With the foreign exchange skyrocketing this year, we started to turn our route into the country, while our overseas plans gradually fell into the water.. Datça, where we can’t get enough of going, visiting and seeing, is at the top of our summer vacation list as always.. Datça is the apple of our eye with its unique naturalness, the roads leading to the sea through olive and almond trees, its clean turquoise sea, and deserted coves that are still untouched.. A part of me is “Don’t tell anyone, let’s just keep Datça.” says the other side of me, “Everyone should know this beauty.” he says, finally my other side outweighs and I am preparing the Datça Travel Guide.
Datça Travel Guide
- Transportation
- Accommodation
- Food/Drink
- What to do?
Transportation – How to Get to Datça? – Datça Travel Guide
* By Air – How to go to Datça by Plane?
The closest airport to Datça is Dalaman Airport. If you prefer to go to Datça from Dalaman, you can reach the district center by private transfer vehicles or buses.. It takes about 3 hours to reach the center. Pre-booking is required for private transfer.. Click here for fees and reservation information.
Another alternative to reach Datça is Bodrum Airport.. Well, how to get from Bodrum to Datça? Again, you can come to Datça center by a private transfer that takes 4 hours.. Or you can use the ferry that runs between Bodrum and Datça.. Click for ferry day and time information. Although transportation from Bodrum is a little more difficult, flights to Bodrum can be more and more affordable periodically.. Therefore, it is useful to consider this alternative as well.
*How to Go to Datça by Car by Road?
If Datça is able to maintain its calmness even though it has beautiful coves, probably the reason is the roads.. Yes, the roads to Datça are bad, the roads inside Datça are even worse. Calculating the estimated time of arrival by looking at the kilometers between your departure point and Datça will mislead you.. However, I recommend that those who want to enjoy the beauties of this place to the full should have a transportation vehicle.. If coming all the way by car will turn into torture, you can rent a car from the airport after arriving by plane.
For those who want to consider the bus option to reach Datça; There are direct buses from Istanbul, Izmir, Ankara and Muğla.. You can find detailed bus schedules and prices here.
Accommodation – Datça Travel Guide
There are accommodation alternatives in Datça for every taste and budget.. You can stay in a luxury hotel with a pool for 650 TL per night, or you can set up a tent in one of the deserted coves without paying any money.. I can recommend Özil Camping in Karaincir Bay to camp lovers.. If you prefer bungalow or hostel, what I would recommend will be about which region you prefer.. It would be better to stay in one of the bays instead of staying in Datça center or Old Datça. There are not many places to swim in the center of Datça.. Old Datça has a different atmosphere that is attractive, but both far from the sea and those who have gone recently complain that there is too much noise in the evenings.. I think the last thing we look for in a peaceful holiday is noise.
Food and Drink – What to Eat in Datça? – Datça Travel Guide
Regardless of the venue, your first choice when you go to Datça should be stuffed zucchini flowers, sea beans and all kinds of seafood dishes.. You can eat the freshest fish, the most local squid and the best octopus salad in Datça.. But do not think that you can eat very cheap. Unfortunately, the prices are not very affordable, appetizer plates are between 20-35 TL on average.. The place I would recommend for both local and affordable food in the center of Datça will be Zekeriya Sofrası, which has the consistency of an artisan restaurant that makes home-cooked meals.. For example, I can’t forget the borani I ate here.. Another is Kardelen Restaurant in Palamutbükü.
“What to drink?” The answer to the question is very clear; raki. As far as I can see, the people of Datça also like to consume alcohol.. But there is no alcohol specific to the region, raki, beer, etc. that we know is sold.
What to do in Datça? – Places to Visit in Datça – Datça Travel Guide
*Visit to the Ancient City of Knidos
If you think of the Turkey map as a rectangle, we can say that the lower left corner of it is Knidos.. You know, we say, “Datça is the place where the Aegean and the Mediterranean meet”, and that junction point coincides with Knidos, so when you come here, you can see two seas at the same time from the small hill you look at.. But this is not the only feature of this place.. Knidos carries the ruins of the ancient city, which has hosted different civilizations from ancient times to the present.. There are impressive structures, for example, the ancient theater has survived to the present day.. My advice to those who want to visit the ancient city, do not go in the middle of summer, you will feel alienated from Datça and even from life.. But if you are in Datça for summer vacation and want to see this place, it is better to come early in the morning.. When you come to Knidos, come prepared to swim because there is a small but super cove where you can swim.. So that; There are times when we go to Knidos just to swim, but visit the ancient city or not, as it is an archaeological site, there is an entrance fee.
Fees: 10 TL (The first 2 entries are free with the museum) Click for more information.
Transportation: It is 40 km from the center of Datça, but the roads are extremely bad, so it takes about 1 hour to go. If you don’t have a car, you can use the Datça-Palamutbükü minibuses.
*Old Datça tour
The first place that comes to mind when you say “Places to visit in Datça”… she doesn’t want to get away from the beach, admit it. But when you see Old Datça, you need to collect the combs and settle here.. This is a neighborhood made up of almost all stone houses.. In the spring, greenery sprouts between the houses whose walls are covered with bougainvillea.. While walking on the cobblestone streets, you pass under the stone arches, sometimes the dogs of the neighborhood guide you.. Datça, which Can Yücel mentioned in the line “Bury me in Datça”, is exactly here.. Can Yücel Street and Can Yücel’s house are the places you should not miss when you come to Old Datça.. There is no entrance to the house, but you can take pictures in front of it If you are thinking of buying souvenirs, I recommend you to evaluate the handmade products on the streets of Old Datça.
