You might have the same reaction as I did when a week in Marmaris is floated. Call me Nana if you like, but my all-night euro disco days are done. I want rooftop restaurants and local wine over late night bars and lager.
You see, I had been operating under the misconception that Marmaris was more about beaches, beers and bars than a cultural, culinary and scenic hotspot.
Of course, I was way out.
Marmaris, nestled in a valley between two pine-clad mountains and a buzzy marina, is an ancient fortress town, linked to modern Marmaris by a palm tree-lined seafront promenade looking out to the point where the clear waters of the Mediterranean and Aegean seas meet.
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It has all the charm, authentic food and history you might be after, with a side helping of late-opening bars, both chic (there is a Hix on the yacht-lined marina) and lively (live music in cocktail bars on the boardwalk, dance music on Bar Street) if you seek it.
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The old town itself is a charming warren of cobbled streets and white-washed stone buildings arranged higgledy piggledy up winding lanes opening on to cool courtyards, decorated with evil eyes and overgrown bourgainvillea.
Turn a corner and a shaded lane opens up to a glimpse of crystalline blue sea or the turreted walls of Marmaris castle, built by the Ionians in 1044 BC (though fort walls on this site date back 5,000 years), repaired in the 1500s by Suleyman the Magnificent during his expedition against Rhodes and now faithfully restored.
Yes, if you have ever gloated to Americans about their lack of history – You call that an old building? This is an old building… then Turkey, land of the five millennia-old castle, will one up you time and time again – and Marmaris is no different.
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There is so much history stored within these walls and, indeed, the entire coastline. Wars won and lost during its rich Ottoman history; Alexander the Great invaded in 334BC and Lord Nelson sheltered here in 1700s.
Marmaris, once named Physkos and part of the 6th C Carian Empire, played a central part in Greek history and legend too. A cult to Leto (mother of Artemis and Apollo) was discovered in caves here and the Dalaman coast is where Icarus is said to have landed after his fateful flight.
Once you have walked the cool, shaded streets of the old town, explored the uncrowded shops (in August, Marmaris old town is surprisingly peaceful) you can head to the castle itself and walk the walls, finishing with a visit to the castles museum full of rare, well-preserved artefacts dating back thousands of years.
In the shadow of the castle is the Carsi Market, where you can buy jewellery, handbags, local honey and wines.
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You will also have spotted from the heights of the castle walls the marina, with its mix of wooden fishing boats, pristine yachts and boutiques.
Stylish shops sell traditional Turkish linen, handmade soaps, coffee and spices, and if youre in the market for gems (and youre in the mood to bargain), you are likely to get a good price for gold and diamonds here.
Stroll around the picturesque harbour, stop off at a quayside restaurant or take one of the boat trips on offer from the harbour to the many nearby islands and islets.
We walked along the front for a cocktail on the waterfront before heading to dinner at Pineapple, a seafood restaurant right on the marina (visit pineapple.com.tr) for fresh sea bream and calamari, but you could have thrown a stone and hit any number of restaurants that served excellent fresh seafood and traditional Turkish cuisine.
WHERE TO STAY
D-Resort Grand Azur
Set back from the boardwalk a leisurely 30-minute walk from the old town in palm-fringed gardens with a generous sized pool, lazy river, slide and beach bar, this hotel is an oasis of calm with a dose of luxury.
We stayed in a seafront room on the top floor, and could have spent days just sitting on the balcony enjoying the mountain-framed sea views, listening to the live jazz waft up from the al fresco dining area each evening.
WHAT TO DO
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In Marmaris you will never be short of things to do. Sailing and diving are a speciality, but water sports of all sorts are on offer.
On the doorstep of D Resort Grand Azur are a number of watersport companies offering waterskiing, jet skis and – our choice – parasailing with Turkeys longest parasailing cord.
Theres nothing that quite compares to being 400metres up in the sky, gliding silently out to sea with only the birds for company.
Back on dry land, one of the highlights of the hotel is a private decked jetty that stretches out to sea.
