Dalyan: what to see, where to stay and how to get around
Kaunos stood on the border between Caria and Lycia, and grew rich as a harbour at the mouth of the river. Its rulers had their tombs cut into the cliff in the form of temple fronts, facing the town. Since then the river has carried so much silt that the old harbour is now a marsh, far from the sea. This walk crosses the river by rowing boat to the city and comes back to the tombs at sunset; about three hours.
A short history of Dalyan
Dalyan lies on a natural channel that links Lake Köyceğiz with the sea, and opposite it, in the cliff across the water, are rock tombs from the 4th century BC whose façades look like temples. The tombs belong to Kaunos, an ancient port city whose harbour silted up until the sea retreated from it. In 1987, when a large hotel was planned on İztuzu Beach, activists led by the Briton June Haimoff began a campaign that saved the sea turtles' nesting beach, and since then the beach has been protected and closed at night. The town itself has a few thousand residents.
The ten best sights in Dalyan
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1Kaunos Rock Tombs
Best seen from the riverbank in town, lit by the late-afternoon sun
2Kaunos ancient cityCross the river by the little rowing ferry, then 15 minutes on foot; theatre, baths and harbour
3İztuzu BeachA 4.5 km sand spit between sea and lagoon; closed at night in the turtle season
4Sultaniye hot springsWarm mineral pools and mud on the shore of Köyceğiz Lake, by boat or by road
5Köyceğiz LakeThe lake that feeds the Dalyan channel; quiet shore roads and lake views
6DEKAMER turtle centreInjured sea turtles in recovery tanks at İztuzu; free, a donation is welcome
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7Dalyan river boats
The cooperative's boats leave from the riverfront for the beach and the mud baths; agree the route first
8EkincikA green bay to the west; boats from here cut through to Dalyan by sea
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9Toparlar Waterfall
A short shady stop above Köyceğiz town, 30 minutes from Dalyan
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10Yuvarlakçay
A cold stream under plane trees with restaurants on platforms; lunch on a hot day
Scan with your phone camera to open the map there
What is an audio walk?
Tours in Dalyan →A guide in your headphones: open the walk on our site, walk from stop to stop, and at each one your phone tells its story. No guide, no group, and free. This is the first walk in Dalyan:
Free walking tours in Dalyan
Kings in the cliff
Kaunos stood on the border between Caria and Lycia, and grew rich as a harbour at the mouth of the river. Its rulers had their tombs cut into the cliff in the form of temple fronts, facing the town. Since then the river has carried so much silt that the old harbour is now a marsh, far from the sea. This walk crosses the river by rowing boat to the city and comes back to the tombs at sunset; about three hours.
- Dalyan Mosque · Dalyan means 'fishing weir' in Turkish. The village took its name from the barrier of reeds and nets across the channel that has trapped fish moving between lake and sea for centuries.
- Kaunos Rock Tombs · The tombs were cut in the 4th century BC with columns and a pediment, copying Greek temples. They were made for the city's elite, and the grandest are high on the face, out of reach of robbers.
- Fish cooperative · The weir is run by a fishermen's cooperative, and its fish, mostly grey mullet and sea bass, are sold right here. The roe of the grey mullet is dried into a delicacy.
- Kaunos ancient city · Herodotus wrote that the Kaunians claimed to have come from Crete, and that they spoke like the Carians but had their own customs. The theatre, set into the hillside, looks over the silted harbour.
- Dalyan river boats · Boats are the old roads of Dalyan, linking the village to the beach, the lake and Kaunos. The boatmen work through a cooperative with fixed prices for each route.
- Kaunos Rock Tombs at sunset · From the riverbank in the evening the tombs turn gold as the sun sets behind you. The same view drew the first tourists to Dalyan in the 1980s, when it was still a fishing village.
Turtles, mud and the lake
The Dalyan channel winds through reed beds between Köyceğiz Lake and the sea, and the whole area is a protected zone. At its seaward end lies İztuzu, a beach saved from developers by a campaign in the 1980s, and at its landward end warm springs rise at the lake shore. A boat day links them all; boats leave the riverfront around 10 and return late afternoon.
- İztuzu Beach · In 1987 a hotel was planned on the beach. A campaign led by June Haimoff, a British woman living in a hut on the sand, stopped it, and İztuzu became protected for the loggerhead turtles that nest here.
- İztuzu lagoon side · The beach is a spit with fresh water on one side and salt on the other, so you can swim in both in one afternoon. The channel mouth is where loggerheads and blue crabs are often seen.
- Çandır · The village on the far bank is the landing for Kaunos and has no road bridge to Dalyan. Its people cross by boat, as they always have.
- Sultaniye hot springs · The springs come out at about 40 degrees and were used in antiquity; the domed bathhouse over the main pool is a later building on the old site. The water is rich in minerals and slightly radioactive, as the signs explain.
- Köyceğiz Lake · The lake was once a bay of the sea, cut off as the river built its delta. It is still linked to the sea through the Dalyan channel, which is why sea fish swim into it and are caught at the weir on the way back.
