Most popular resorts Turkey stretched along the shores of the Aegean and Mediterranean seas. Izmir, Kusadasi, Bodrum, Marmaris and Fethiye are on the Aegean Sea. Kemer, Antalya, Belek, Side and Alanya - on the Mediterranean. The shores of the Marmara Sea in the west of the country and the Black Sea in the north are no less picturesque, but not so popular with the mass beach tourist.
On the beaches Aegean Sea pebbles predominate. On the Mediterranean Sea you can find beaches of all kinds: these are the sandy beaches of Belek and Side, and the rocky bays of Kemer and Antalya.
Almost a hundred beaches in Turkey have been awarded Blue Flags.
Most four- and five-star hotels have their own beaches and take care of maintaining cleanliness and order. But there are also three- and even two-star own beaches and with free sunbeds and umbrellas (only in this case, these are usually the simplest designs). Some expensive hotels deliberately inflate the prices for using their beaches in order to scare away tourists from outside. In order to use a section of the beach owned by bars or restaurants, you need to make an order there (for example, buy a drink). In this case, you will not have to pay for a sunbed and an umbrella.
Beach visits
All Turkish coasts are theoretically free for everyone to access, although expensive hotels usually severely restrict outsiders from entering their beaches. However, this does not in the least prevent local residents from penetrating the most protected shores, but for a European who is not familiar with local realities, it will not be easy to get to a "foreign" beach. The entire beach infrastructure for hotel guests is usually free, otherwise the entire list of services and prices must be published in the price list. Therefore, in no case is it recommended to pay money to various "caretakers" for an umbrella or deck chair, unless this is stipulated in the contract or the "seller" cannot issue a ticket to pay for the service.
Most Turkish coasts cannot boast of perfect cleanliness, although beach complexes monitor this parameter very well. At the same time, debris raised by the storm, jellyfish, algae and silt are quite common even on good beaches, and the seabed is generally rarely cleaned regularly. On the south coast, there are emissions of various resins and oils that enter the water from passing ships. The ubiquitous olive oil is excellent for removing such substances from the skin - it is both more effective and safer than organic solvents.
You should pay attention to the time. On many beaches, swimming after sunset is strictly prohibited. And the reason for this is not at all the voluntarism of the hotel owners, but elementary safety requirements - the currents along many Turkish coasts are quite serious, and it is extremely difficult to look for a bather who has been swept into the sea in the dark. However, many beaches in the bays are completely safe for night swimming, and a lot depends on the rules of a particular hotel. Somewhere on the shore, lifeguards or representatives of the hotel security service are on duty, who simply monitor the swimmers, not particularly disturbing them, somewhere they turn on special lights and put up booms, and somewhere they just arrange a lot of entertainment on the shore to distract from the Moon sailing ideas. In addition, many first-class hotels clean the beaches from the garbage accumulated during the day at night, and the water near the coast at this time is not clean.
Aegean beaches
Kusadasi
Pigal beach is located on the road to Kusadasi. This is a new, not so long ago equipped beach with wide choice aquatic species sports and entertainment. Around it is a recreation complex with swimming pools, tennis courts, gyms and snack bars. Payment for goods and services in the complex is made with special beads, which must be purchased in advance at the reception or in kiosks by the pool. But on the beach itself, these beads are not accepted.
City beach - in the center of the city, stretches for a huge distance along the sea. Sunbeds and umbrellas are provided for a fee (about $0.5), the coast is rocky.
To get to the women's beach, you need 10 minutes to go by bus. It is a sandy beach with a lot of choice water activities, eateries and restaurants.
"Long Beach" is located 6 km from the center of the resort and stretches for almost 30 km. On its coast there are 4-5 * hotels, many cafes and restaurants, as well as the best collection of water-swimming equipment and water activities. "Long Beach" is the most popular in the resort.
Bodrum
South of Kusadasi is Bodrum, the most party resort in Turkey, the capital nightlife the whole country. Bodrum - the best place for fans of surfing and other water sports. It is also suitable for diving enthusiasts.
