Dalyan is a town in Turkey.
Dalyan achieved international fame in 1986, when developers wanted to site a luxury hotel on nearby Iztuzu beach, a breeding ground of the endangered Loggerhead Turtle. A major international storm blew up, with David Bellamy championing the cause of the conservationists. Thankfully the development was stopped and the beach is now protected area.
Life in Dalyan revolves around the Dalyan Çayı(stream/river) which flows past the town. The boasts that ply up and down the river, navigating the maze of reeds reflected bright green in the water, are the preferred means of transport to all the local sites.
Dalyan means "timber fishing weir". Bass and mullet swim upstream from the sea to Köyceğiz Lake, spawn, and when returning to the sea they are caught in the "dalyans".
Besides its success in the field of tourism, the area surrounding Dalyan is agriculturally productive and fertile; cotton is grown here as well as all sorts of fruits and vegetables - these are all on display in the market on Saturday, when villagers come from miles around to sell their produce.
Above the river on sheer cliffs are the weathered facades of Lycian tombs cut from living rock, circa 400 BC.
To the south of Dalyan on the Mediterranean coast, lies Iztuzu beach, a fine place for sunbathing and swimming, but more famous for the Caretta Caretta (Loggerhead Sea Turtles), which have been in existence for 95 million years! There are regular boat and minibus(dolmuş) services to the beach. Please be aware of the wooden stakes in the beach to mark nesting sites. The road route is particularly scenic, offering unrivalled views of Sülüngür Lake and apart from one nasty hill, the thirteen kilometres is not unpleasant by mountain bike especially in the cooler months.
Iztuzu, Dalyan's turtle beach, was voted the best beach in the world in 1995.
Accommodation
Aydos Club ([1]) - High standards of accommodation by the canal, across the Mud Baths.
Sources
- This article incorporates text from the public-___domain aydosclub.com.
See Also
- Republic of Turkey Ministry of culture and tourism [2]