At the head of a bay encircled by high wooded hills, you will see the resort of Marmaris. The population was just around 3,000 in 1960. Currently, it has more than 250,000 in the summer. Marmaris offers pretty much all you could want from a Mediterranean holiday. There is a blissful nature at uninhabited islands, coves and pine-decked hills. You can also see the heady fun of a modern resort full of bars, nightclubs and countless places to dine. There is also culture at archaeological sites and a superb museum in town. You can witness boats sailing from the resort’s chic marina to coastal nature reserves and remote islands. Below are the top things to do in Marmaris with your family which shouldn’t be missed out!

10 Best Things to Do in Marmaris

Marmaris Castle and Archaeology Museum
İçmeler Beach
Sedir Island (Cleopatra Island)
Marmaris National Park
Marmaris Marina
Dancing Fountain
Turunç Plajı
Marmaris Incekum Plaji
Marmaris Safari
All-Inclusive Boat Tour with Lunch

1. Marmaris Castle and Archaeology Museum

This town was protected as long ago as 3000 BCE. The roots of the castle on the little peninsula between the main beach and marina are 16th-century. Marmaris Castle was reconstructed at this time by Suleiman the Magnificent (1494-1566) during his Rhodes campaign. The building took heavy damage from French warships in the First World War. It also came through a ten-year restoration in the 1980s. Do not forget to visit the exceptional archaeology museum, a repository for artefacts unearthed at digs all around the Marmaris and Muğla areas. You will be able to find pottery, glassware, architectural fragments and much more, from the Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine periods. The museum also has an ethnographic section, showcasing the local crafts and ways of life during the Ottoman era. This is one of the best things to do in Marmaris.

2. İçmeler Beach

A good place to begin your beach journey is İçmeler, 15 minutes around the Bay of Marmaris. You can witness this place walled by pine-cloaked hills. This slightly smaller resort has a wonderful 500-metre beach, tucked into a cove and with sea buffered by Keçi Island. It is also a perennial Blue Flag beach known for its hygiene and facilities. It also has mostly soft sand, a light shade of brown. The water is also like a swimming pool, and just as clear. Families with children will be able to frolic in safety. Do not forget to visit this stunning beach and undoubtedly one of the best things to visit in Marmaris.

3. Sedir Island (Cleopatra Island)

Sedir Island tops the third place in the best things to do in Marmaris. To get to Sedir Island, you can first head to the village of Çamlı. And from here, you can make the short boat crossing. The island is also referred to as Cleopatra Island. It is believed that Cleopatra and Mark Antony bathed here 2000 years ago. The island can be crossed in a few minutes on foot. You will find paradisiacal Cleopatra beach on the north side. It is filled with a big sweep of glimmering turquoise water that stays idle for almost 100 metres. Sedir also houses the ancient settlement of Cedrae, the remnants of which are peppered throughout the island and include an agora and theatre.

4. Marmaris National Park

If the resort at Marmaris ever feels disorganised, you have always got almost 30,000 hectares of protected nature all around you. The national park encompasses Marmaris on land and surrounds the islands in the bay. You will notice the tall rocky hills under a mantle of pine, sweetgum and eucalyptus. Wild boar and wild goats are popular while Eurasian lynxes have been reported in the national park, and a variety of kestrels, falcons, eagles and hawks have their region here. The panoramas in the park’s hills are spectacular and the terrain lures walkers, mountain bikers and horseback riders (more later).

5. Marmaris Marina

The harbour in Marmaris is all the more attractive against the castle and hills of the Marmaris National Park. The quays and jetties are covered and you can go on a stroll to check out the forest of masts, the superyachts and the rugged topography around the bay. The main quay has a chain of cafes, boutiques and restaurants, which continue along the west bank of the river and then along the action-packed Bar Street. The marina is also your stepping stone for boat tours of Marmaris Bay and trips to the Dalyan River Delta.

6. Dancing Fountain

One indication of Marmaris’ high-speed regeneration is Youth Square, a plaza at the heart of the resort that took the place of a run-down construction from the 20th century. What grabs your awareness here, at the lower end of Ulusal Egemenlik Cd., is the circular fountain. This has two basins, and attracts the crowds at 21:00 and 22:00 in the high season when there is an automated light and music show. The Dancing Fountain looks exceptionally pretty at night against the clock tower on the north side and is one of the best things to do in Marmaris.

7. Turunç Beach

Half an hour south of the resort by road, you will find the village of Turunç facing east on the Bay of Marmaris. You can see it couched in a bowl of rocky hills covered with forest. The beach is also eliminated from the coastline, in a cove where the water is a darker shade of aquamarine and as quiet as can be. The beach at Turunç is Blue Flag and also has a blend of coarse sand and pebbles, covered with sun loungers and parasols for a blissful afternoon in the sun. There is also a small promenade fringing the cove, and if you are in the area you can head down to the railings first thing to watch the sun come up as it is one of the best things to do in Marmaris.

8. Marmaris Incekum Plaji

There are scores of far-flung beaches waiting to be seen on the Marmaris Peninsula’s indented coastline. This grand example on the north side, opposite Sedir Island, is a cove lapped by clear and shallow turquoise waters. Incekum Plajı has fine sand, covered with large rocks and supported by pine trees that give extra shade to bathers. The beach faces back to the Gulf of Gokova, with Sedir Island and Muğla’s coastal mountains rising dramatically behind. The whole beach is connected to a restaurant and there is a small fee to enter.

9. Marmaris Safari

A great way to cross the rugged landscapes of the Marmaris National Park is on horseback. On this outing, you will be saddling up within half an hour of departing your hotel. You will not be needing any previous riding experience, and will take a leisurely trek through fragrant pine forest, besides orange groves and through traditional little villages. Your horse will also be calm and steady, and all you will have to do is to saddle and watch the landscape roll by. Children will also be able to ride along, provided a parent is in the group, and of course a helmet will be provided. Do not forward to keep this in your list of best things to do in Marmaris if you are a trek lover.

10. All-Inclusive Boat Tour with Lunch

The amount of natural beauty around the Bay of Marmaris is plenty and it is a good idea to sit back and just be shown around on a cruise ride. This experience will be a seven-hour odyssey on a comfortable, well-equipped boat to see the best of the bay, its islands and innumerable coves. You will step aground at paradise island, lounge on deserted beaches and swim in the strange, phosphorescent waters of the Phosphorus Cave. Your vessel will also call in at Turunç as well as another picture-perfect bay at Kumlubük a little way south. Capturing the last place in the best things to do in Marmaris.

So, here are the top things to do in Marmaris which you should not miss out. Have a wonderful vacation in Turkey with your loved ones while it is sunny down under. Book your Turkey holiday package with Pickyourtrail. Also, leave a Whatsapp inquiry for more options! You can also download the Pickyourtrail app, the best travel app on Android and IOS for further details.