Marmaris is one of Turkey's most beautiful towns and every inch of it is worth seeing. It has been an extraordinary beauty of its coves, beaches, evergreen forests and plants. Some of the wonderful sea journeys (Blue Voyages), which have become the most popular activity in the region, take place in the picturesque coves of Marmaris. The picnic area, Paradise Island and its caves, hot springs, Turunc, Ciftlik, Kumlubuk, Hisaronu, Cubucak, adakoy, Adaagzi, the Sedir (Cleopatra) Island and the Golenye hot springs are the most important places to visit around Marmaris.
There are considerable forests in northeastern Anatolia, the Black Sea area and along the Mediterranean coast, west of Antalya. Vast swaths of wild flowers cover the steppes in spring making fine splashes of colour. Turkey has similar animal life to that in the Balkans and much of Europe: bears, deer, jackals, lynx, wild boars, wolves and rare leopards. Bird life is extremely rich, with a squawking mess of eagles, vultures and storks staking out airspace, as well as rare species such as the bald ibis.
The Aegean and Mediterranean coasts have mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers. In Istanbul, summer temperatures average around 28-30°C (82-86°F); the winters are chilly but usually above freezing, with rain and perhaps a dusting of snow. The Anatolian plateau is cooler in summer and quite cold in winter. The Black Sea coast is mild and rainy in summer, and chilly and rainy in winter. Mountainous eastern Turkey is very cold and snowy in winter and only pleasantly warm in high summer. The southeast is dry and mild in winter and very hot in summer, with temperatures above 45° C (113° F) are common.
For the adventurous, the austere beauty of the Anatolian plateau, the surreal rock-chimney landscape of Cappadocia and the atmospheric ruins of the enigmatic Hittites await discovery. Here too, is the unique experience of watching the dervishes whirl in pious Konya, or crossing the historic Euphrates and Tigris rivers following in the footsteps of St Paul. Alternatively, you can simply relax on the golden Mediterranean sands of Patara beach.
