days in Italy next month with my visiting in-laws. I cannot wait!

In the meantime, here are 5 Summer Spots in Turkey I Wish I Were Right Now:

1. Of course, one of our all-time favorite Turkish destinations is the lovely wine island of Bozcaada. I can’t really add much more info than what I already covered in my Top 10 Things to Do in Bozcaada. Just go!

Sunset in Bozcaada at Polente Feneri (Lighthouse) on the western side of the island.

2. One small, Aegean seaside resort town we liked was Foça, located about 1 hour north of Izmir. We stayed here one night during the summer of 2011 as part of our Ramazan road trip. Foça, called Phocaea in ancient times, consists of two parts, Eski Foça (Old Foça) and Yeni Foça (New Foça) and is located along small bays and a fishing harbor.

Nothing but blue when you're at Foça, Turkey.

We liked this area because it was full of locals (not yabancı tourists) and open-air restaurants lining the shore. Considering its history, Foça has few ruins except for the Byzantine-era Beşkapılar Kalesi (Five Door Castle), a bit of aqueduct and a nearby old tomb.  If we ever returned, I’d stay at the charming Bülbül Yuvası Butik Otel, recommended in the Boutique Hotels of Turkey book, which was full when we visited.

Just one of the many Turkish fish restaurants in Foça. 

3. Another atypical beach destination we visited during the summer of 2011 was Phaselis, located an hour south of Antalya. At this ancient Greek and Roman city, you can admire the historical ruins, such as agoras, Roman baths and sarcophagi, and take a dip in the crystalline waters along the nearby beach.

Here you can see the remnants of the Roman baths at Phaselis, Turkey.

4. Another favorite beach destination of ours and of grandpa’s is Ölü Deniz near Fethiye. I’m jealous of my blogger friends at Turkey’s for Life who live nearby because they can visit this amazing beach and watering hole whenever they want!

My favorite photo of Jason with his 90-year-old grandpa at Ölü Deniz last year.

I’m sure we’ll return again to Ölü Deniz someday.

5. Located along the Aegean Sea, the Çeşme Peninsula offers numerous beach destinations near the cities of Çeşme and Alaçatı. I wish I could meet up with a few of our Istanbul friends that have summer homes here.

One of the many popular, beach clubs near Çeşme, Turkey.

Actually, it’s difficult to narrow my list down to five choices because Turkey is spoilt for lovely summer beach destinations.

Where do you wish you could be right now?

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Return to Ölü Deniz in Turkey

We’re lucky that we have grandparents that still love hanging out by the beach.

So we spent one afternoon together relaxing, reading and sunbathing on the beach at Ölü Deniz near Fethiye. The beach, known as the “dead sea” in Turkish, is only 14 km (9 miles) from the city center.

“Now, this is what I’m talking about,” said Grandpa, as we walked across the small pebbled beach at Ölü Deniz. They found the stones more difficult to walk on compared to the fine sandy beaches of Florida that they frequent.

For two months every winter in the U.S., our grandparents usually hightail it down to Florida (like other seniors their age). Grandpa, who’s Italian heritage means he tans as soon as he even looks at the sun, loves being by the water. 

The slightly overcast sky meant the beach wasn’t overcrowded during our late September visit. Last year, we visited the beach in mid-October and it was just as quiet then.

You can watch yachts sail in and out of Olü Deniz.

There also were plenty of people taking advantage of the perfect weather temperatures and paragliding at Ölü Deniz. Every now and then while Grandma and I were reading our books, we’d look up and comment on the paragliders that we saw in the sky. It’s definitely one sport I’d rather be a spectator safely on the ground than a participant.

Eventually with trepidation, I stepped into the aquamarine glass-like sea water. The sun had warmed me enough to where I needed to cool off. However, the water was a bit colder than I would have liked and goose bumps instantly formed on my skin. Grandpa and my husband were already chilling out in the water.

This is one of my favorite photos of grandpa and my husband sitting in the beautiful water together at  Ölü Deniz. 

Grandpa thought it was cool that he could now say he’s “dipped his toes in the Mediterranean Sea in Asia.” Wait until all his retired friends back in the US here that!

Grandparents say the darnedest things.

On the other side of where we stayed at the beach is the lagoon area of Ölü Deniz. 
This area is mainly populated by families with small children. 

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Sea, Swimming & Wildlife at Ölü Deniz

In case you needed more reasons to visit Ölü Deniz, I thought I’d share some other photos I took during our recent trip to Fethiye.

The sea water, which is part of the Mediterranean Sea, is super clear, clean and warm. Even in the middle of October, the water temperatures were perfect for a dip!

How could you resist from getting in this beautiful water?

Swimming - bring your goggles and take a swim out to the rocky island not too far from shore. (Well, truth be told, this rock is farther away than I would swim.) My husband swam over to this destination and climbed on the rocks to see the sailboats docked on the other side. There also are some paddle boats available for the day.

One of the many sailboats that docked nearby on the day we were here.

And if the sea and swimming activities aren’t enough to entice you, how about the wildlife you can find here at Ölü Deniz?

This proud rooster was hiding underneath a table.

One of the first peacocks I've seen during our travels in Turkey.

Plus, the beach cafe serves up a decent tavuk döner when you get hungry. Hopefully, the döner meat isn’t from one of the many chickens or other birds running around on the beach. =)

An overview of  Ölü Deniz as you drive up the hills and head back to Fethiye.

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Paragliding in Ölü Deniz

As I look through our photos we recently took in Fethiye, I’m still quite impressed by Ölü Deniz.

Ölü Deniz, which literally translates to “dead sea” in Turkish, is a beautifully, clear lagoon and a small resort village, about 14 km (9 miles) south of Fethiye. It’s a perfect way to spend the afternoon or about six hours like we did during our recent weekend trip to Fethiye.

I have to say what was really cool and different about Ölü Deniz was watching all the paragliders smoothly sail through the air from the comfort of my beach chair. 

Look how clear the water is here at Ölü Deniz.

One of my more upclose photos of the paragliders.

I’m not sure if I could do this as I’m a bit scared of heights or more the act of jumping off and then being in the air several thousand feet off the ground. However, my husband would do this in a heartbeat. Guess that means we need to make another trip to Fethiye for him. We just didn’t have enough time this trip.

In this photo, I count 15 paragliders in the air at the same time!

The paragliders descend from Babadağ (Father Mountain), which apparently has incredible thermals and the ideal conditions for paragliding. Here’s a site that offers paragliding in Ölü Deniz.

And this is where I was camped out - underneath the beach umbrella!

Still just a fun activity to observe even when you’re grounded!

Check out other things to do in Ölü Deniz over at my friends’ site - Turkey’s for Life.

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