THE SIXTH WONDER

Being the most European of Turkish seaside resorts, Marmaris has become popular among Azerbaijanis only this year. Back in 2022, when the first all-inclusive tours with direct flights appeared, there still were some doubts about travelling to Marmaris. Now everything has changed. Firstly, the tourists who have visited the area before and liked their stay here can tell us about the many pros of the resort. Secondly, there are direct and inexpensive flights to the Turkish airport Dalaman, which is relatively close to Marmaris. Thirdly, the availability of all-inclusive packages and the search of sophisticated Azerbaijani tourists for new affordable places for holidays on the Aegean Riviera contributed to the increase in tourist traffic from Baku. The excitement observed this year in Marmaris makes us to believe that next season the flow of tourists will expand even more. There are many reasons for this.

The best place to holiday

There is a reason Marmaris is considered a resort for different kinds of holidays. The area is surrounded by picturesque nature. The views sometimes make you feel like in Thailand or the Maldives. During the day time, your can stay in numerous hotels along the beach to relax. But in the night hours the area is boiling with life never seen before. The central coast of the city, where you relaxed and had a carefree sunbathing during the day hours turns into an endless restaurant after 20.00, with open bars and disco clubs, where the fun continues until early morning. In this regard, lovers of a quiet holiday are recommended to choose hotels a little further from the first sea line. Many tourists looking for a quiet or family holiday choose such non-central, but very picturesque areas of Marmaris, such as Icmeler or Turunç. These areas have the cleanest sea and soft sand. They can be reached from the centre in 30-50 minutes by bus or 15-25 minutes by taxi. Such tourists visit the centre of Marmaris only for partying, entertainment, nightlife and shopping. Although shopping here is known to be weak and oriented towards unpretentious buyers. Everything in Maramaris is revolving around relaxation.

As for the prices for tours to Marmaris from Baku, this season they started from about 680-700 euros for a week in a three-star hotel with full meals. In four-star hotels tours cost 800-900 euros, in five-star hotels - 900-1000 euros and above. If you decide to buy an air ticket to Marmaris on your own, they can start at a price tag of 240 euros round trip without luggage. When booking hotels through online aggregators, a day of accommodation in the simplest of them without breakfast for two starts from 40 euros. Thus, accommodation prices in Marmaris are much lower than in Bodrum, Cesme and even Fethiye. You can compare them with those in Antalya, another Mediterranean city of Türkiye.

For independent budget travellers it is not difficult to get from Dalaman Airport to the city centre. Havaş buses will take you from the airport to the centre in one and a half hours for 110 Turkish liras (about ₼7). And from the bus station you can easily get to any part of Marmaris by dolmush (minibuses). Interestingly, you can pay Havas buses and minibuses not only in cash but also with your bank cards. You don't have to look for money changers or ticket offices or buy travel vouchers and cards.

European resort with Turkic flavour

There is a reason Marmaris is considered the most European of Turkish resorts. It is the moderate local climate that attracts mainly European tourists, mostly British and German. There are so many holidaymakers from Britain that prices in street clothes shops and in many travel agencies are fixed in British pounds. And pubs catering specifically for British holidaymakers can be found everywhere, and they are never empty.

The main feature of Marmaris is said to be its enclosed bay, where the sea is calmer than in other resorts. The mountains surrounding the bay keep the cold winds from reaching the coast. In summer, the sea is comfortable - the water warms up to +24°C, and the thermometer usually stays at an average of 30-34°C. Therefore, Europeans who avoid unbearable heat and high humidity can safely spend their holiday in Marmaris even in August. Interestingly, one can hardly find Arab tourists in Maramaris. Nor are there as many Russian-speaking tourists as in Antalya.

One of the main features of Marmaris is its location on the border of the Mediterranean Sea and the Aegean Sea. So you have a chance to swim in two seas at once during a holiday. To do this you need to book a day trip in tourist offices, and if you have enough money, hire a yacht or boat and visit the confluence of the two seas.

But, of course, it is much more interesting and cheaper to take the boat tour Merging of the Two Seas on a yacht, which has been practised for years. It is sold in almost all tour bureaus and on every corner. The price of the tour is $15-20. You will be picked up by transfer from your hotel and shown the most beautiful lagoons and bays of the Mediterranean and Aegean seas. The tour programme includes a visit to the small colourful settlement of Turunc, crystal clear sandy beaches with unspoilt nature, the ruins of the ancient settlement of Amos, the phosphorus cave and Paradise Island.

The Aegean Islands from Marmaris tours ($20-25) are sold separately. You can see the most picturesque bays and coves, Rabbit Island and Camellia Island, Maiden Spit and Toothed Island.

