Villa Turunc

Turunc is a small resort about 7km from Icmeler and 15km from Marmaris. This picturesque seaside resort is popular due to its warm and welcoming atmosphere, stunning bay and friendly local bars, shops and restaurants. There’s a Blue Flag beach (500 metres from the villa) with calm waters, nestled between forested hills and mountains. Turunc's local market every Monday is worth a visit, and there is a larger market in nearby Icmeler every Wednesday.

During the cooler low season can also spend a day in Turunc hiking, driving or biking around the area. There’s pristine, untouched forests and mountains for as far as the eye can see, alongside traditional Turkish villages in the surrounds. Head to a Turkish tea house and then end your day relaxing at a Turkish bath. You can also head out on a boat trip for the day, snorkling, and enjoying a hearty lunch onboard.

For exploring further, there are local Dolmus buses & water taxis that go back and forth from Turunc to both Icmeler and Marmaris, or you could hire a car to discover more of the serene surroundings of the Bozburun peninsula. Take a dip in the cooling waters and discover the peaceful bays of Kumlubuk and Amos and beautiful sites like the Amos ruins. In Icmeler, you can have fun in a water park,  or haggle in the local market, with everything from bespoke rugs and clothes to homemade Turkish delight. In Marmaris, there’s a pretty harbour, crowned by a castle and lined with colourful fishing yachts. There are more serene beaches lining the coast, alongside lively nightclubs and bars.

The Bozburun Peninsula has a Bee Museum, a Carpet Weavers Association as well as a host of pretty unspoilt coves & beaches. Enjoy the cool waters of Turgutkoy's waterfall, walk the sand spit in Orhaniye, stroll along the quay at Selimiye or enjoy the most fabulous fish lunch in Sogut. Alongside tourism you can see village houses and small holdings where time has literally stood still.

Read more about Marmaris & The Bozburun Peninsula

The South West coast of Turkey offers the perfect climate for your holiday, boasting over 280 dry days a year and an average June temperature of 28 degrees Celsius in this area, with sea temperatures of 23 deegress celsius.  For keen walkers the paths of the Carian way will take you around the area. 

Sat on the site of the Carian city of Physkos, Marmaris started welcoming European tourists in the 1980’s. At the time big hotels were what the travel agents were selling. The surrounding areas remained unspoilt and in recent years villas have popped up in less touristic areas. Marmaris still has a picturesque vista and the areas around the harbour, Netsel Marina and the castle are worth a visit. The castle was reconstructed by Suleyman the Magnificent during his expedition against Rhodes and houses a small museum. You couldn’t find better places to try an authentic Doner Kebab than some of the restaurants behind the bazaar, or for a more sophisticated version go to the Baris Ustu Kebabci in the Netsel Marina.

The Bozburun Peninsula represents the real hidden Turkey. In recent years wealthier Turks have headed to these parts to enjoy the thyme-scented air that is said to be ultra-healthy due to being high in oxygen as a result of the trees and proximity to the sea Throughout the peninsula villagers live as their ancestors did a century ago, tilling the land of a small holding, keeping bees or working in ancient trades handed down through generations. The women work hard to keep house and land. Every village has a teahouse where you’ll see the men making business over a game of Tavla (backgammon), slowly drinking endless cups of crystal clear black Cay (tea), drunk out of tulip-shaped glasses. The peninsula has loads of lovely restaurants, simple but delicious food. Enjoy fish in Selimiye; choose mezes from the kitchen and wash it all down with a glass of Lion’s Milk, the slang for Turkish Raki, an aniseed spirit that becomes white when water is added.

Travelling around the peninsula, there’s Orhaniye where you can walk the sand spit, Turgut where you can see the ancient trade of carpet weaving and visit the waterfall to cool off, especially if you purchased a carpet. Sogut is a hidden gem, and where a long seafood lunch is the way to go. There is a bee ‘museum’ in Osmaniye which pays homage to the local production of pine honey. Turunc, Amos and Kumlubuk sit on the southeastern coast of the peninsula. Kumlubuk has a sweeping beach, and a sandy shingle, water-sports and a few restaurants. Amos has a smaller pebble beach and a popular restaurant selling a range of Turkish favourites. Turunc is more of a resort, with a few streets behind the beach, plenty of eateries, shops and bars. Give it a little time as it is somewhere people fall in love with. Further around is Icmeler, which merges into the bigger Marmaris.