GOKOVA INFORMATION

With its rugged backdrop of awe inspiring mountains, surrounding acres and acres of pine forests, crystal clear freshwater river and streams, abundant flower filled gardens and exquisite Ottoman style architecture, Akyaka remains one of our favourite destinations on the Turkish coast and is just a fifty minute drive from Dalaman airport.

The village has numerous food shops and a village bakery which bakes not only delicious bread but also sizzling pide" bread topped with meat and cheese. A permanent fruit and vegetable market ensures you have the best choice of locally grown fruit. There is an excellent choice of restaurants ranging from specialist kebab makers and family run restaurants to the slightly more sophisticated riverside restaurants where fresh water trout is offered alongside a selection of delicious bream, bass and mullet

The wide sandy beach with its constant cooling breeze and within walking distance of all our accommodation is ideal for children as it is shallow for some way out, beach side restaurants provide the ideal lunch venue and beds and sun umbrellas are plentiful; alternatively cross over the rickety wooden bridge to the plain and you have yet another beach; snorkelling enthusiasts will enjoy the rocky coastline bordering the forest whilst the sunbathers can relax on the small platforms cut into the rock face

Every few months, I pack my bags and head to Marmaris for a sailing holiday. I have always enjoyed travelling by bus, but the journey to Marmaris is especially lovely as it boasts one of the best views in Turkey.

Sunshine nine months of the year

Just after Mugla, the bus climbs a gentle slope to Sakar Peak with its stunning view of the Gulf of Gokova. At the bottom of the slope, a road to the right is labelled "Akyaka". Akyaka stands at the meeting point of grassy meadows, snowy peaks and turquoise waters. This heaven-on-earth is the ideal place to escape the madding crowd and relax in the shade of pine trees to the sound of lapping waves. Akyaka has the added bonus of guaranteed sunshine 9 months of the year. Even in winter, brief showers are quickly replaced by bright sunshine. A wind known as the "Deli (Crazy) Memed" sweeps through the town at least once every two weeks, ensuring that Akyaka stays relatively cool.

From the Romans to the Ottomans

Akyaka occupies the site of a Carian town called Idyma. No one knows for sure when the town was established. In 546 BC, the entire region was occupied by the Persians. From 484-405 BC the Delian League, under the leadership of Athens, took over the administration. Idyma left the league in 440 BC. The city produced coins with the head of Pan on one side. In the third century BC, Idyma came under Rhodeian rule before becoming a Roman city at the end of first century AD. Not much is known about the city's Byzantine history, but, at the end of 13th century AD, the area came under Turkish administration and the region became known as the Menteşe Principality. Today, evidence of Akyaka's ancient past can be seen in its rock tombs, cisterns and walls dating back to 4th century BC. A medieval fortress in İnişdibi confirms that this was an importance settlement in Byzantine times. In 1922, Roman mosaics were found in the ruins of the fortress.

The Ula architectural style

Akyaka is also famous as the home of the Nail Çakırhan Residence. A native of Ula, Cakırhan built a home in Akyaka in the early 1980s in the traditional Ula architectural style. The richly ornamented two-story house won the Aga Khan Award for Architecture in 1983. In 1998, the residence-museum was turned into a centre for arts and culture. The centre is run by the Friends of Gokova-Akyaka, an association established in 1991. Under the chairmanship of German-born Heike Thol-Schmitz, they work to protect Akyaka's natural beauty, history and architecture.

Delicious fish and beautiful coves

entry of Akyaka
akyaka beach
Kadın Azmagı (river)
Kadın azmagı (river)
forest park
forest park
Eucalyptus Tree Walk
Idyma roc tomb