Beach holidays in Turkey are often synonymous with (mostly) British tourists occupying row after row of sun loungers, rowdy club nights and all-inclusive resorts. However, using public transport, or your own car, you can get to some of the best beaches in Turkey in no time.

Iztuzu Beach, Dalyan
Turtles and tourism coexist on the protected 4.5km of hard-packed sands of Iztuzu beach, which is considered one of the best beaches in Turkey. Tracks emerging from the sea are visible on the sand in June and July. These are formed when turtles have dragged themselves ashore to lay their eggs, and the marshes behind the beach are often alive with other wildlife too.

While lack of shade is often a problem on this beach, the gently shelving seabed calms the choppy waters, making Iztuzu excellent for children.

This tailor-made trip to Delightful Turkey is for those who want to discover as much as of Turkey as possible in under one week. Highlights include the Old Town of Istanbul, the valleys of Cappadocia, the birth of Sufism and the historical city of Ephesus.

Patara Beach, Xanthos Valley
Patara’s fine white-sand beach ranks as one of the longest continuous beach in the Mediterranean. It measures 9km from the access road to the mouth of the Eşen Çayı, and then another 6km to the end.

In peak season the immediate vicinity of the beach entrance gets crowded, but walking northwest past the dunes brings you to plenty of solitary spots. Spring and autumn swimming is delightful, but in summer the exposed shoreline can be battered by body-surfable waves.

Kabak Beach, the Lycian Way
The small village of Kabak is the perfect place to escape package holiday groups. Most visitors come here to chill out in one of the many wooden huts and bungalows, set in the pine-forested valley behind the sand-and-pebble beach. Wear mosquito repellent in the summer though, as these pesky insects are everywhere.

Find more inspiration for visiting Turkey with our guide to the best things to do in Turkey.

Cirali Beach, the Turquoise Coast
The laidback resort, shrouded in citrus groves, is situated on a narrow plain between the mountains and a long, curving 3km-long shingle beach, considered one of the best beaches in Turkey. It is possible to walk along the beach to the ruins of ancient Olympos, as well as longer hikes on the Lycian Way, which blazes its way through the settlement.

Çiralı is safeguarded by various Turkish bodies for its unique ecology. This has enabled threatened loggerhead and green sea turtles to continue laying their eggs here. Be careful not to so dig up, litter or nocturnally illuminate the beach during the summer nesting season.

Phaselis Beach, the Turquoise Coast
Heading north from Olympos, there’s scant pretext to stop before Antalya. Yet ancient Phaselis, with its superb swimming opportunities, will certainly tempt you off the main road.

The ruins of Phaselis flank three small bays, providing ample opportunity to contemplate antique monuments while lying on the beach. The natural beauty of the clear sea makes for a rewarding half-day outing. Bring a picnic if you don’t fancy the car-park snack caravans.

Bozcaada Beach
Sitting beneath the gently undulating countryside of Bozcaada there are a few good beaches, the most developed being Ayazma, which offers watersports and sunbeds. The next bay west, Sulubahçe, has good broad sand but no parking. For the best beaches head to the secluded, sandy Beylik cove or Aqvaryum bay, tucked scenically to one side of the Mermer Burnu cape.

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