"Dalyan" Koycegiz by Evren_Bozan

DALYAN

Dalyan is just a small town in the boundaries of Koycegiz. It is about 1 hour driving away from international Dalaman airport.

There is not enough word to describe how beautiful Dalyan is. Just imagine a lake that is connected to the sea with a river flows in the reed beds. There is an 5km long sandy bar where river reachs sea. This sandy bar is one of the nesting area of the mediterrian turtles called ‘Caretta Caretta’. Just beside the Dalyan river also you can see the ruins of the ancient Caunos city.

The Best way to explore around is embarking on a boat from the jetty of Dalyan. Dalyan is just located by the Dalyan River. One of the river reach to Köyceðiz Lake and the other end reachs the sea. Boats usually go to the sea and during the sailing on the river, the ancient rock tombs of the kings of Caunos will greet you. The river basin is too wide and after awhile it became like a maze. While you are sailing in the reed beds, you feel yourself like you are somewhere in Africa. Right at the end of the reeds, you reach to sea where a 5 km sandy bar is. This Sandy Bar seperates river from the sea. We call it "Turtle Beach"

When you go to Turtle Beach, do not expect to see the turtles. Because the turtles comes out to the beach just at nights in the summers for nesting. By using their back flippers, they dig a hole about 50cm deep and lay out between 75-120 eggs at once. 60 days later, the baby turtles come out from eggs and make their way to the sea by following the moonlight. Getting in these beach at night time is forbidden to protect these turtles because of their lack population on the world.

If you sail from Dalyan Town centre to the Lake, you will see the famous Mud Bath of Dalyan. It stinks of sulphur! There is a hot water spring just beside the mud bath that contains sulphur. If you can ignore the smell, you will like it. Put the mud all around your body except eyes and go underneath the sun to dry for awhile. Be careful! Do not freeze! When you dry, just make your way to the showers to take out mud from your body.

When you go to the Jetty of Dalyan to ask for a boat that takes you to the Mud Bath and Turtle Beach, ask for ERSOY or LEVENT! They are the best Captains, I have ever met!

To get more information about Dalyan, you can visit the web site of www.dalyaninfo.com

Dalyan, Mud Bath

here is mud bath

Dalyan River

This is the picture of Dalyan River