Turkey has long been a favourite of British holidaymakers — and finally its doors have swung open once again.
So, get booking…
INTO ISTANBUL
On a visit to Istanbul, do not miss the resplendent Suleymaniye Mosque or the Blue Mosque (pictured)
Poet Alphonse de Lamartine summed up the feelings of so many visitors to Turkey’s most famous city: ‘If one had but a single glance to give the world, one should gaze on Istanbul.’
With its sultanate palaces including the opulent, waterfront Topkapi Palace, many mosques (do not miss the resplendent Suleymaniye Mosque or the Blue Mosque), bazaars, walks along the glittering Bosphorous and numerous museums (the most important being Hagia Sophia, once a Byzantine church before becoming a mosque in 1453 and being turned into a museum by Ataturk in 1935), Istanbul is both beguiling and action-packed.
How to do it: Five-night guided Byzantine and Ottoman tours of Istanbul with hotels, three dinners, one lunch and flights from £1,839 pp B&B (kirkerholidays.com).
FAMILY FAVOURITE
Star quality: Turunc Bay in Marmaris, which is surrounded by emerald mountains and olive groves
Turunc, on the Bozburun Peninsula, is a ‘holiday resort’, but it is a lot more peaceful than most and comes with a Blue Flag beach. It’s surrounded by nature: emerald mountains, olive groves and fields of corn. Zip around on Dolmus buses to explore the peninsula. Or check out exquisite coves, many inaccessible by road, on well-organised five-bay cruises.
How to do it: Turunc Resort Hotel has a water park and a private sandy beach; one week from £474 pp all-inclusive with flights (easyjetholidays.com).
KALKAN CALLING
Find yourself a villa outside the coastal town of Kalkan, pictured, for a Turkish escape
Love a bit of resort fun but equally want to get away to your own space? Then find yourself a villa outside Kalkan, so you can dip into the town for harbourside bars and restaurants, then escape for a dip in your pool whenever you want.
How to do it: Villa Sea is fab for four with a swoon worthy infinity pool and outdoor dining terrace with an ocean view from £1,327 a week, including flights (simpsontravel.com).
DELTA DREAM
Pictured are ancient tombs on the Dalyan river – sightseeing options in the area include boating and beaching
Dalyan has an unusual and scenic location, on a delta between a huge lake and the coast.
Sightseeing options abound including boating and beaching, and swimming with turtles (if you’re lucky) off Iztuzu Beach. Soak up history in the ancient city of Kaunos, famed for its Lycian rock tombs.
How to do it: Beyaz Villas, an easy walk from Dalyan, offer self-catering beside a shared pool; from £380 per room per week (beyazvillas.com); fly to Dalaman.
SLOWLY DOES IT
Akyaka prides itself on its relaxed, slow-going way of life. The architecture is mostly in attractive Ottoman style and the Azmak River here has riverside restaurants, boat trips and great walks.
One of the best excursions out on the water stops at a string of offshore islands including Sedir, where Cleopatra and Antony are said to have gone for a swim.
How to do it: Simpson Secret epitomizes rustic chic and has a pool with a heavenly view; from £915 pp, sleeping two, for a week including flights/car hire (simpsontravel.com).
HISTORY AND HIKING
Turkey’s longest sand beach, Patara, is also one of its most unspoilt, protected because of the loggerhead turtles that visit to lay eggs. Patara village, in the foothills of the Taurus mountains, is equally sleepy, with a handful of restaurants. Explore Roman city ruins dotted along the coastline or go for a hike along the Lycian Way, one of the world’s greatest trails.
How to do it: Patara Viewpoint offers hotel or self-catering accommodation with use of the pool and restaurant; B&B doubles from £280 a week (pataraviewpoint.com); fly to Dalaman, from £233 return from Gatwick (easyjet.com).
SECRET BEACHES
The Datca Peninsula is wonderful, a 50-mile long finger of land with the Aegean Sea on one side and the Med on the other. Expect pine-scented hills, olive groves, undiscovered beaches and tiny villages.
The ruins at Knidos, dating to 4 BC, are magnificent. Also, stop by at the ghost town of Kayakoy, a result of the 1923 population swap between Greece and Turkey.
How to do it: The D Maris Bay offers slick style and killer views from its cliff-edge setting, with five private beaches; one week with flights from £1,788 pp B&B (lastminute.com).
ROMAN RUINS
The town of Foca oozes charm and makes a great base for history buffs, with its own castle to explore, plus the Roman cities of Ephesus and Pergamon within a two-hour drive. There are scores of great beaches nearby — or hop on a traditional gulet to explore outlying islands.
How to do it: Phokaia Beach Resort offers activities galore, including watersports; one week from £929pp including flights and most meals (markwarner.com).
MOUNTAIN HIGH
Unassuming Cirali is fronted by a long stretch of shingle and sand, where turtles hatch in the summer. A short walk away are the ruins of the Lycian city of Olympos, as is the Chimaera, where natural gas flames shoot dramatically out of vents in a mountain. Further forays can be made around surrounding mountains and along the Lycian Way.
How to do it: Hire a beachside chalet, with free bike rental, from £320pp per week B&B (responsibletravel.com).
SAIL AWAY
One way to escape the crowds is by taking a holiday aboard a traditional Turkish gulet. Opt for your own boat or share with a handful of other holidaymakers.
Enjoy onboard breakfasts moored up in scenic bays and dinner beneath twinkling stars.
In between, swim from the boat and around uninhabited islands and hop off for forays into towns and villages.
How to do it: TUI’s Sailing the Turkish Coast one-week gulet cruise costs from £716pp including flights and meals (tui.co.uk).
LAKE LAZINESS
Why not visit Lake Iznik (pictured above), where lazy days are spent swimming, cycling and fishing
Temperatures in Turkey can sizzle — but the sea is not the only place to cool off. Try refreshing Lake Iznik, a two-hour drive from Istanbul.
Lazy days spent swimming, cycling and fishing can be punctuated with visits to the fabulous walled town of Iznik.
Dating back more than 2,000 years, it’s crammed with Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman sites, including the Hagia Sophia mosque, built by Emperor Justinian, as was its famous sister in Istanbul.
How to do it: Fisek’s Lakeside House has self-catering for up to nine people with a colourful, boho vibe; from £1,866 per week (airbnb.co.uk).