Lifestyle

Foreign guide: Türkiye Datça .’s escape to resort paradise


Datça has long been a favorite retirement destination for many urban Turks mainly from Istanbul and Ankara, however, the population profile has changed quite a bit since the pandemic, when the town became a become the main venue for a new wave of young urban professionals able to work remotely. Since then, demand for houses, rentals or purchases like the many destinations dotting Türkiye’s coast has quadrupled, to say the least. While Datça is already saturated with summer vacationers who either have summer homes or vacation there, the new and younger population has led to the opening of a number of coffee shops, cafes and homes modern restaurants to serve them, making it a more vibrant winter destination. many coastal cities of the country.

Datça is distinctive with its breathtaking mountain and sea scenery, slow pace of life, neighborhood and small town vibes, numerous cafes and restaurants and the almond-based Datçacookie for which the peninsula is famous. The theme is the spring festival, specifically the Datça Badem Çiçeği Festival (Datça Almond Flower Festival), which takes place every year in February.

The whole town comes alive for this event, which features live music performances, gift stalls, nature hikes, and rock climbing sessions. In the summer, the high season is short-lived and Datça is a town less frequented by expats, simply because of its location at the end of a long peninsula. This makes the area more difficult to navigate without cars and the distance is quite long compared to two airports: Bodrum and Dalaman.


Aerial view showing Datça city center and the Aegean Sea, in Muğla, Türkiye.  (Shutterstock photo)
Aerial view showing Datça city center and the Aegean Sea, in Muğla, Türkiye. (Shutterstock photo)

I digress but wanted to share my attempt to move to Datça a few years ago just before the pandemic but finding affordable accommodation and the sheer distance between the town and other parts of the peninsula prevented me from entering. that time and I eventually moved to Gökova . However, the charm of the town and the entire peninsula remains in my mind as a possibility of a perfect place to live year round.

Datça is further from the other highlights along the coast of Türkiye, namely Bodrum, Marmaris, Dalyan, Fethiye and of course, Antalya. Although served by a ferry that departs from the marina at Bodrum Castle twice daily in the summer, it is not in the winter. Not only are ferry services separated in winter by just a few days a week, but weather can also disrupt services because boats don’t run in stormy weather. Having to wait for the ferry to reopen for four days was so indispensable that I decided not to move there.

But this shouldn’t be a hindrance during the summer as they definitely run more often. It’s a spectacular boat ride, and you can also bring your vehicle on board, though don’t be surprised because the price for the ride is so high. Today, the cost to go with a car is about 1,000 TL ($42.50).

While the boat ride from Bodrum is 105 minutes long, the drive from the Bodrum peninsula to Datça takes up to four hours. One needs to first drive on a road parallel to Marmaris and then continue on a windy hilly road for another hour. Don’t get me wrong as the views from the road and from the boat are equally spectacular as Datça is almost completely surrounded by water but also has a majestic mountain landscape, which also makes it a great place to visit. famous for climbing.


Ruins of the ancient city of Knidos, in Datça, Muğla, Türkiye.  (Shutterstock photo)
Ruins of the ancient city of Knidos, in Datça, Muğla, Türkiye. (Shutterstock photo)

Contrary to what one might expect, the ferry from Bodrum does not dock in central Datça, nor anywhere near it. In fact, it’s only about a 15-minute drive into the center of town, where everyone socializes, whether it’s going to a farmers market, enjoying a delicious meal or coffee by the beach, or eating at any of the vendors. any local level, which today includes pizza, burgers, home cooking and other vegan options. The center of Datça is easy to navigate and has a sandy beach with fish restaurants and several restaurants serving international cuisine and shops and all necessities lining the parallel streets. . The city center is mainly composed of apartment buildings and two to three-storey buildings that double as hotels.

Eski Datça is a neighborhood a short drive inland from the town center, famous for its original stone houses and cobblestone streets that have been converted into a small village where you enjoy coffee, tea or lunch and sweets during the day. Perhaps Datça’s most popular tourist attraction, as almost anyone who visits the region wants to walk the windswept streets, is where the Turkish poet Can Yücel once lived. Knidos is a quaint Carian town with ruins connected to the sea and located at the western and southern ends of the island-like peninsula. While well worth a visit, especially because of the amphitheater, columns, and archways, all of which offer impressive views of the surrounding sea, it requires a car or an adventure with a organized bus or boat tour.

For most people, a visit to Datça is to spend time in “büküs,” which is the ending named for three different spots on the Datça peninsula. “river bush”, referring to becoming a slice of nature by the sea.Well, in Datça there are three such areas that have become prominent vacation spots, namely Palamutbükü, Ovabükü and Hayıtbükü, with a number of smaller “büküs” in between. These are all coastal residential areas with large beaches, fish restaurants and cafes along the coast. Colors of the sea, views of a skyline uninterrupted and pleasant breeze really makes one understand how important it is to be present in this special place in the world.These are the places where time seems to stop and all the people are visiting is simply relaxing, taking in the breathtaking nature and enjoying the moment.

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