Best Blue Flag Beaches in Turkey for a Perfect Summer Vacation
Turkey, with its unique coastline, offers summer holidaymakers both nature and sea pleasure. Especially the beaches with the Blue Flag award are among the most reliable stops for holidaymakers in terms of water quality, environmental order and safety. From the cool waters of the Aegean to the golden beaches of the Mediterranean, this guide offers the cleanest and most beautiful beaches in Turkey, from Ölüdeniz Blue Lagoon to Kaputaş Beach, from Ilıca to İztuzu. A holiday plan that will make the summer of 2024 unforgettable awaits you with transport tips, places to visit, water sports, nature walks and beach recommendations suitable for families.
1. Oludeniz - Blue Lagoon, Fethiye (Mugla)
Oludeniz is one of Turkey's most iconic beaches, frequently featured in international tourism magazines. Known worldwide as the ‘Blue Lagoon’, this natural wonder resembles a natural pool with its calm and calm sea. It offers a visual feast to its visitors with its turquoise to glass green waters. The Blue Flag beach status provides a high level of assurance in terms of bathing water quality and environmental management. It is a unique location especially for photographers, nature lovers and underwater enthusiasts.
Activities:
Paragliding: Flights from Babadağ, about 1900 metres high, are among the best paragliding routes in the world.
Boat trips: Boat trips to nature and history paradises such as Butterfly Valley, St. Nicholas Island and Gemiler Bay last all day long.
Underwater diving and snorkelling: It is possible to see colourful fish, corals and wreck formations.
Transport & Environment:
It is approximately 50 km from Dalaman Airport by car. Dolmus buses leave from Fethiye centre at frequent intervals. The nearby Kaya Village offers a cultural trip with its abandoned Greek houses, while the Lycian Way hiking route attracts trekking enthusiasts.
2. Patara Beach, Kaş (Antalya)
Patara Beach is one of the longest and most unique beaches of the Mediterranean with its 18 kilometres of white sand. It is suitable for both athletes and families with its winds suitable for surfing, fine-grained sand and shallow water structure. It is also an important spawning area for Caretta caretta sea turtles; therefore, part of the beach is under protection and night use is restricted.
History & Nature Together:
Patara Beach is fascinating not only with its sea but also with its history. Ancient Patara City, located at the entrance, is very impressive with its theatre, parliament building and main street from the Roman period. This ancient city, which was the capital of the Lycian Civilisation, is on the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List.
Transport & Environment:
It is recommended to reach the beach, which is 40 km from Kas, by private car. You can rent a car from Dalaman or Antalya airports. Gelemis Village near the beach offers a quiet accommodation experience with boutique hotels and local restaurants. Horse safari, canoeing and hiking routes in the region are also very popular.
3. Kaputaş Beach, Kaş-Kalkan Road (Antalya)
Kaputaş, declared ‘one of the most beautiful beaches in the world’ by the Guardian Newspaper, stands out with its natural beauty that adorns postcards. Descending 186 steps, this small bay offers a visual therapy with its deep blue waters. Although the water deepens immediately with its fine pebble structure, its clarity makes the swimming experience unforgettable.
Tips & Information:
It is recommended to visit early in the morning; it can be quite crowded in the middle of the day.
The beach has a small municipal café, showers and sunbeds.
Families with children should be careful as the sea suddenly deepens.
Transport & Environment:
It is right on the coastal road between Kas and Kalkan. The viewpoint on the road is ideal for photo shoots. You can easily reach both nature and culture destinations such as Saklikent Canyon, Xanthos Ancient City and Letoon.
4. Konyaalti Beach, Antalya
Konyaalti, one of the closest beaches to Antalya city centre, appeals to both sportsmen and those looking for sea pleasure with its 13 km length. Thanks to its stony structure, the water is very clear. There are walking and cycling paths, playgrounds, restaurants and cafes along the beach. It is a safe beach with its Blue Flag status.
Highlights
Sahil Antalya Life Park hosts concerts, open-air cinemas and fair events.
Water sports, jet-ski and pedal hire are available.
It is enjoyable to watch the sunset on the coastline in the evening.
Transport & Environment:
The centre of Antalya is easily accessible on foot or by tram and minibus. Antalya Aquarium, MiniCity, and Atatürk Park, located near the beach, offer alternative activities for families with children. In addition, the ancient city of Termessos, a 45-minute drive from Konyaalti, is a great day trip for nature and history lovers.
5. Cleopatra Beach, Alanya (Antalya)
Cleopatra Beach takes its name from the legend that the famous Egyptian Queen Cleopatra swam here. It is famous for its golden fine sands, a waveless and shallow sea. Lying in the shadow of Alanya Castle, this beach offers both a visual and historical feast.
Features:
The Blue Flag beach is regularly inspected throughout the year.
It is suitable for children with its shallow structure.
There are sports fields, walking paths and cafe-restaurants along the beach.
Transportation & Environment:
It can be reached by bus or taxi from Gazipasa-Alanya Airport. You can take a short minibus from Alanya centre to the beach. Damlataş Cave, which is very close to the beach, can be visited for both cooling off and health tourism. Going up to the castle with the Alanya Cable Car offers both a pleasant and panoramic experience.
