Explore the Turquoise Coast (part 1)

Travel from Canakkale to Gumusluk

The Turquoise Coast (also known as the Turkish Riviera) is an area of southwest Turkiye encompassing the provinces of Antalya and Mugla, and to a lesser extent Aydin, southern Izmir and western Mersin. The combination of a favourable climate, warm sea, mountainous scenery, fine beaches along more than a 1,000 km (620 mi) of shoreline along the Mediterranean and Aegean waters, and abundant natural and archaeological points of interest makes this stretch of Turkiye's coastline a popular national and international tourist destination.

1. CANAKKALE (322 km 4 hours from Istanbul)

Çanakkale is a city in northwestern Turkiye in the Marmara region, on the Dardanelles Strait. It’s a gateway to the Gallipoli WWI battlefields, north of the narrow strait. On the grounds of the 15th-century Çimenlik Castle, Çanakkale Naval Museum Command contains historical artillery. The archaeological site at Troy, including an ancient theater, is southwest of the city.

2. IZMIR (366 km 4 hours)

Known as Smyrna in antiquity, Izmir was founded by the Greeks, taken over by the Romans and rebuilt by Alexander the Great before becoming part of the Ottoman Empire in the 15th century. Today, its expansive archaeological sites include the Roman Agora of Smyrna, now an open-air museum. The hilltop Kadifekale, or Velvet Castle, built during Alexander’s reign, overlooks the city on the Aegean coast.

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3. KUSADASI (102 km 1 ½ hours) 1 sleep

Kusadasi is a beach resort town on Turkiye's western Aegean coast. A jumping-off point for visiting the classical ruins at nearby Ephesus (or Efes), it’s also a major cruise ship destination. Its seafront promenade, marina, and harbor are lined with hotels and restaurants. Just offshore on Pigeon Island is a walled Byzantine castle that once guarded the town, connected to the mainland via causeway.

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4. BODRUM (153 km 2 ½ hours)

The Bodrum Peninsula stretches from Turkiye's southwest coast into the Aegean Sea. The city, Bodrum, features twin bays with views of Bodrum Castle. This medieval fortress was built partly with stones from the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, completed in the 4th century B.C. The city is also a gateway for nearby beach towns and resorts.

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5. GUMUSLUK

The charming seaside village, Gumuslik, is located on the western shore of the Bodrum peninsula. This fishing village has waterfront restaurants, beautiful sunsets, and the ruins of ancient Myndos littered in the pristine little bays.

6. PAMUKKALE (extra experience: 250 km 2 ¾ hours from Izmir)

Pamukkale is a town in western Turkiye known for the mineral-rich thermal waters flowing down white travertine terraces on a nearby hillside. It neighbours Hierapolis, an ancient Roman spa city founded around 190 B.C. Ruins there include a well-preserved theater and a necropolis with sarcophagi that stretch for 2km. The Antique Pool is famous for its submerged Roman columns, the result of an earthquake.