The small town of Dalyan is tucked into a bend of the very bendy Dalyan River on Turkey’s southwest coast, about 50 miles east of Marmaris and 35 miles west of Fethiye. The whole area, around 300 square miles, was established as a Special Environmental Protection Area beginning in the late 1980s. Although the protected status revolves largely around the endangered loggerhead turtle, which nests on a local beach, the area encompasses wetlands, fresh water lakes, rivers, a brackish water zone and rich agricultural lands.
Click to see our Magnifcent Turkey tour,
which includes a visit to Dalyan.