Turkey · Turquoise Coast
Marmaris
A pine-ringed harbour where the gulet coast begins, with a castle above the yachts and Bar Street after dark.
Marmaris is one of Turkey's big resort towns, set at the head of a deep natural harbour ringed by pine-covered hills. A small Ottoman castle and old-town lanes sit above a busy marina, and a long seafront promenade leads to Bar Street, the coast's loudest nightlife strip. The town is also where many gulet cruises start, and the jumping-off point for the quiet villages of the Bozburun peninsula and the ferry to Rhodes.
Suggested stay
3–7 days
Language
Turkish
Currency
TRY
Timezone
UTC+3
Why you'll love Marmaris
The bay a sheltered harbour ringed by pine-covered hills, with coves and islands to explore by boat
Sailing one of Turkey's great yachting hubs, and a classic start point for the Blue Cruise
Nightlife Bar Street is among the biggest and loudest party strips on the Turkish coast
The peninsula Bozburun's fishing villages and bays feel a world away from the resort
Best time to visit
Apr-Jun, Sep-Oct
22-32° days
36.852° N, 28.274° E
UTC+3 · Europe/Istanbul
whenywhere contains ads and partner links that we think are helpful and that earn us a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Weather & when to go to Marmaris
Month by month: typical highs and lows, rainfall and rain days.
✓ Best Apr-Jun, Sep-Oct
Watch for Dec-Jan monsoon flooding risk · Aug extreme heat risk
Cards tinted by calculated verdict · big number = typical daily high, small = low · hover for conditions
When to avoid Marmaris
December and January are the coolest and wettest months, and much of the resort winds down from late autumn to spring. July and August are hot and at their most crowded, with the beaches and Bar Street in full swing. Late spring and early autumn are warm, calmer and still fully open.
Top things to do in Marmaris
-
Marmaris Castle - Suleiman's fortress above the harbour
history scenic 👍 PopularThe small castle on the hill above the marina was rebuilt under Suleiman the Magnificent as a base for his 1522 siege of Rhodes. It now houses a museum, and its walls give the best view over the old town, the yachts and the bay.
-
Bar Street - the resort's nightlife strip
nightlife music 👍 PopularA lane of back-to-back bars and clubs near the old town that gets going late and runs until the early hours in summer. It is loud, busy and unapologetically a party street, which is exactly why many people come.
-
Marmaris bay boat trips - coves, islands and swim stops
scenic nature wildlife 👍 PopularDay boats leave the harbour front every morning in season for a loop of the bay's coves and islands, stopping to swim in clear water under the pines. It is the easiest way to see how much wild coastline sits around a busy resort.
-
Blue Cruise - a gulet trip along the coast
scenic adventure ⭐ Highly recommendedMarmaris is a classic starting point for a Blue Cruise, several days aboard a wooden gulet moving between anchorages along the Bozburun and Gokova coasts, with swimming, sunbathing and meals on deck.
-
Marmaris marina and old town - an evening walk
culture arts scenicWalk from the harbour front past the yachts and gulets and up into the old-town lanes below the castle, with their whitewashed houses, bougainvillea and small restaurants. It is the prettiest part of town at sunset.
-
Marmaris Grand Bazaar - the covered market streets
shoppingA warren of covered lanes behind the seafront selling textiles, leather, spices, Turkish delight, ceramics and copies of everything. Bargaining is expected, and the stalls stay open late in summer.
-
The seafront promenade - walk or cycle to Icmeler
scenicA long palm-lined promenade follows the curve of the bay from the town centre past the hotel beaches towards Icmeler. It is flat, busy with cafes and beach clubs, and a pleasant walk or bike ride early or late in the day.
-
Marmaris food - meze, fresh fish and pine honey
foodEat grilled fish and cold meze at the harbour and in the old town, and look out for the region's pine honey, a Mugla speciality sold in the bazaar and at breakfast tables around the bay.
Best areas to stay in Marmaris
$ Budget $$ Mid-range $$$ Premium
Marmaris town centre
First-time visitors $$Castle, marina, bazaar and Bar Street
Explore hotels in Marmaris town centre →
Icmeler
Families $$Quieter resort village at the bay's end
Explore hotels in Icmeler →
Turunc
Quiet beach stays $$Small bay village over the hills
Explore hotels in Turunc →
Selimiye
Couples $$$Waterside fishing village on the peninsula
Explore hotels in Selimiye →
Live nightly prices from Booking.com, Agoda and others, centred on Marmaris
Getting to & around Marmaris
Getting there
Fly into Dalaman (DLM), about 1.5 hours by road to Marmaris
Flight
Dalaman Airport (DLM)
Dalaman is roughly 1.5 hours east by road; airport shuttle buses, pre-booked transfers and taxis all run to Marmaris and on to Icmeler.
