No summer house crowds, just serenity in Datça-Hisarönü

The half moon and the star in Old Datça, Turkey.

A typical Old Datça house, Turkey.

If you are tired of the crowds in Bodrum, the place to go on the Turkish coast these days is Datça peninsula. Datça used to be famous for its deadly curvy and narrow road which has only been recently expanded. Although it can be reached by boat from Bodrum in one hour and a half hours, the beauty of the peninsula is maintained by the fact that it is three hours away from Dalaman airport. This is also why even yacthing is less developed here than Bodrum or Marmaris. Notwithstanding its relentless wind, olive and almond trees, what is less known about Datça and especially the summer house resort Aktur is that it is home to a high number of retired generals of the Turkish army! Not surprisingly, the peninsula is a staunchly secular part of Turkey. 

Palamutbükü in the southern part of Datça peninsula.

Gabaklar bay in the southern part of Datça peninsula.

Yachts anchored in Hayıtbükü, southern part of
Datça peninsula, Turkey.

Old Datça is the place to stay if you want peace and quiet in old stone houses left by Greeks. It lies just outside the new Datca and was made famous when the poet Can Yücel adopted it. Although accommodation there is more pricey, it is worth the peace and quiet. Renting a car is the key to explore the pristine beauty and protected bays of the Datça peninsula. Datça is also a place where the Greek island Symi, one of the Twelve Islands, close to Turkey constantly rears its head. Tune your radio to listen in! If you want to enjoy the good local mezes of Datça head to downtown Fevzi although it can be a little bit pricey.

Ovabükü, at the southern part of Datça peninsula.

Sunset at Knidos, Datça peninsula. 

One day you should drive out to Palamutbükü. Building is forbidden here so there is only one hotel  (Mavi Beyaz) and all others are bungalow or make shift type. The beach is really the main reason to go out there. Pick any of the beach restaurants that serve good food. We choose Tuna which also has bungalows. Another option is to go to Gabaklar where the beach facility is more sophisticated where beds under built in shadows await customers. On the way back from Gabaklar, spend some time in Hayıtbükü and sit at the cafe on the corner just to hang out. Lastly, one day could be spent at Ovabükü at Hoppala also in the same direction with a visit to Knidos at sunset. It is a popular stop with the yachting crowd and will take your breath away. One last stop should be the Kargı Bay in Datça where cold water flows into the sea and makes swimming an excellently refreshing experience. If it is full moon, Kargı is also very good place to watch it. Take a dive and swim in the moonlight!

Knidos at sunset at the tip of Datça peninsula.

Yachts seeking refuge at Knidos, Datça peninsula.

And Travelmind enjoys Kargı bay in Datça town
while overlooking Symi island, Greece.

You may now be ready to leave the Datça peninsula and head towards Hisarönü bay. This is the eastern part of Datça peninsula before reaching Marmaris. Travelmind first headed out to Bozburun which has been gaining visibility among the yachting crowd in recent years but its real beauty is that many popular places to stay can only be reached by boat. Therefore, hotels offer bed-breakfast and dinner which makes it easier for guests. One of these is the outrageously expensive Sabrina's Haus and the other one is Bozburun Yacht Club with its boutique hotel where you can rub shoulders with the young and beautiful of the acting crowd in Turkey. The latter is also known for its good food which Travelmind tasted. Alternatively, spend an afternoon here even if you stay somewhere else and taste their margarithas and caipirinhas before the club boat drops you off at your hotel's pier. 

In the bay of Bozburun on our way to the yacht club, Turkey.

A view from Bozburun yacht club, Turkey.

Travelmind explored bays further away from Bozburun as well such as Söğüt or Serçe. Both are popular with the yachting crowd although the latter is less known and developed. Lastly, Selimiye can be visited which seems to be the more lively and more green than Bozburun and Söğüt. It has nice houses, beaches, hotels and restaurants that dot its coastline and make a nice board walk at night. After spending almost two weeks visiting all these places, my conclusion is better bad roads to keep off the summer house crowds.

Selimiye bay, Turkey.

Time to say goodybe to Alaçatı

After my recent visit in 2014, it is very frustrating to observe that Alaçatı is falling victim to the Bodrum syndrome or the general Turkish idea of a summer resort in the sense of "discover, overbuild and destroy". Alaçatı was a small village in the Çeşme peninsula, known only by local Izmirites and dedicated wind surfers. However, when the “highway to the beach” aka İzmir-Çeşme highway has been built, it has been transformed to the most popular boutique destination in Turkey given its closeness to the İzmir airport. Then, to the dismay of İzmir’s locals who complain that Istanbulers ruined the placeJ, (who can blame them?), the opening of Taş Otel, now a classic of Alaçatı, changed the village forever. After that, many of the buildings that are examples of Greek masonry have been renovated to now serve as boutique hotels, restaurants and cafés.

Views from various antique stores in Alaçatı.

