The Dilek Peninsula juts west from the mainland just south of Kuşadası, ending opposite the Greek island of Samos across a narrow strait. The peninsula is a protected national park: pine-clad mountains rising straight from the sea, four signed beach coves on the north coast (İçmeler, Aydınlık, Kavaklı Burun, and Karasu), and trails into the interior where wild boar and a few persistent jackals still live.
A single road runs along the north coast to a dead-end gate at the western tip. There is a daily entrance fee per person. Public dolmuş minibuses run from Kuşadası in summer; otherwise it is a half-hour drive. Bring food and water — the seasonal kiosks are basic — and aim to be at İçmeler or Aydınlık early in the day to find shade.