Transportation: Old Datça is a little far from the sea.. If you do not have a vehicle, you can reach Old Datça by minibuses departing from Datça center.. If you are going by car, you should leave your car outside the neighborhood because the streets are too narrow for car passages and it is much more enjoyable to go on foot.
*Exploring Datça coves
There are dozens of beautiful coves in Datça.. Most of them are deserted, some have facilities, but not many people come.. Especially all the bays on the Mediterranean side are worth seeing.. I tried to show a small part of it in this video. If you have a car, you can reach most of them by car, of course you have to walk a bit.. Another alternative; If you have a motor license, you can rent a motorbike from Datça center, the roads are more convenient to drive.. Or you can visit these bays one by one by arranging a daily boat tour.
I will introduce these bays separately in my next article, for now I will only write their names: Palamutbükü, Aquarium Bay, Bükçeğiz, Ovabükü, Hayıtbükü, Kargı, Karaincir, Değirmenbükü, Murdala. , Domuzini a few of them. And let me make a small note; Most of the beaches in Datça consist of stones or small pebbles.. The sea usually deepens immediately. If you are looking for a shallow and sandy place, you can choose Karaincir.
*Dinner at Palamutbükü beach
You can’t come to Datça without stopping by Palamutbükü.. Its beach and sea are also worth seeing.. However, those staying in different bays may not want to move around, especially in hot weather during the day.. My advice is to have at least one dinner at one of the restaurants on the beach of Palamutbuku.. Since it is a wide beach, there are a lot of places to eat by the sea.. The only thing you need to pay attention to; You may have trouble finding a place in high season, it is better to make a reservation in advance.. “We’ll pay whatever it takes, let’s have the best dinner.” If you say, Hotel Mavi Beyaz and Le Jardin de Semra (Semra’s Garden) are the most popular places, but their prices are high.. For example, Emel Sayın was sitting at the next table while eating in Semra’s Garden, calculate from there.. I recommend Kardelen Restaurant, which I mentioned above, for those who are looking for a seafront, delicious meal and affordable option.
*Local food shopping
The first product that comes to mind when Datça is mentioned is of course almond. The world-famous Nurlu almond is unique to this region and is registered.. You can see that almonds and almond products (candied almonds, marzipan, etc.) are sold in every corner of Datça.. In addition, different varieties of thyme unique to the region are found on the hills of Datça.. You can buy these thyme or collect it yourself if you know the plant.. (The path from Palamutbükü to Bükceğiz is very suitable for collecting thyme.) And my favorite product, honey. You can find pine honey, thyme honey and flower honey in Datça.. You will also see olive groves intertwined with almond trees.. Don’t let them get hurt, amazing olive oil is made in Datça. So that; Sometimes you just want to dip the bread in olive oil and eat it in a restaurant.. I don’t like it at all, but because it is very useful, this product has its own audience; carob.
We counted so many products, we said that Datça still preserves its naturalness, but this does not mean that you can buy these foods from anywhere you see.. Unfortunately, like everywhere else, counterfeit products are common in Datça.. Sındı Village Agricultural Development Cooperative is one of the places where you can trust and shop. If you are satisfied, you can order by phone and receive the products by courier.. (Sındı Village, click for communication.)
Finally, our headliner is coming; Datça bread. Probably, you will find it in most restaurants or hotels.. The famous Datça bread with cinnamon and cloves, which we can’t get enough of, “I wish we could take 10-15 even if we had more room.” the kind that makes you say. Even if you can’t get it, I say don’t go back without tasting it.
*Scuba diving
Datça is not a popular diving spot yet. We were caught by the beauty of the underwater life in the bays and said, “How can there be no diving here, maybe there is, let’s search and find it.” we came to gas. We were very enthusiastic during our visit in April 2016. We found a suitable place to take him diving, but it was not licensed yet, they said everything would be ready by summer.. So we haven’t experienced diving in Datça yet, but I think it will be very enjoyable.. As far as I learned, the company we talked to is now ready to organize diving, they even do promotional dives.. In our next visit, our first job will be to explore the waters of Datça.
*Datça Night Market
The night markets of the seaside resorts are very famous, you will always see the same things in most of them; jewelry, handmade products and tattoo shops. But Datça also differs in this regard.. The most colorful and diverse night market I’ve ever visited was here.. You can find different and interesting handmade design products here.. If you are thinking of buying souvenirs or souvenirs, you will spend a lot of money here.
Suggestions for those coming from the Aegean by car
And finally; If you like to make long and boring trips fun, “While we’re here, let’s do this too.” If you are, here are some suggestions for what you can do on the road:
• Two alternatives for a lunch break; You can eat eggplant-cubed pita and apple-banana-honey pita at Mavi Pide, which is located on the road before you come to the garbage-şiş or Bozburun turn at Köfteci Soner Usta, located on the road in Aydın Çine.
• Located in Marmaris You can go to Cleopatra (Sedir) Island, which is famous for its sand.. Boats depart every half hour depending on occupancy.. Fee 25 TL. Not a pleasant place to spend the whole day as it is very crowded. You can spare 2-3 hours to swim on the island and continue on your way.
• You can visit Turgut Waterfall. Especially if you are going in the heat of summer, it will be good to relax in the ice-cold water.. This is a place where you will spend a maximum of 2 hours.
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