Lake Köyceğiz

Large alluvial lake connected to Dalyan by river channel

Köyceğiz is a long, brackish lake about 8km north of Dalyan, fed by mountain streams from the Toros range and drained southward through the river channels that pass the town. The lake covers around 50 square kilometres and is part of the Köyceğiz-Dalyan Specially Protected Area, which also covers Iztuzu Beach.

You can reach it by boat from Dalyan or by road from the town of Köyceğiz on the northern shore. The water is calm and warm in summer, and there are quiet swimming spots away from the resort jetties. Birdwatchers come for herons, kingfishers, and (in winter) flamingos along the reed margins.

things to do sight
A story
Köyceğiz Lake drains southward through a network of reed-lined channels — the dalyan, or "fish weir," that gave the town its name. The lake is a stopover for migratory birds, and the channels are now part of a Specially Protected Area. Most boat trips up from Dalyan stop at the lake's southern shore for the mud baths.