Marmaris
On the peninsula southeast of Bodrum is Marmaris - one of the best sea resorts country, rightfully considered the most "European" in Turkey. Located in a bay with three islands, full of secluded deserted bays, on the border of the Aegean and Mediterranean seas.
Marmaris has many kilometers of beaches and clear turquoise water. The city beach, accentuated by a double line of palm trees and a narrow walking path, stretches across the bay from the harbor to Icmeler. Sunbeds and umbrellas on the city beach are paid, unless the hotel has a special agreement and does not include their use in the price.
Fethiye
The beaches are large pebbles, in Hill Side Beach there is loose sand, but at the entrance to the sea there are still pebbles. Club Hotel Letoonia is on a peninsula and the beach there is a platform.
The second part of Fethiye is Olu Deniz Bay, which has about 50 hotels. There are sandy, not very wide beaches, none of them belong to a particular hotel - all are municipal. Entrance to the beaches is free, sun loungers and umbrellas - for a fee (about $ 1 per set). From the edge of the bay, where the hotels are already ending, a wide sand bar, creating a bay closed from winds and currents, where you can swim even in winter. This wide sandy peninsular beach is called Cleopatra's Beach or Turtle Island (turtles do often graze on the spit). It’s worth coming here even from Hill Side Beach - it’s so beautiful here (all the more so - they carry from all hotels for free, and the ride takes a few minutes). The beach is municipal, sunbeds and umbrellas are paid.
Mediterranean beaches
Kemer
The resort is located on the coastal strip between the sea and the mountains. The mountains protect from the winds, and the sea guarantees high humidity and moderates the climate. In Kemer wide pebble beaches. Some hotels have sandy beaches, but at the entrance to the sea - all the same, pebbles. The swimming season lasts from May to October.
In the city of Kemer itself, there are two beaches - one urban, pebbly with a huge variety of species water sports and yacht excursions, and the other is the sand and pebble Moonlight Beach, where citrus trees provide cool shade.
Antalya
Antalya, main resort Turkey, located 12 km from the airport. There is a well-developed network of modern hotels, many restaurants, coffee houses in the national style, all kinds of entertainment centers and discos, countless shops, water amusement parks.
In Antalya itself there are sandy beaches. They are not very popular: nevertheless, Antalya is more of an urban resort than a beach one.
Belek
Belek is located between Antalya and Side. This is one of the few resorts on the Turkish Riviera that does not belong to any historical city.
Belek has many kilometers of wide sandy beaches. The swimming season lasts from May to October. Almost all coastal zone marked " blue flag". We can say that Belek itself consists, first of all, of a wide beach stretching for 20 km, covered with coarse and fine sand.
Side
Side - small town on a peninsula, 75 km north of Antalya, one of the busiest resorts in southern Turkey. Excellent sandy beaches are located to the west of Side, but there are a lot of hotels there. The beaches in the east are always less crowded, and therefore much more pleasant.
Alanya
The beaches in Alanya are narrow, with yellowish sand. The swimming season lasts from late April to mid-November. The horseshoe-shaped coast is dissected by rocky capes protruding into the sea into cozy bays, whose gently sloping beaches are especially good for families with children.
Paradise is everywhere on the Mediterranean Sea. The sun shines 360 days a year, the gardens are fragrant, and the sea beckons with turquoise waters...
But still, the world fame of Cannes, Nice, Monaco and St. Tropez played a cruel joke on him. These days, these are certainly good resorts on the Mediterranean, but by no means the best. There's just too much of everything for them to still be unique. The palm today belongs to the former fishing villages, which have become a mecca for those who know a lot about relaxation. We chose 9 the best resorts Mediterranean and 1 on the Adriatic, where you should spend your holidays at least once in your life.
To get the most out of a luxury Mediterranean holiday, at least rent a car, or better charter a yacht and go on a trip.
Portofino, Italy
Portofino, one of the most beautiful places in the world, the golden child of the Italian Riviera, spoiled by the attention of all celebrities, from Brigitte Bardot in the 60s to Berlusconi in our time. This city has long and for a long time become one of the best coastal cities on the planet, thanks to its exceptional location and incredible beauty. Gulf of Portofino looks so amazing that it has been recreated in amusement parks Disney in Tokyo, Universal in Orlando And Hibiscus Coast in New Zealand. As they say, imitation is the highest form of flattery, but none of the copies come close in charm, style and magnificence to the real Portofino.