While all those around you are sunbathing on the (very lovely, imported from Egypt) sand, you can be stretched out on a very Instagrammable lounger, nothing between you and the expanse of sparkling Aegean.
Oh – and nothing by your side but a button you can push to have drinks and snacks delivered from the beach bar.
SHOPPING, SAILING, SAFARIS
You can hire a boat all to yourself for around three hours to explore the coastline, with starting rates at £75.
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Adrenalin junkies will enjoy the sunset jeep safari, which takes you into Marmaris National Park, where youll be bounced around in one of the all-terrain military vehicles before heading to a beach for a twilight swim and barbecue.
After dinner, we loved strolling along the seafront promenade to the marina.
By night you can still appreciate this truly beautiful bay with steep-sided wooded hillsides dropping down into a deep blue sea. Islands and headlands, little bays and beaches, harbours and tiny fishing ports – this is one of the prettiest coastlines around.
And dont leave Marmaris without having a strong Turkish coffee in the sunshine.
SPA AND GYM
The exchange rate of the Turkish lira to the pound means that spa treatments are a steal. A Balinese massage at D Resort Grand Azur works out to £35 (at current exchange rates) for an hour. The whole hammam experience is £30. You could have a treatment every day over a three day long weekend and still get change out of £100.
D-Resort also has a well-equipped gym, indoor and outdoor swimming pools (including kids pools), flood-lit tennis courts and the Azur spa, with sauna, steam room, Turkish bath and solarium offering a wide range of massage and health treatments.
THE FOOD
Turkish food is world renowned for its reliance on fresh, local ingredients and a fabulous sense of spice. The food in Marmaris is no exception
D-Resort operates an all-inclusive option, so you can eat at the buffet, which has an ever-changing barbecue menu along with an almost endless selection of Turkish stews and salads, with fresh fruit, ice cream and baklava readily available for pudding.
A natural honeycomb you could scrape the honey off yourself was a lovely touch at breakfast, along with Turkish cheeses, salads, traditional bacon and eggs, fruit and pastries. It is perfect for couples, but equally relaxed enough to take children and never feel like you should be seen and not heard.
Inclusive or not, and particularly if you are sans enfants (though our 7 and 9-year-olds were perfectly welcome and loved the food) you must take the time to dine on the rooftop steak restaurant, Steak & Bar.
In fact, Steak & Bar is a must-visit no matter where you are staying in Marmaris: most will tell you it is the best restaurant in town.
The venue runs the entire side of the curved building, with a terrace for cocktails and tables that allow for an unfettered view over the ocean tinged pink by the setting sun.
The menu is excellent – centred on steak, but also has excellent fish and veggie options – we did our best to eat our way through it and still didnt manage to blow the budget, which brings us on to another benefit of a trip to Turkey.
With the pound so weak against the Euro, a holiday in Spain or France is no longer the affordable option.
The current exchange rate gives you 6.18 Turkish Lira to the pound and, with prices for food (outside of Istanbul, at least) relatively low already, you will be able to have a much higher standard of living here than in many countries of Europe.
Yes, Turkey has its share of political problems – and this article talking about President Erdogans recent election campaign will give you a potted history of where it is currently and how it got there – but the UK government website says 1.6m British nationals travel to Turkey each year – and most visits are trouble free.
In fact, thanks to a serious revival, Turkey is flying up the popularity stakes, with only Spain and France taking more bookings from the UK.
It means Turkey is back on the map, whatever your budget.
GETTING THERE
Dalaman Airport is a four-hour flight from the UK – there are regular direct flights from most major UK airports to Dalaman airport.
Transfer is then an hour and a half by car.
Prices:
Standard Sea view rooms at D-Resort Grand Azur start from £135 per night incl half board.
Address: D-Resort Grand Azur, Marmaris, Cumhuriyet, Bulvarı, No:17 48700 Marmaris, Mugla, Turkey
THE REST OF MARVELLOUS MARMARIS IN PICTURES
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