AEGEAN PARADISE, BOZBURUN PENINSULA
Occasionally I have to pinch myself to make sure I’m not in a dream… and this trip has left me with a bruise on my arm, the result of constant checking!
Gazing out over the Aegean Sea from an infinity pool, high up in the Dionysus Canyon above Kumlubük Bay is about as good as it gets.
I often wonder if this life is supposed to be for me, or if it’s meant for someone else; perhaps the universe got its wires crossed. Whatever it is, I’m certainly not complaining…
Of all the trips we’ve done over the past year, this one is turning out to be one of the most relaxing and best value for money. For instance, the flights cost us nothing (the usual hack), and accommodation was just £150 per person per week; more on that later in the ‘Hints and Tips’ section.
We only stumbled across this region of Türkiye a few years ago when I discovered the small estuary village of Dalyan on a solo trip. This is now our third visit to the country in 18 months, but our first at an HPB venue, Physkos. I think we’ll be back.
We travelled here via Dalyan, stopping for a wander along our favourite stretch of İztuzu Beach (pictured below), before the two-hour drive to our base in the small coastal village of Turunç.
Turunç sits at the start of the peninsula, one of many along this part of Türkiye. This craggy landscape, named after the village near its tip, Bozburun, is full of mountains and coves that protrude from the mainland towards the Greek islands of Rhodes and Symi. The manager at our HPB hotel told us it reminded him of Cornwall and Devon, and I have to say, I agree. Below are a few of our favourite moments.
AMOS BEACH
Just down the coast from our base (heading south) is a little village called Amos. It’s more like a private holiday complex, with a long driveway winding down from the main road to the beach. At the bottom we found a ‘rustic’ car park and restaurant, along with a private beach and jetty. By rustic, think rough field with spray-painted parking bays. The kind of car park that dodgy airport operators use, but hey were in Türkiye, and its free!
It’s easy enough to find, and if you get there early, as we did, you’ll have no trouble finding a parking space, along with free parasols and sun loungers right next to the water’s edge. They’re free to use, but as it’s a private beach you’re expected to buy food and drinks rather than bring your own.
The food here is perfectly acceptable, but it’s the location that sets it apart. It’s absolutely divine and well worth a visit.
The water is crystal clear, and we spent a few hours jumping off the jetty and swimming around the bay. Loved every minute.
IÇMELER
We were originally going to travel to Marmaris by water taxi but decided instead to visit the first village along the coast, İçmeler. It’s well worth the stop, although it’s noticeably busier and more developed than ‘our’ more picturesque village of Turunç. There are a few huge hotel complexes catering for the fly-and-floppers, but there are no real high-rise buildings, so the place doesn’t feel too spoiled… yet.
After getting off the water taxi, we turned right and headed north along the promenade until the main town disappeared behind us. The promenade actually continues all the way to Marmaris, but we stopped as we rounded the bay at a little restaurant called the Icon Beach Resort. For us, this was the first place that really screamed quality. Great views, lovely food and somewhere you could happily while away a few hours. It was almost empty and we were invited not only to enjoy the restaurant but also to make use of the sun loungers. That seems to be a common theme here, spend a little money and you’re welcome to stay all day.
If it had been cooler, we’d have continued further along the coast, but it was ridiculously hot, so this was as far as we ventured.
AMOS ANTIK KENTI
South of our base is a Roman amphitheatre overlooking Amos Bay. It’s one of many archaeological sites dotted around this stretch of coastline. We spent about an hour exploring; any longer would have been madness, as the temperatures were off the scale.
Well worth a visit, but aim to come either early in the morning or later in the evening during the peak summer months.
A MAGICAL EVENING IN TURUNÇ
We walked past this little gem on our first night, liked what we saw, and booked a table for later in the week. There are so many eateries dotted along the bay that it’s difficult to choose, but what set this one apart was its location. The tables are nestled beneath olive trees, with wonderful views across the bay.
