One of my favourite ways to spend a day’s holiday is a boat trip from Dalyan.
To me it doesn’t really matter where I go, although given the choice I do prefer the sea. There are hundreds are of little coves and bays to explore around the area. Bacardi Bay, Devils Bay, Asi Bay, Ekincik to name a few.
You will either be picked up from your hotel or meet at the boat in the small, pretty harbour. Depending on the boat you have picked you will be greeted with tea, coffee and maybe even a snack for breakfast.
As the boat begins to meander down the river towards the sea most people lie back and begin to soak up the sun. This is my cue to go and sit at the front of the boat. Preferably on my own! It’s the perfect opportunity to watch the ever changing scenery, marvel at the rock tombs and hopefully spot some kingfishers. You can glimpse the ruins of Caunos and the small village of Candir on the other side of the river.
The further down the river you travel you will begin to enter the reed beds. If you are lucky you might see marsh harriers swooping overhead, egrets in the shallows and terrapins warming up in the morning sun.
Once you pass the sandbank at Iztuzu beach you will hit the open water. The usual route is out past Hole Island and then on to one of the many beaches and caves. As the boats stops you will be able to jump into the deep blue sea, snorkel and look for fish. I don’t think there is anything more refreshing than plunging underwater from the top of the boat.
The lunch is usually my favourite food of the whole holiday. Turkish mezes and salad, invariably cooked by the captain’s Anne and freshly barbequed Kofte and chicken. It’s surprising how doing nothing much can make you so hungry!
The Mediterranean Sea around Dalyan tends to get whipped up by the wind in the afternoon. This does make the sea a bit choppy but to me this is like an instant sedative! The rougher the sea the quicker I fall asleep. As you travel back towards Dalyan the boat will often stop at Candir Lake. Here hot thermal springs run under the lake, meaning that the deeper you go the hotter the water. It is certainly a strange experience. There are also very ‘hot spots’ within the lake. Cries of ‘I’ve found one’ bring the rest of the boat flocking to your area. If you are brave enough to dive to the bottom of the lake, the mud is perfect for a face pack and said to make you look 21, again.
After swimming in the lake you will begin to wind your weary way back to Dalyan. I love the feeling of being in the sun all day, your skin and hair salty from the sea, tired, relaxed and knowing you will soon be refreshed and clean from a shower.
I have been visiting Dalyan for over 15 years. I have been on countless boat trips and I never get sick of them. I never get bored of looking at the scenery and even though my photographs all look the same to other people, to me they mark the seasons, who I was on the boat with and the time in my life.
Try one of Volkan’s Adventures Dalyan Boat Trips and I guarantee you will relax and make new friends
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