Marmaris lies where the Aegean meets the Mediterranean, in a landscape where mountains drop steeply into the sea. The hills around the bay are covered with Turkish red pine, and hundreds of coves line the coast.
Marmaris National Park
The forests around the bay were declared a national park in 1996. Alongside red pine you will find oriental sweetgum, myrtle, strawberry trees and Mediterranean maquis. The forests are home to wild goats, wild boar and many bird species.
The Bozburun Peninsula
Stretching southwest of Marmaris, the peninsula is known for its deeply indented coastline. The coves around villages such as Selimiye, Söğüt and Bozburun, with their clear water and pine forests reaching down to the shore, are among the most unspoilt corners of the region.
Sedir Island and its oolitic sand
The sand on Sedir Island in the Gulf of Gökova is oolitic sand, made of round grains found in very few places in the world. The grains form as calcium carbonate from seawater settles in layers around tiny cores. Because the sand is so special, the beach is protected.
Turgut Waterfall and Bayır
Inland on the peninsula, the waterfall near Turgut village, with its cool pools, is a lovely place to escape the summer heat. The centuries-old plane tree in the square of nearby Bayır village is one of the symbols of the area.
The Gulf of Gökova
North of Marmaris, the Gulf of Gökova is a Specially Protected Area. The reed beds, shallow bays and seagrass meadows along its shores are an important habitat for marine life.