As the light faded, the setting became even more magical, with the sound of a saxophonist and his accompanying singer providing the perfect backdrop. We thought this would be a special treat, and it certainly was.
It’s a little pricier than many of the other restaurants, but Z-Mare is worth a visit for the ambience alone.
SUNSET SWIM AND STARGAZING
This was a tad unexpected and turned out to be one of the highlights of the week. We’d already booked a day trip with another operator earlier in the holiday but, at the very last minute, stumbled on across this sunset boat trip, booked it on a whim, and were so glad we did. The boat is called IL MARINAIO and is one of two run by the same family.
We arrived about 25 minutes early, thinking we’d have a short wait before everyone else turned up. Instead, almost immediately, we boarded, the mooring ropes were untied, the anchor was raised and, before we knew it, we were off.
We headed to the front and joined Cliff, Jane, Paul and Nicola, two couples travelling separately who were already deep in conversation. After the engine sprang to life our skipper headed off to chase the setting sun. We were then all offered a complimentary glass of fizz, which rather set the tone for the rest of the trip. With only six of us on board, it felt like an exclusive treat.
Our skipper first headed south, where we moored in a secluded bay. A few months earlier, a pirate ship (probably playing Boney M at full blast!) had sunk there. There was no stopping Emma as she swam straight out to it and dived down to explore the wreck. I followed rather more nervously, keeping an eye out for sharks and sea monsters. I hate the fact she’s so much more confident than me in the water!
After a scrumptious, high-quality meal that seemed to last forever (in the best possible way), the evening ended with the four of us chatting over a few glasses, getting to know one another.
As it turned out, we’re all HPB bondholders, with Paul and Nicola staying in the apartment next door. Cliff and Jane bought a place out here almost two decades ago and return regularly. Suffice to say, everyone loves this part of the world.
Since then we’ve bumped into Paul and Nicola several times around the pool, swapping stories, along with plenty of hints and tips.
DIONYSOS VILLAGE HOTEL, KUMLUBÜK
Now this place has one of the nicest infinity pool locations I’ve experienced…
High up in the canyon overlooking Kumlubük Bay, we treated ourselves to a little luxury. This five-star hotel partners with HPB, so a quick phone call gave us the entry code to the gates.
The place was lovingly built by its owners, Rim and Ahmet Senol, over a decade ago and really is something special. Everywhere you look there’s incredible attention to detail, while the service was, as you’d expect, absolutely awesome.
We came here on Tuesday and spent the entire day relaxing by the pool with just one other couple. Bliss!
On that visit, Emma accidentally left her white embroidered beach cover-up hanging in the changing room, something we only realised once we’d returned to our HPB apartment. Of course, the hotel had found it, so we popped back on Friday to collect it… and somehow found ourselves relaxing by the pool all over again.
Tough job, but someone has to do it!
So, we ended up visiting twice, feeling almost obliged to enjoy lunch and a few drinks at the bar. After all, when you’ve found a little slice of paradise like this, how could you not?
TURUNÇ – EXPLORING EATERIES
One evening we found ourselves wandering along Turunç’s beachfront a little later than planned and, having not booked anywhere, thought we might struggle to find somewhere decent.
However, we stumbled across another little gem…this was called JoJos.
The last night here saw us in yet another great eatery where we decided to share a sea food platter at a local restaurant called Yali – wow. Shan’t forget this in a hurry.
DAY TRIP – FIVE BAYS BOAT TRIP
At the southern end of Turunç Bay is the little harbour where all the excursion boats settle down for the night. Each one displays its trips and prices, with slight variations on similar themes. Prices vary, but so does the quality of the boats and the number of passengers they take. Generally, the cheaper excursions are on the larger boats and/or are subsidised by higher drink prices.
There are also party boats booming out ’80s music, with Boney M appearing to be a favourite of many of the DJs here! Not really our thing, although they did provide a great landmark for snorkelling, as we discovered on our sunset trip…
So, we found ourselves chatting to Sally, a lovely lady who came here on holiday a few decades ago, fell in love with the place, (along with a local) and now runs the business with her Turkish husband and son.
