Dalyan has developed along the banks of a reed-fringed, meandering river right opposite the dramatic rock-cut tombs of ancient Kaunos. People come here to lounge by (and swim in) the river, explore the ruins of Kaunos, take selfies in the nearby mud baths.

It’s only a peaceful half-hour boat-ride downriver to the white sands of Iztuzu beach (Turtle Beach), famed for its nesting turtles. The seasonal presence of these marine repitles has saved Iztuzu from the beach-front development that has marred so many Mediterranean resorts, making the daily return river trip well worth it.