How to get there:nearest airport to Portofino is located 37 kilometers, in Genoa, where can rent a car and drive along scenic roads. How to get from Genoa to Portofino by train: first to the station Santa Margherita Ligure Portofino(From the railway station Piazza Principe in Genoa to the destination 40 minutes. Fare € 3.40), then drive 5 km by taxi or bus directly to Portofino. There is no railway station in the town itself.
You can also get from Genoa on boats company's green line Golfo Paradiso departing from the Old Port (Porto Antico and Nervi). IN summer time ships depart at 9.00 (in June - on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, as well as on holidays, in July and August - all days of the week except Monday) and 14.00. From September 1 to September 16, boats depart only at 14.00 (all days of the week except Monday), and from 17 to 30 September ships run only on weekends. From October navigation stops until April 1 (weekends only until June 1st). The cost of the trip is from € 10 one way.
But, seriously, it is most appropriate to arrive in respectable Portofino on your own yacht.
Positano, Italy
Flaw sandy beaches on the Amalfi coast, which other resort towns have, it is fully bathed by picturesque views of coastal cliffs. There are many in the city luxury hotels and restaurants, on the terraces of which you can enjoy a cocktail (or four) with a delightful view of the coast.
How to get there:nearest airport to Positano is in Naples, 60 kilometers from paradise. The best way to get to Positano is by rental car. If you do not drive a car, then there are two ways: by sea and by land, but both with transfers in Sorrento.
By sea: From Naples 5 times a day (from 9.00 to 17.15) heading off Ferry Alilauro in Sorrento. Travel time 45 minutes, ticket price € 13.30. By land: by train to Sorrento from Naples can be reached within an hour. Flights depart every 30 minutes. The first train leaves at 6.09, the last at 21.39. The cost of the trip is € 4.10. You can also get from Naples airport via Sorrento to Positano by bus SITA.
Where to live: The luxury of the hotel is perfectly combined with the beauty of the Amalfi Coast. The hotel is built into a rock ledge that rises above the sea, and an elevator from the lobby lowers guests directly to private beach, where it is likely to meet the modern Porfirio Rubirosa, courting another millionaire.
Taormina, Italy
located on east coast The Sicily city of Taormina is often referred to as a model of the southern Italian seaside town. Home to a multitude of poets and artists, and just as many rakes and dudes, Taormina is a slice of the creative life that the region has been known for over the past 60 years.
How to get there: by train or bus. Travel time is no more than an hour. The cost of the trip is €3.95, one way.
Port Grimaud, France
Conceived in the 1960s as "Provencal Venice" architect François Sperry, Port Grimaud took canals and islands from the Italian prototype, but designed them in a much more exotic form. Located half way between Saint Tropez and Frejus, Port Grimaud has become a favorite among some of the wealthiest yacht owners. In fact, many of the city's 4,000 residents own small boats, usually parked right under their windows, so that the owner can use the yacht whenever he wants.
How to get there: on your own yacht - the easiest and convenient way. Method two: by car from Marseille or Nice. In the first case, you will have to drive about 150 kilometers, in the second - 100. The road will take about two hours.
On public transport
from Marseille airport (platform number 4, company LER) in Port Grimaud from June 29 to September 1 can be reached by shuttle (4 days a week: 2 flights on Mondays, Fridays and Saturdays, 1 flight on Sunday. Fare € 24.20). For the rest of the year, you will have to travel from Marseille first by train to Saint-Raphael (trains depart every hour from 5.29 to 20.01, travel time 1 hour 40 minutes. The cost of the trip is from 25 euros), then transfer to Saint Tropez and from there 7 kilometers by taxi or bus to Port Grimaud. Therefore, either
Abruzzo, Italy
Despite the fact that the Abruzzo region is located on the shores of the Adriatic, and not the Mediterranean, its cities and villages are imbued with the spirit of the Mediterranean, plus 21 ski resort in the local mountains makes this place equally attractive both in winter and in summer, which is really rare. Traveling around Abruzzo, be sure to visit its capital, L'Aquila, and dine at the classic Ernesto restaurant (Piazza Palazzo, 22). The institution deserves to be recommended to friends; the brick walls of the building are reminiscent of the heyday of Rome in the 1950s and the Bonvians rushing east from the capital to Abruzzo.