Thanks to a visionary municipal administration that forbade the use of plastic chairs and tables and enforcing the turning down of music after 12 at night Alaçatı was cool for a while. It did not fall victim to the usual concrete boom in coastal towns and mass tourism in general. However, the big rentier absorped from high prices of accommodation and restaurants served as a strong drive for the locals who are simple farmers and small shopowners. Tyring to benefit from the Alaçatı craze, they started to give their homes to investors who started to offer cheaper places to stay, eat and shop. Sniffing opportunity, big investors also built lucrative port projects. One is the Marina in Çeşme and the other is Port Alaçatı. Today, it changed so much that it is possible to shop from the same chain towel and sheet stores in Istanbul in Alaçatı while enjoying a second class restaurant and staying in a second class hotel. In the late hours of the night, the main street of Alaçatı is inaccessible from all the chairs and tables of cafes. It is made all the more difficult as grandmas with crying children in strollers enjoy a suffocating walk among people. The crowds extend to the once quiet back streets of Hacı Memiş. All of this makes you think that Ildırı, 16 km away may be a better choice to stay.

You can rent one of these "lounges" at Fun Beach, Altınkum, Çeşme.

Stuffed muscles come with lemon, plastic bag
(for trash) and cologne towels.

This is Nusret from Ilıca, selling apple candy.

If you decide to ignore the crowds in Alaçatı and decide to experience the peninsula to the full, a car is a MUST.  My entourage in the peninsula usually starts with an arrival dinner at Dalyan north of Alaçatı. The place to go is Cevat’ın Yeri (Tel: 0232-7247045) located on the very left end of the tiny strait like “dalyan”. As you sit across the cutest Coast Goard office in the country and look at the lighthouse, you enjoy the freshest fish and tasteful mezes. Cevat’ın Yeri is not cheap but it’s a classic. On the way back, indulge in the pastries of Reyhan Pattiserie at Ilıca Hotel in Ilıca. 

The lovely café of Sailors Otel in Alaçatı.

Aqua at Şifne bay in Çeşme.

The famous mojitos of Aqua in Şifne bay, Çeşme.

You should be aware that while Alaçatı slowly loses its flair, given the small number of rooms in converted stone houses, it is still hard to find a place to stay in busy July-August without reservation long time in advance. During the day, there are various options for “beaching”. My favorite is Fun Beach in Altınkum, west of Alaçatı. Another great option is Kum Beach located further than the lucrative Port Alaçatı project. While Babylon Aya Yorgi itself may be nice and Babylon has been the live performance place in the night life of Istanbul, bringing its tunes to this summer spot in Aya Yorgi bay seems to have ruined the bay in the sense that it fuelled development there. In both of these places, while lying on the beach, street vendors selling corn and stuffed muscle will pass by. Beer goes extremely well with stuffed muscles that are like Pringles: Once you eat, you cannot stop. One must also head to Aqua in Şifne. This place is famous for its 38 degree thermal pool in which people enjoy afternoon drinks. If not the pool, its couches and hammocks on grass are extremely neat. In the night, the place is famous for its pool parties and electronica music.

Asma Yaprağı restaurant in Alaçatı,
probably the best dinner of my 2011 holiday.

The kitchen of Asma Yaprağı.

Picturesque detail from the kitchen
of Asma Yaprağı, in Alaçatı.

Afternoon cafés in Alaçatı can be enjoyed at Sailor’s Otel or Köşe Cafe in the main square especially if you are returning early from the beach. This is a good option if you want to party with electronic music at Otto or other types of music at Babylon. If you do not want to drive, late night drinks are great at Nar the menu of which includes black mulberry mojito, yummy! 

Local men in Alaçatı.

Since 2006, these men sit here at this corner in Alaçatı. In 2014,
there is a cafe at this corner . The men still sat there.

"Among the old, I remain here" says
this old local man in Alaçatı.

Every year, many places open in Alaçatı but not all of them endure. Roka Bahçe and Asma Yaprağı, have been hailed good but the latter is better than the former. Both cook dishes of Aegean cuisine which is very similar to Greek cuisine with lots of herbs and vegetables. Deserts in Alaçatı almost always include mastic. Head to Imren for mastic pudding or mastic desert. They are doing it since 1941!

Alaçatı mosque, converted from a Greek orthodox church.
Notice the lights at the minarette given ramadan.

Despite the gourmet restaurants, the antique stores, open air bijouterie sold, ever opening niche cafés, what I really like in Alaçatı is the hotel that I have been staying ever since I step foot there. Unfortunately it is now a different establishment  with a famous restaurant called Eflatun. The place is special for it has been converted from the grocery store of Yannis Pavitsos (Alatsata 1883-Athens 1946) whose picture decorated the dining room of the premise. Years ago, it has been given to the two sisters running the hotel by Pavitsos’ grandchildren that visited Alaçatı (or Alatsata as it was known then). I am not sure whether the new owners still keep the picture.

Entrance to my once home in Alaçatı, now Eflatun.