- Ekincik · Ekincik is the sea gate of the area: yachts anchor in the bay and their crews take the river boats into Dalyan. The bay is closed on the land side by pine forest.
Plane trees and waterfalls inland
Away from the coast the land rises into forested hills full of streams. The trees here include the oriental sweetgum, whose resin has been tapped around Köyceğiz since antiquity. This drive loops round the lake to a waterfall and a stream lined with restaurants, then down to the sea at Sarıgerme. About 90 km; go in the morning and finish on the beach.
- Köyceğiz town · The lakeside town gave the lake its name. Around it grow the last natural forests of the oriental sweetgum, a tree found only in south-west Turkey and Rhodes; its resin, called sığla yağı, is still collected.
- Toparlar Waterfall · The falls lie in the forest just above Köyceğiz, on the stream that runs down to the lake. A short path and wooden bridges lead to its foot.
- Yuvarlakçay · The stream comes out cold from springs in the hills, and restaurants have built their tables on platforms right above the water, under huge plane trees. Trout are farmed in its pools.
- Ortaca · Dalyan belongs to the district of Ortaca, the farming town of the plain. Its market is where the villages of the delta come to sell their produce.
- Göcek · Göcek's bay is scattered with a dozen islands, and many of the yacht charter fleets of the coast are based in its marinas. The village front is a promenade of fish restaurants.
- Sarıgerme Beach · Facing the beach is Baba Adası, a small island just offshore. Sarıgerme's sand, like İztuzu's, is a nesting beach for loggerhead turtles.
Getting to Dalyan and getting around
- Dalaman Airport · About 30 minutes by car; flights from Istanbul all year and from Europe in summer
- Ortaca Bus Station · Long-distance buses stop here; dolmuş minibuses run on to Dalyan
- Dalyan dolmuş stop · Minibuses to Ortaca and, in summer, to İztuzu Beach
Cheap eats in Dalyan
Dalyan eats from the channel and the delta: fish from the weir, grey mullet roe, and blue crab caught in the lagoon. Village women roll out gözleme at the beach and at the mud baths, and freshly squeezed orange juice comes from the orchards around town. The riverfront is pricier; the back streets are where locals eat.
- Kebap Dünyası · Kebab and dürüm on the main street; about 200-300 lira
- Mahir's Kebap Place · Kebab in bread for a quick lunch; about 200-300 lira
- Kebapçı Yusuf · Grilled kebab plates; about 250-350 lira
- Cömert Lokantası · Home-style stews from the window; a plate about 150-250 lira
- Soup Kitchen · Soups and light meals; about 150-250 lira
- Saklı Bahçe · Turkish breakfast and tea in a garden; breakfast about 300-450 lira
- Sevgi Pancake House · Gözleme-style pancakes and tea; about 150-250 lira
Museums in Dalyan
- Kaunos ancient city · Theatre, baths, a Byzantine church and the silted harbour
- Kaunos Rock Tombs · Temple-fronted tombs of the 4th century BC; best from the river
- Sultaniye hot springs · Old domed bathhouse over a hot pool
- DEKAMER turtle centre · Sea turtle rescue at İztuzu
Nature and day trips near Dalyan
- İztuzu Beach · Sea on one side, lagoon on the other; closed 8 pm to 8 am in season
- Köyceğiz Lake · A large lake linked to the sea by the Dalyan channel
- Toparlar Waterfall · Tiered falls with a short path
- Yuvarlakçay · Cold stream under plane trees
- Ekincik · Pine-ringed bay and the sea route into Dalyan
Things to do in Dalyan with kids
- İztuzu Beach · Shallow sand and a beach with real turtles
- Dalyan river boats · A boat trip through the reeds; look for turtles at the surface
- Sultaniye mud · Cover yourself in mud and wash it off in the warm pool
- Toparlar Waterfall · Wooden bridges and a waterfall to splash at
Where to eat in Dalyan
- Çağrı Fish Restaurant · Fish restaurant on the river side of town
- Dalko Fish House · Seafood in the centre
- İskele · Seafood by the boat landing
- Kordon · On the riverfront facing the rock tombs
- Hanedan · Turkish grill and steak
Frequently asked questions about Dalyan
What is there to see in Dalyan?
The top sights in Dalyan are Kaunos Rock Tombs, Kaunos ancient city and İztuzu Beach. The full list on this page has 10 sights, each with a photo and a short note.
How many days do you need in Dalyan?
Three to four days are enough to see the best of Dalyan without rushing, including at least one walking tour.
Is there a free walking tour in Dalyan?
Yes. sleepntrip has 3 free audio walks in Dalyan, with no guide and no group: your phone tells the story at every stop. The first one: Kings in the cliff.
How do you get to Dalyan and get around?
The main ways are Dalaman Airport, Ortaca Bus Station and Dalyan dolmuş stop. Full details are in the transport section on this page.
Where to stay in Dalyan, and for how much?
sleepntrip shows only rooms in Dalyan that meet nine conditions: a good location, high guest scores, cleanliness, and a price of up to $80 a night for two. Pick your dates and see what is free.
Looking for a hotel in Dalyan for your dates?
Only rooms that meet nine conditions, up to $80 a night.