The Mediterranean is the most popular resort region in Europe. The choice of beaches is great - from dramatic Greek beaches to hot beaches on the African continent, from the picturesque Turkish coasts to the southwestern tip of the Iberian Peninsula. Every year, various authoritative publications create lists of the best beaches, but these beaches are timeless and out of ratings, as they have always been and remain the best in the Mediterranean.
The snow-white beach, chosen by the rare Caretta Caretta turtles, is one of the most southern beaches Italy. It is much closer to Africa than to Europe and boasts stunning scenery: rocks protect it from the winds, and the purest sea water shimmers in many shades. The beach is one of the most popular in the area, so there are a lot of people here until late in the evening and quite noisy.
Ses Illetas beach (Formentera island,)
South of the capital of Mallorca, where the amazingly clear sea merges with the horizon, and the sandy strip stretches for several kilometers, this wonderful beach. It is rightfully considered the best on the island, and, perhaps, on all the Balearic Islands. Only wealthy people who live in luxury hotels nearby have a rest on Ses Illetas.
The most famous beach of Crete became famous due to the fact that the sand on it is not white, but light pink. It is located in the southwest of the island, where a huge massacre took place in 1824 - the Turks killed about 700 local residents, because of which, according to legend, the beach will always remind you of this with its color. In fact, the remains of corals and starfish give the pink color to the sand.
The famous beach of Turkey is one of the most popular places for excursions. It is located at the confluence of the Dalyan River and is so named because of the large turtles that come here to spawn. The beach has especially scenic view when viewed from above.
The most famous beach in Cyprus is located in Protaras and takes its name from the centuries-old fig tree growing here. The beach is closed from the wind by rocks in which there are underwater caves.
Palomabaja - best beach Corsica. The same island where the future Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte was born. The beach is amazing - azure waters, the cleanest White sand and picturesque surroundings. How can you hatch plans to conquer the continent, born in such great place? Sit on the shore and catch your fish ...
In the northwest of the most knightly island of all European islands lies the Golden Bay beach. This is indeed a bay protected from the wind. However, sometimes there are storms here, during which the place becomes especially dramatic.
Mersa Matruh ()
Egyptian city on mediterranean coast known since the time of the Ptolemaic dynasty, and even then it was a prestigious resort. Not far from the city there is a bay in which, according to legend, Cleopatra herself loved to relax. Mersa Matruh has a stunning azure sea and great beach. Today, mostly Egyptians rest here.
Mdik - small resort town on the shores of the Mediterranean. It is located at zero altitude above sea level. local beach- a flat sandy strip and calm waters. Mostly Moroccans rest here, and in city hotels there are quite budget prices for them.
Monastir is located on the site of an ancient Roman settlement and is a modern resort for budget travelers. The beaches here are not as beautiful as in Mahdia. However, for undemanding tourists Monastir - perfect place to relax in comfort, basking in the sun and swimming in the warm waters of the Mediterranean Sea.
go to independent travel in Europe by car and not to visit the azure coast of France - this is a real crime! And although everyone around us warned us that Marseille is now the epicenter of strikes, that the scavengers basically do not go to work, and the streets of the city are full of stinking garbage bags, we still decided to go there. First of all, because in Marseille we had a very interesting overnight stay on a yacht (), secondly, because we wanted to swim nearby in some secluded cove on the Mediterranean coast and, thirdly, well, it’s côte d'azur after all (la Cote d'Azur)!