Hacı Memiş side of Alaçatı is still more quiet and local old men still hang out. Year after year, I found them always on the same spot exchanging stories of the day. Many being descendants of settlers from Greek islands themselves, one admires their easy going life style and is taken by their slow rhythm. Women still sit in front of their doors and chat. A quick gaze into their humble homes show the reason why they increasingly give away their homes to investors. Poverty is hard to escape. Maybe this is why we should support cafes like Sunay Kıraathanesi (on the way to Hacı Memiş) where you can sit elbow to elbow with local men and enjoy prices geared for them.

And let me introduce you to Yiannis Pavitsos in the picture,
former owner of Eflatun in Alaçatı.

Girl power sailing the Turkish coast

One of the nicest things to do in Turkey is sailing or yachting the Southwest coast, locally called “doing a blue voyage”. Along with Croatia, Turkey has one of the best coasts in the Mediterranean for this given the zigzag nature of the (Aegean) coast stretching 450 miles. According to Ali Boratav, there are 5 routes 2 of which I have already explored. The Bodrum-Gökova route is the classic route for beginners usually done with a goulet, a Bodrum built wooden yacht.

Korsan Bay in Marmaris, Turkey.

Turunç Pınarı east of Marmaris.

On the shore Fisherman Osman at Turunç Pınarı, Marmaris.

The second is the subject of this post done by a team of four women that I call "girl power". Under captain Aylin, the team -all professional women by the way- sailed from Marmaris to the East towards Dalyan. Because I have done the tour myself couple of years back, I can totally relate to their adventure. If you love the nature, the sea and boats, it is the perfect holiday. You first stack up all food, alcohol and details until toilet paper in Marmaris, board the boat, do the last checks and set sail. 

Daily boat trip to Dalyan, Turkey.

Daily boat trip to Dalyan.

The team departed from Marmaris with s/y Hadar, a Beneteau Oceanis 40 (appx. 13 metres) chartered by Offshore Yachting. Since this was their second trip, instead of last year's hesitant "should we take you out of the harbour?", the company was like "yeah, Captain Aylin can take you out". So the ladies went off to Turunç Pınarı via Korsan Koyu (Pirate Bay). 

Ekincik My Marina in Marmaris.

What is so nice about the whole thing is that you are constantly in fresh air and at night under stars. This is why noone sleeps in the rooms but onboard. You wake up, jump into the crystal clear water and then sip your freshly brewed coffee. Then you look around and  amid the silence, admire life while the first team starts cooking the breakfast. Cooking onboard is fun as people take rounds for it and cleaning afterwards. Of course, there are more bossy and less bossy, more perfectionist and less perfectionist teams and their "creations" make the daily conversation and jokes while onboard. 

And this is the Beneteau Oceanis 40, look at the tidyness of girlpower.

R-E-S-P-E-C-T! Girlpower's captain Aylin Şasa.

After breakfast, it's departure time from the bay you anchored the night before. You get the latest news from the neighboring yachts, check wind and currents. At open sea, you may be accompanied by turtles and dolphins. Weather permitting, you can sail or go by engine. Sailing is fun but the preparations before it is even more fun: collect everything that can fall; secure this and that; close all windows; find yourself a dry spot, etc. 

Göbün Bay, Turkey.

s/y Hadar entering the Karacaören bay.

The ladies arrived in Ekincik marina and anchored there. This spot can only be reached by boat like most of the spots on yachting. They took a boat to Dalyan to see the famous caretta caretta turtles that nest there. Dalyan is also where you can buy blue crabs. Our captain bought and cooked some for us when I went! Yummy! Indeed, when it's noon, the daily alcohol over-consumption starts with beer. Towards 5 PM, it is gin-tonic or mojito or campari-orange time. Later, it is wine or rakı at dinner time. Pretty much everyday for a week, it's the same! Late in the night, drinking goes on until you get too drunk and jump into calm water and get sober! It's impossible to be onboard and not drink.

A perfect sunset at Panormitis, Simi, Greece.

These ladies did a different route last year departing again from Marmaris towards the Greek island Simi. For other girl power trips click here. In Simi we swam in the Agios Yiorghos beach and anchored at Panormitis (back of the island). In the morning, I went with our zodiac to the beach and practiced my Greek a little while buying from the local pastry shop. The ladies, on the other hand, went further down to Rhodes and Halki. In addition to these options east and south of Marmaris, one can also explore the Hisarönü region along with some Greek islands, the last two can also be combined. For a view of the area click here. 

On the way to Dalyan, the rock tombs.

And the proud girlpower in Turunçpınarı.
(All pictures by Dolunay Özbek).

Now, when you have a license, you can rent “bare boat” from Marmaris but if you don't, the boat comes with the crew: captain and cook or additional seamen depending on the size of the boat and your group. In that case, you do nothing but read, eat and drink. I prefer when we rent "bare boat" or with the captain and do the sailing work ourselves. In off-season early June, one week on this boat cost €1800 for the ladies, while stacking up   cost €850. Now, where do you get all of that for €650 per person for one week?