We were drawn to Sally’s, boat CEM 2, because the trip looked more relaxed and promised great food. After our luxurious sunset trip earlier in the holiday, we knew exactly what we didn’t want, a big boat!
We arrived at around 9.30am and claimed our spot at the front of the boat. Fifteen minutes later we were off, joined by a Hungarian family, Robert and Marion, along with their three teenage daughters, Katherine, Krisztiána and Bianca (sorry if I have spelt the names wrong)
Just seven guests on board. Once again we’d completely lucked out. Throughout this holiday we’ve somehow managed to find small, intimate groups, and once again we shared the day with some thoroughly lovely people.
The boat was small enough to slip into secluded bays where we could enjoy a swim, often well away from the larger vessels that couldn’t manoeuvre into the shallows. It also allowed us to get much closer to the beach, making it easier for Marion, who isn’t comfortable swimming and is bravely overcoming a fear she’s lived with since childhood.
As you can see, I mastered the art of falling off a paddleboard. liia, on the other hand, Sally’s dog, managed to stay upright every single time! (Liia pronounced Leah).
It turned into a wonderful day, with more than seven hours of swimming, snorkelling, paddling and generally enjoying ourselves. Every bay offered another opportunity to cool off in the crystal-clear water.
To top it all off, we were treated to a superb lunch, cooked not by me (despite happily posing for the photo!), but by Sally’s son.
I’d ordered fish and was delighted to be served a huge sea bream. The table was overflowing with delicious homemade dishes, and I can honestly say it was one of the nicest meals of the holiday.
The day ended with us saying goodbye to Robert, Marion and the girls, who seem to love this part of Türkiye every bit as much as we do. I even managed to forgive them for supporting Argentina in their semi-final victory over England last night…
Emma had predicted the score beforehand and, to be honest, I wasn’t particularly surprised by the result. Some things are just predictable: the sun rising in the east, Trump talking nonsense, and England somehow managing a way to not reach the final.
Road trip – Bözburun, Sögut and Bayir.
On our penultimate day, and after lazing about Dionysos Hotel for most of it, we decided to take a look at the west facing side of the peninsular, and head there via the only route possible, over the mountains. We set our sights on the town that gives this one its name – Bozburun.
The journey took us through lush green pine forests and mountain passes. We found some exquisite bays and corners of the peninsula that appear to be only frequented by locals.
The views from the west facing side of the mountains over to the Island of Simi in Greece were spectacular.
When we eventually got to Bozburun we enjoyed a cold drink and watched the world go by from a jetty, owned by Orel Mete, just south of Halk Plaji.
It really was a lovely way to spend a few hours, exploring what’s on offer so close to the town we are based. Perhaps next time we will not only consider a trip to Rhodes, but Simi also.
Kumlubük
Our final day brought us to a beach just 11 minutes away from our apartment where we spent the remainder of our Turkish Lira, enjoyed a dip in the ocean and wished we weren’t coming home so soon.
It was the perfect end the week, but was spoiled given the arrival of the only cloud we seen all week 🤣😎😉
Hints and Tips
Details to follow (when I get home), which will include contact details, prices and other recommendations.
However, I will start with the region.. From here you can travel quite easily to Dalyan. It’s only a short two hour drive, here are links to a previous visit.
Accommodation
Holiday Property Bond
We managed to book a last minute cancellation for just over £300 (£150 per person per week) for this amazing facility in Turunç. If you’ve taken a look at this website before you’d notice we use HPB often as it’s incredibly good value, and especially now we have both retired so can take advantage of ‘points free’. The studio apartments are the smallest accommodation they do here but it was ample one for the pair of us. There are a number of stand alone villas here with their own pools and four bedrooms which we will try to book at some point in the future – perhaps for a family gathering, these are equally great value for money. Click here to find out about HPB
