A day in Dalyan: river boat, Kaunos and İztuzu

Dalyan can be seen in one day. The town lies in Ortaca district of Muğla, on the channel between Lake Köyceğiz and the Mediterranean. The day has three parts: the ruins of Kaunos, the boat ride through the reed beds and İztuzu Beach. Most of the route is on the water.

Getting to Dalyan

Dalaman Airport is about 30 km from Dalyan. The town lies between Marmaris and Fethiye. Intercity buses on the D400 highway stop at Ortaca, 13 km east of Dalyan. From Ortaca, frequent minibuses run to the town. Dalyan has no bus station; the minibuses stop on the main street.

Morning: the rock tombs and Kaunos

The rock tombs are visible from the town's riverfront. They are cut into the cliff on the opposite bank and date from the 4th century BC. The largest have fronts shaped like Ionic temples. Visitors look at them from the riverside or from a boat.

Kaunos is on the west bank, within the village of Çandır. A small ferry crosses the river from Dalyan, and from the landing you continue on foot to the site entrance. Kaunos was a port city; the delta has since silted up and the ruins now lie inland. The acropolis stands on a high hill. The theatre at its foot has 33 rows of seats. West of the theatre are a Roman bath and a basilica church. Kaunos has been on UNESCO's Tentative List since 2014.

Midday: by boat to İztuzu

Boats to the beach leave from the dock in the town centre and follow the channel to the river mouth. İztuzu is a sand spit about 4.5 km long between the delta and the Mediterranean. The boats land at the river-mouth end. Food and drinks, showers, sunbeds and umbrellas are available at both ends of the beach. The beach boats run in summer. The other way is the road along Sülüngür Lake; a beach minibus leaves from the town centre.

The turtles and the rescue centre

Loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) nest on İztuzu, and the beach has been protected since 1988. Wooden stakes mark the nesting zone, and the nests are covered with cages. The sea turtle research, rescue and rehabilitation centre DEKAMER has worked on the beach since 2009. It treats injured turtles brought from different parts of Türkiye. Visitors can see the turtles in their tanks, and staff explain how they were injured. The centre is at the road end of the beach, the opposite end from the boat landing.

Practical notes

Check the opening hours of the Kaunos archaeological site and of DEKAMER before you go. At the dock in the town centre, ask for the boat to İztuzu and its return times.