But one of the most popular tours is a tour ($25-30) to Cleopatra's Island, or Sedir Ada in Turkish. According to legend, this island was a wedding gift of the commander Mark Antony to the Egyptian queen Cleopatra. During the tour you will be able to swim in the blue lagoons, explore the ruins of the ancient city of Kedray, take a boat trip to the numerous islands of the Aegean Sea. In addition to the tour fee you will have to pay 300 liras (about 11 euros) for the entrance to the state reserve Sedir Ada. But it's worth it! You will be given two hours to swim on the crystal clear beach, which can be compared to the Maldives, and you can also visit the historical monuments of the island.

Interestingly, the price of these one-day sea cruises includes both the lunch and free soft drinks during the trip. Liquor lovers can also order unlimited alcoholic beverages for an additional $10.

In general, travel agencies in Marmaris offer a variety of tours both in the resort itself and to the nearest towns and villages. Perhaps the best and fastest way to get acquainted with the beautiful nature of the coast, its rich flora and fauna in the surrounding forests is a jeep safari ($25-30). You will experience an extreme off-road ride, water battles, swimming in a cool mountain lagoon, visiting the Turgut Falls and many other interesting places, including a lunch.

You can also take other tours like the Pamukkale from Marmaris. Cleopatra's Pool ($35-45), Ephesus from Marmaris ($35), Diving ($45), Fethiye from Marmaris ($45), Turkish Night ($38), visit Water Park ($20) and many more.

On the isle of knights

Undoubtedly, one of the highlights of a holiday in Marmaris is the visit to Greek islands. Thanks to ferry lines, this can also be done from Turkish islands such as Cesme, Fethiye, Bodrum and Kusadasi. And the most popular and closest in terms of distance are locations such as Rhodes, Kos, Samos and Chios. Some travellers from these islands go on to visit the famous resort of Santorini. But many travellers usually opt for day tours to these Greek islands. Azerbaijani nationals need a Schengen visa to do this. Citizens of some post-Soviet countries can do without it and enter the islands thanks to simplified entry procedures (to Rhodes, for example) facilitated by agreements signed in 2023 between Türkiye and Greece, which allow tourists to travel to the Greek island of Rhodes for a few hours paying additional costs. But this rule does not apply to Azerbaijani citizens.

Thus, if you have a Schengen visa, you can safely buy a ticket for the ferry route from Marmaris to Rhodes. You can buy it either online or at local specialised ticket offices or travel agencies. The minimum price for a one-day round-trip ticket will cost 52 euros. It includes hotel transfers, port charges and insurance. In about 1.5 hours, a transfer bus picks you up from an agreed location near your hotel and takes you to the pier. Keep in mind that you need to be at the port (if transferring on your own) at least 30 minutes before, and preferably an hour before. Your documents will be checked in at least three places - the processing is identical to that at the airport.

Ferries leave Marmaris at around 10am and return from Rhodes at 5pm. At about 11 o'clock you will be in the port of Rhodes. The Greek border guard will quickly stamp your passport (in 10-15 seconds) and you can leave the station. Taking into account that you actually have time till 16.00, and you want to see a lot of things, Rhodes city tour buses can help you. They leave from the respective station. You have to pay 15 euros, and in a few hours you will be able to see the main sights of the island, including the Old Town with the palace of the Grand Master, the aquarium, the Mandraki port, the government building, the new market, Monte Smith hill with the acropolis of the ancient city, the temple of Apollo, the new pier, the ancient theatre and the stadium. All of these sights are located on the upper part of the island, 20 kilometres around the circumference of the harbour. These parts of the island were not affected by the wildfires that raged here in July.

The second option to get acquainted with the city is booking an independent walking tour. However, in this case you will have time to see only the central parts of the city, around the perimeter of the harbour. And it can be quite enough for a five-hour tour. You will be able to see the port itself, the Old Town, the palace of the Grand Master and numerous shops, the palace of admirals, the archaeological museum, the mosque, the temple of Aphrodite, the fortress of St. Nicholas, windmills, the port of Mandraki and reach the aquarium, where there are many beaches nearby. And, most importantly, you can visit the site where, according to legend, in 280 BC was located the sixth wonder of the world - the 36-metre Colossus of Rhodes. Debates about the exact form and location of the statue of the ancient Greek sun god Helios is still going on. In the central tourist information office, I was told about the location of the ancient architectural masterpiece. But when approaching it from the port of Mandraki one of the sellers of sea cruises said: "Don't believe everything that is told here about the Colossus of Rhodes. It has never been located here."

Don't forget to take a stroll inside the Old Town, which looks similar to Icherisheher in Baku. There are many souvenir and other shops selling local designer clothes and leather shoes, but the prices are high. As locals and guides say, any product here will cost you two or even three times more than in other parts of the city. Don't forget to taste the local cuisine, which includes traditional japrakia so familiar to Turks and Azerbaijanis as dolma. Naturally, there are a lot of seafood dishes here. You should try chupra (dorado or tsipura in Greek) and the Greek salad. You can bring back olive oil, honey, ceramics and textiles from Rhodes.

Enjoy your holidays!