Luxury Turkish Villa Anni Blog

Beyond Marmaris is the Gulf of Gökova, and at the end of this Gulf is the Turkish resort of Akyaka, which has the very distinctive Ula architecture and is a great day out from Orhaniye. Akyaka is an ancient town, originally being a Carian town called Idyma – dating back to 330 BC. You can easily see evidence of Akyaka’s ancient past in the form of rock tombs, cisterns and walls on the outskirts of the town.

Today it is famous for its Ula architecture – an ornate style in wood unique to the local Mugla province. If you look at Villa Nurtan or Villa Anni’s roof lines you will see this Ula design as Nurtan Onur, our Architect, comes from this area. Akyaka has a long sandy beach, with a park at the end of the beach, ideal for resting in its shade during the long hot summer days. The popular fish restaurants on the bank of the crystal-clear ” Kad?n Azmak” (‘Woman river`) where freshly caught fish are perfectly prepared and served, are very well known by gourmets throughout Turkey. Along the far side of the bay, you will see kite flying is very popular with Turkey’s national championships being help in Akyaka.

The Bozburun Peninsula is a beautiful and quiet stretch of Turkish coastline, with sleepy rural villages, sheltered coves and stunning bays. It is unspoilt Turkey at its best. It is an area of outstanding natural beauty, untouched by mass-market tourism, classed as a nature reserve by the Government thereby protected against high-rise development. Secrets of the Bozburun Peninsula.

The fantastic local sailing conditions make it popular with yacht owners who come from around the world for the tranquility and relaxed atmosphere. The largest marina on the Bozburun Peninsula is Marti Marina in Orhaniye.

The village of Bozburun itself is where some of Turkey’s finest wooden Gulets are built, and are exported all over Turkey, as well as many neighbouring countries along the Mediterranean. Approximately 45 minutes drive from Orhaniye, it is well worth a trip, and the coastline and scenery you will pass along the Peninsula are simply breathtaking.

Often confused with the bustling Hisaronu near the famous, but extremely busy Olu Deniz, this Hisaronu on the Bozburun Peninsula is a much more quiet, relaxed and beautiful village.

It has a beautiful bay with sandy beach and plenty of water sports if you prefer a more energetic holiday. In the hills behind Hisaronu, there is an equestrian centre so you can join treks up into the local hills. There is a ruined castle on a hill that dominates the village, and a great way to start the day in the cool early morning before the heat is to walk up to the castle.

Selimiye is peaceful fishing village that seems to flow along a stunning bay, just along the coast from Turgutkoy and Orhaniye. It now has a new public quay and seaside boardwalk so it is a perfect place to have a walk and explore the many restaurants and quaint shops dotted around the village.

Many of the restaurants have tables that overlook the bay so you can enjoy a delicious meal next to the crystal-clear blue waters, or explore the historical ruins of three castles from the ancient city of Hydas.

The beautiful region around Selimiye is also renowned for its rich harvest of almonds and fragrant herbs such as oregano and sage, as well as its famous, delicious pine honey. Discover the old village jail that is now a ruin, built on a small island in the middle of the bay.

Marmaris. You can reach it by car, dolmus (bus service) or taxi boat from Marmaris itself.

Içmeler is a well-established resort with bars, restaurants, hotels and tourist shops. It has an excellent beach, if somewhat crowded in high season, and is one of three blue-flag awarded beaches in the area.

It is a good centre for water sports and is the base of an excellent PADI diving school if you want to learn to scuba dive or just have some refresher dives.

From Orhaniye, you can cut across the Peninsula and enjoy a quiet drive to Içmeler, driving through scented pinewoods and enjoying wonderful views as you drop down into Içmeler.