Holidays to Turkey

Want to hit up one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World in the morning, laze about on the beach in the afternoon and dance the night away? Bodrum has got your back. One of the major Aegean resorts, in ancient times it was called Halicarnassus and was famous for housing the Mausoleum of Mausolus. Dotted with impressive ruins, a medieval castle and well-preserved Greco-Roman theatre, there is plenty to see. Take to the beaches for some downtime – Bodrum’s got them in bulk. With a whole kilometre of golden sand to its name, Blue Flag-winner Gumbet is one of the best. Its shallow waters are particularly great for zipping around on a jet-ski.

A large resort town on the Aegean Coast, Kusadasi in Turkey ticks a lot of boxes. Beaches are the main draw, with a whopping eight main ones to choose from, but it also offers up a top-notch nightlife and a cool castle with stellar views. Plus, its jammy location also makes it an excellent launch pad for loads of day trips. One of the best sights is the UNESCO-approved city of Ephesus. Just a half an hour minibus journey away, it’s Turkey’s most important ancient city and contains the remains of the Temple of Artemis alongside countless other ruins.

Craving a city escape? Well, Istanbul sure does deliver on old-timey charm and a massive cosmopolitan culture. Lose yourself in the city's rich Ottoman history with sites like the breath-taking Hagia Sophia with amazing mosaic work topped with beautiful domes. Dig a little deeper and you’ll find the underground Basilica Cistern (the city’s largest ancient water cisterns). You’ll find toasty temps year-round and even steamier surroundings in the many public baths dotted around the city, where Turkish hammams are all the range. Join the long list of shoppers at the 500-year-old Grand Bazaar to get in on bargaining game under the world’s largest covered markets. Foodies can find tasty treats like Turkish delight, baklava and black tea at Inebolu Market and in the many cute cafés around town.

Izmir for sun, sea, sand, and a sprinkling of ancient historical sights! Curved along Turkey’s west coast, there is plenty of space to sizzle under the sun on the huge stretches of beach. Tip-toe across to Kusadasi where family friendly beaches are famed for their shallow waters and Mr Whippy white sands. You’ll also find a myriad of treasures hiding in the Grand Bazaar down the beautiful backstreets. Known as ‘the beautiful waterfront’, Izmir Town has a sweeping harbour with restaurants and a palm lined pier designed by Monsieur Eiffel himself (the artiste behind Paris’s Eiffel Tower). The name dropping doesn’t stop there, Izmir was rebuilt by Alexander the Great and soon after became part of the Ottoman Empire in the 15th century, meaning there’s heaps of archaeological sites to see. The open-air museum, Roman Agora of Smyrna, and hilltop Kadifekale are popular spots, but you simply must make the trip to the ancient city of Ephesus! A 20-minute drive north of Kusadasi, the preserved Roman settlements has intact gyms, libraries and an amphitheatre – talk about the lasting life of leisure!

Didim is just the ticket if you’re looking for rich history, a bit of R&R and a dose of adventure! Tucked ‘round the Aegean coast of western Turkey, the beach scene is something to behold with a sprinkling of lively resorts and calm coves. If you can peel yourself away from the stunning sands, there’s a whole heap of historic sites and ancient ruins to hit up. Make a medieval day of it and visit the turrets of Bodrum’s 15th century castle or marvel at the remains of Temple of Apollo – one of the biggest temples in ancient Greece. This antique city site is perfectly contrasted with modern living. Aqua enthusiasts will love scuba diving, jet skiing and sailing while dry land lovers can go biking and hiking in traditional mountain villages. With around 300 sunny days a year, you’ll be sure to fit in an array of outdoor fun!

While it’s just eight kilometres south of brash big sister Marmaris, Icmeler feels positively worlds away. Sandwiched between pine-covered slopes and a ridiculously blue sea, it certainly delivers on swoon-worthy scenery. This mountain backdrop makes it a popular choice for hikers, but it also ticks a lot of boxes for sun worshippers and watersports fanatics. Sun loungers adorn the town’s C-shaped curve of sand, and the bay is usually awash with banana boats and jet skis. Though Icmeler’s far from being a clubbers’ paradise, its bars and restaurants still provide ample after-hours entertainment.

Famed for its Blue Flag beaches, you’ll be in the head honcho of Turkey’s Turquoise Coast in Oludeniz. Stealing the show down here is the incredible Blue Lagoon! If it looks familiar, that’s because you’ll have seen it a hundred times before, plastered on postcards and travel brochures. Now part of a protected national park, the sand’s whiter than white while the water’s some of the stillest around. Watersports aren’t allowed in the lagoon but that doesn’t mean adrenaline junkies can’t find their thrills elsewhere in Oludeniz. Towering Babadag Mountain is a world-class spot for tandem paragliding - if you don’t fancy it yourself, it’s fun to watch others from the safety of the beach.

Pronounced ‘sea day’ and meaning ‘pomegranate’ in ancient Anatolian, Side is nothing short of delightful. Sun seekers and history buffs alike will be enamoured of the Turkish Med resort’s charms as it offers up a double whammy of sublime beaches and ancient attractions. It has a solid scattering of Roman and Hellenistic relics, including a well-preserved amphitheatre, the Temples of Apollo and Athena, which stand guard over the harbour, and the façade of a classical library building. Side Museum is even tucked away inside a Roman bath house. Twin beaches, simply called East Beach and West Beach, flank the Old Town. West Beach has a decent number of restaurants and watersports on offer while East Beach is the snoozier of the two.

As Turkish holiday destinations go, Belek is fairly shiny and new. As a custom-built resort in the Antalya region, it’s packed to the rafters with upmarket hotels and draws an almost exclusively international crowd. With a 16-kilometre swathe of sand and shingle, it’s certainly got the whole beach thing down – and the Mediterranean Sea’s shallow waters makes a stay in Belek a great option for families. However, it’s the carefully manicured golf courses that hog the limelight. You won’t run out of things to do while staying in Belek, but if you do fancy a jaunt elsewhere, Side, Perge and Antalya City are all within easy day-tripping distance.

Small yet mighty, Gumbet proves that when it comes to holiday resorts, size doesn’t matter. Gumbet is growing popular by the minute with is cosmopolitan feel and prime location on the Aegean cost of Turkey. With a buzzing nightlife scene, waves ripe for watersports and a full kilometre stretch of sand for sun seekers to play on, it more than holds its own against nearby Bodrum Town. But since they’re just 10 minutes apart, you really needn’t pick between the two. Hop on a dolmus and flit about to your heart’s content.

With a name that literally means ‘golden sands’, you know what you’re getting in Altinkum. Its three sandy stretches give it some serious bragging rights, while nearby Didim brings a dollop of history to proceedings. Once an important religious centre, here you can marvel at what remains of the Temple of Apollo – one of the biggest temples in ancient Greece. Back in Altinkim, Dolphin Square’s the place to be at nightfall, with late-night bars and beach clubs pumping out tunes until the early hours.