Dalyan and İztuzu Beach

Dalyan is a riverside town in Ortaca district, Muğla, between Marmaris and Fethiye. It stands on the channel that links Lake Köyceğiz to the Mediterranean. İztuzu Beach, a sand spit about 4.5 km long, lies where the channel meets the sea.

Loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) nest on İztuzu, and the beach has been protected since 1988. In the nesting season, which starts in May, it is closed from 20:00 to 08:00. Sunbeds and umbrellas are not allowed in the marked nesting zone. On the cliff across the river from the town are temple-fronted rock tombs from the 4th century BC. They belong to ancient Kaunos on the west bank.

Dalaman Airport is about 30 km away. Minibuses run to Dalyan from Ortaca, 13 km east. The beach is reached by road along Sülüngür Lake or by boat down the channel. Boats land at the river-mouth end; the road arrives at the opposite end of the beach.