Since check-in (couchsurfing) is not suitable for everyone, we don’t often use it either, especially with a child, and it’s better to book hotels in Europe in advance, so I’ll recommend you:
Don't forget to check the discounts on the Roomguru service, where you can see the prices for the same hotel in different booking systems. On the example of hotels above:
one is cheaper, the other is more expensive, but both are excellent hotels. Well, how we lived on a yacht, read below :)
Arrival in Marseille
We arrived in Marseille in the evening, circled a little in search of the right port and parking - and here we are on the yacht. The first test is to get on the boat with all our sleeping bags and things. There are no stairs for dummies like us, and the bow of the yacht is quite high. Well, from the third or fourth time we overcame the art of climbing and felt like real experienced sailors. The yacht itself was small, inside the so-called kitchen with a table that turns into a bed, in the bow there is another bed for two people who love to sleep in close conditions, and in the tail of the boat there is a large bed where the hospitable owner himself slept with his children.
Night Marseille
Having dined all together and having talked on various topics, our glorious four went on an introductory walk around Marseille at night. The spectacle, it must be said, is not for the faint of heart. In addition to various aromas coming from all directions from garbage bags dumped in huge heaps or just on the sidewalk, it was very uncomfortable to meet excessively noisy, apparently pissed off, and attentively looking at us Arab youth. It is so strange, as if the young French had long gone to bed, and the Arabs, on the contrary, had just woken up and went hunting.
But whether we were not so interesting prey for them, or whether this is a general misconception about their aggressiveness, and in fact they are simply much more emotional than us, we, thank God, did not have a chance to find out from our own experience. The city of Marseille is the second largest city in France, and in terms of the population of Arabs in it, almost the first. They say this is due to the fact that the Mediterranean coast and the south of France are the closest and most comfortable for them in terms of climate.
Dirty Marseille due to garbagemen's strike
On a yacht
We slept perfectly that night under the lulling swaying and splashes of the waves of the Mediterranean Sea on board the yacht. And in the morning we were waiting for coffee and a delicious French breakfast on the stern. Niko, the owner of the ship, does not rent apartments, but is going to live on his boat all year round. From his stories, we realized that if you don’t have an apartment in addition to the yacht, a car in the garage and a permanent job that you need to go to every day, then owning a boat turns out to be very profitable and convenient.
It turns out that all those for whom a yacht is just another toy go to sea only 5 times a year, the rest of the time it stays in the port, and every month they pay rent for a boat place, which in total for the year comes out much. The more and more expensive yacht- the more pay. If you live on your own ship and periodically go to sea on it, it turns out even cheaper than renting an apartment in the same city of Marseille, because you only have to pay for the days when you are in the port. Niko's yacht is not new, it is about 20 years old, and such yachts cost from 6,000 euros.
Marseille by day
After having breakfast in a pleasant interesting company, having a photo session on the stern of the yacht (where without it), we went to explore the sights of Marseille. We were very lucky with the weather, it was sunny and unexpectedly warm after cold Poland and cool Germany. On Niko's advice, we first of all climbed observation deck at the Cathedral of Notre-Dame de la Garde (Notre-Dame de la Garde) and went inside the temple. It is more spacious there than in our churches, and most importantly, it is lighter. Candles that you can take yourself from the shelf by dropping 1 euro into a special box, benches, special coasters so as not to kneel right on the floor - in general, as in all of Europe, everything is for people. That's where the mentality comes from!
Swimming in the cold sea
Well, the highlight of our program was swimming on the Mediterranean coast! Having driven 50 kilometers from Marseille, we found a secluded cove and parking for the car. Swimming, of course, is also difficult to call our action: undressed, warmed up, ran into the water, flopped there and jumped out like a rocket, the water temperature in the Mediterranean Sea at that time was not higher than 16 degrees. But you can imagine how those walking along the coast looked at all this French in jackets?!
One elderly couple could not stand it and even approached us to clarify, maybe we are doing this on a dare. I had to explain that we just really wanted to swim on the Mediterranean coast, and since we are tempering, cold water is not so scary for us.
In the same parking lot, another couple became interested in our car: like Renault, like Dacia, but it says Logan. We talked to them, told them about ourselves that we were from Russia, that we decided to take a ride to Europe by car on our own. In general, I noticed that the French are very easy to strike up a conversation with strangers and are sincerely interested in what they ask about.
The place where we swam was very cozy and later we even regretted that we did not stay there to spend the night in a tent on the seashore, there was still half a day ahead and the road was calling us further.
