Datça sits near the middle of the long peninsula that separates the Aegean from the Mediterranean. It is quieter and less packaged than Bodrum or Marmaris, with a dry, piney landscape, clear coves, old stone villages, and enough distance from the main resort circuit to keep its own rhythm.
The great day out is Knidos, the ancient city at the far western tip of the peninsula, where ruined theatres and harbour walls face two seas. Closer to town, Eski Datça gives you cobbled lanes, stone houses, and a slower inland feel.
Datça is also a beach and walking base. Palamutbükü and the smaller coves west of town are made for swimming, while the Carian Trail crosses the peninsula for walkers who want heat, thyme, sea views, and long empty stretches. It is not a place to rush. Rent a car if you can, then spend the day moving between ruins, village lanes, and water.