Iztuzu Beach

Iztuzu Beach, also known as Turtle Beach, is a 4.5-kilometre sweep of golden sand where the Dalyan Delta meets the Mediterranean. It is protected as a special environmental zone primarily because it is one of the most significant loggerhead sea turtle nesting grounds in Turkey. The beach is clean, uncrowded, and remarkably undeveloped compared to most of the Turkish coast.

It is accessible by boat from Dalyan (a pleasant 30-minute journey through the delta) or by road from the south. The boat trip gives the better approach — you pass through the reed beds of the Dalyan Delta with views of the Lycian rock tombs carved into the cliffs above the river. During the day in summer you can see turtles in the water if you are quiet and patient.

things to do sight
A story
Iztuzu is one of the most important loggerhead sea turtle nesting sites in the Mediterranean. Female loggerheads (Caretta caretta) return to the beach where they were born to lay their eggs — a homing instinct accurate enough that scientists can predict individual turtles will use the same stretch of beach year after year. The beach is closed from 8pm to 8am during nesting season (May–October) to protect the nests, and no development is permitted on the dunes.