Coach
Marmaris bus station
Long-distance coaches link Marmaris with Izmir, Istanbul, Antalya, Fethiye and other Turkish cities
Ferry
Marmaris ferry port
Ferries and fast catamarans cross from Rhodes in Greece, mostly in the summer season
Getting around
Dolmus
Frequent minibuses run along the bay between the town centre, the hotel strips and Icmeler
TBC
Water taxi
In season, boats shuttle between the harbour, Icmeler and Turunc
TBC
Walking
The old town, marina, bazaar and Bar Street are close together, and the promenade runs round the bay
Free
Car hire
The easiest way to explore the Bozburun and Datca peninsulas at your own pace
TBC
Day trips from Marmaris
Dalyan
Full dayRiver, tombs and turtle beach
Cruise the reed-lined Dalyan river past the Lycian-style rock tombs of Kaunos to Iztuzu beach, a loggerhead turtle nesting site, with a stop at the mud baths near Lake Koycegiz.
Getting there
car | tour
About 1.5-2 hr by road, then a river boat
Rhodes
Full dayGreek island old town
Cross to Greece for the day to walk the walled medieval Old Town of Rhodes and the Street of the Knights. Bring your passport and check entry rules for Greece and for your return to Turkey.
Getting there
ferry
Around 1 hr or more by ferry or catamaran
Cleopatra Island
Full dayIsland beach and ruins
Sedir Island in the Gulf of Gokova is known for its fine, pale beach, which legend says was shipped from Egypt for Cleopatra, and for the ruins of ancient Kedreai. The beach sand is protected.
Getting there
car | tour
About 30-45 min by road to the Gokova shore, then a short boat ride
Bozburun peninsula
Full dayFishing villages and bays
Drive the winding peninsula to Selimiye and Bozburun for waterside lunches, and stop at Orhaniye, where a sand spit lets you walk out into the bay as if on the water.
Getting there
car | tour
About 1 hr by road to the far villages, or by jeep or boat tour
Datca and Knidos
Full dayPeninsula and ancient city
Follow the long, narrow Datca peninsula through almond and olive country to the ruins of ancient Knidos on its tip, with a stop in Datca town and the old stone village of Eski Datca.
Getting there
car | tour
About 1.5-2 hr by road to Datca, then on to Knidos at the tip
A little history of Marmaris
Marmaris stands on the site of ancient Physkos, a Carian harbour town that for long periods fell within the orbit of nearby Rhodes. The deep, sheltered bay has drawn fleets for as long as ships have sailed this coast, and in 1522 Suleiman the Magnificent gathered his forces here for the siege of Rhodes, rebuilding the small castle above the harbour.
For most of the next four centuries Marmaris was a modest fishing and farming town. From the 1980s tourism transformed it into one of Turkey's largest resorts, with a big marina and a sailing trade that made it a centre of the Blue Cruise. Forest fires have struck the surrounding hills in several summers, most seriously in 2021.
Physkos, a Carian port closely tied to Rhodes, occupies the bay
Suleiman the Magnificent musters his fleet here for the siege of Rhodes and rebuilds the castle
Marmaris becomes part of the new Republic of Turkey
Package tourism and yachting turn the fishing town into a major resort
Large forest fires burn in the hills around Marmaris
Know before you go
Payment
Cards & cash mixed
English
Widely spoken
Wifi
Reliable
Power
Type C / F
230 V, 50 Hz
Dialing
+90
Monsoon flooding risk in this window; check current conditions before you go.
Extreme heat risk in this window; check current conditions before you go.
The months our climate read flags to avoid: the wettest, lowest-rated weather of the year.
Mobile network & SIM card
Get an eSIM before you fly
A Turkey eSIM installs in minutes and works the moment you switch off flight mode. No SIM swap, no roaming bill.
FAQs about Marmaris
▸ When is the best time to visit Marmaris?
April to June and September to October have the best weather, warm enough for the beach without the peak heat. July and August are hot and busiest. December and January are the coolest and wettest, and many hotels and restaurants close through the winter.
▸ Is Marmaris only a party town?
No. Bar Street is famous and loud, but it is confined to one part of town. Icmeler, Turunc, the old town and the Bozburun peninsula villages are much quieter, and many visitors come for boats, beaches and the coast instead.
▸ Should I stay in Marmaris town or Icmeler?
Stay in town for the castle, harbour, bazaar, boat trips and nightlife on your doorstep. Choose Icmeler for a calmer, family-friendly beach base; it is linked to town by the promenade, dolmus and water taxi.
▸ Can you visit Rhodes as a day trip from Marmaris?
Yes, ferries and catamarans cross in season and a day is enough for the Old Town. Rhodes is in Greece and the Schengen area, so bring your passport and check entry rules both for Greece and for your return to Turkey.
▸ Is Marmaris expensive?
It is broadly mid-range by Turkish coast standards, with plenty of package hotels and simple places to eat. Marina-side dining, private boat charters and the boutique hotels of the peninsula villages cost noticeably more.
More in Turkey
Alanya
A Seljuk sultan's fortress on a headland, with a sandy beach on either side and the nightlife to match.
✓ best Apr-Jun, Sep-OctAnkara
The capital built from scratch to found a republic, sitting on four thousand years of Anatolia.
✓ best Apr-OctAntalya
A Roman harbour town under snow-capped mountains, with a beach at either end and the best-preserved theatre in the Mediterranean an hour up the road.
✓ best Mar-Jun, Sep-Oct