6. Ilica Beach, Cesme (Izmir)
Ilica Beach is one of the most popular spots on the Cesme Peninsula. It takes its name from the hot water springs that mix into the sea. Thanks to these thermal waters, the sea is mild throughout the year and is highly preferred in terms of health tourism. Fine white sands and shallow structure are safe for families with children. It is also ideal for those who learn to swim with its slowly deepening structure.
Highlights:
There are many showers, changing cabins and sunbed rental areas around the beach.
The Blue Flag status indicates that both water quality and environmental infrastructure are safe.
Thermal outlets off Ilıca create a natural ‘sea jacuzzi’ effect.
Transport & Environment:
It can be reached by a 1-hour land journey from the Izmir city centre. Access is quite easy by private car or bus using the Izmir-Çeşme motorway. Alaçatı's stone houses, windsurfing schools, boutique hotels and wellness centres are located in the vicinity. In addition, Ilıca Bazaar attracts visitors with local flavours and handcrafted products.
7. Belcekız Beach - Ölüdeniz (Muğla)
Located at the entrance point of Ölüdeniz, Belcekız Beach is one of the widest beaches in the region. It offers a visual feast for photography enthusiasts with its golden yellow sands, calm sea and paragliders soaring in the sky. The generally waveless sea is suitable for families with children. In addition, the swimming experience at the transition point directly connected to the lagoon is unique.
Activities:
Even watching paragliders from the beach is a pleasure in itself.
There are walking paths and cycling tracks along the beach.
Daily boat tours, diving clubs and trekking guiding services are offered around the coast.
Transport & Environment:
Oludeniz is located in the centre and can be reached on foot. Just behind the beach are restaurants, souvenir shops and campsites. The nearby Lycian Way stages and Faralya Village are ideal for day trips.
8. Kumburnu Beach, Ölüdeniz (Muğla)
Kumburnu Beach, located in the inner part of Ölüdeniz Lagoon, is a natural cove isolated from wind and waves, with water almost as clear as an aquarium. This beach, which is calm like a lake, is considered one of the safest swimming areas in Turkey for children and non-swimmers. Natural life is carefully preserved in this protected area.
Highlights
With its Blue Flag structure, it passes regular water tests throughout the year.
Facilities such as sunbeds, showers, toilets and restaurants are available on the beach.
It hosts yoga and meditation camps with its silence and peaceful structure.
Transport & Environment:
It is easily reached from Fethiye by minibus or on foot. Since it is very close to Belcekız Beach, both beaches can be visited on the same day. In addition, places such as Gemiler Bay and St. Nicholas Island, which can be accessed by sea, are also prominent in this region.
9. Iztuzu Beach, Dalyan (Muğla)
Iztuzu Beach is one of the rare ecosystems in the world. Being surrounded by both freshwater and saltwater has increased the biodiversity of the beach. It is the natural spawning area of Caretta caretta turtles and is therefore protected by volunteers every year. The beach is not illuminated at night and is closed to the public at 20.00; this is to protect the nature of the turtles.
Nature & Consciousness:
You can visit DEKAMER (Sea Turtle Research Centre) in Dalyan to learn not only about the natural structure but also about environmental awareness.
The shallow and fine sandy sea is ideal for swimming.
Transport & Environment:
Dalyan is reached by small boats with a 30-minute pleasant river tour. Rock Tombs, Kaunos Ancient City, mud baths and reeds can be seen during the tour. For those who want to go by car, Iztuzu Road is used from Ortaca.
10. Adrasan Beach, Kumluca (Antalya)
Adrasan is one of the favourite routes of those who want to be alone with nature away from the crowd. The 2.5 km long beach forms a peaceful bay surrounded by lush pine forests. While one end of the beach is shallower and pebbly, the other end is deeper and wavy; thus it appeals to different swimming preferences.
Activities:
Trekking: The Adrasan-Gelidonia Lighthouse route, one of the important stages of the Lycian Way, starts here.
Diving: It is very attractive for divers with its underwater caves and sunken points.
Camping: There are bungalows, boutique hostels and camping areas in the vicinity.
Transport & Environment:
It is 100 km from Antalya. It is possible to reach by car via Kumluca. Untouched bays such as Suluada, Ceneviz Bay and Portakal Bay can be reached by daily boat tours in the region.
Why is the Blue Flag Important?
The Blue Flag is an international environmental award given to beaches, marinas and yachts that meet 33 criteria such as environmental management, sea water quality, safety, disabled access and environmental education. Regular water analyses are carried out at the beaches throughout the year and there are lifeguards and first aid stations. The cleanliness of the beaches and the rate of construction that does not harm the ecosystem are the most important factors when awarding the Blue Flag.
Turkey ranks 3rd in the world with 567 Blue Flag beaches in 2024.
Antalya: Leading with 233 beaches.
Muğla: 112 beaches.
Izmir: 64 beaches.
This award demonstrates not only the quality of tourism but also the importance attached to sustainability.
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