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Basics on Marmaris, which is a resort town on the Aegean coast in southwest Turkey. The city has a beautiful natural setting and makes a great base for some fantastic day trips.
Airports
Marmaris is served by Dalaman Airport (Dalaman Havalimanı), which is about 90 minutes from the city. Seasonal and charter flights from all over Europe fly into the airport. Domestically, there are frequent flights from both airports in Istanbul as well as flights to Ankara.
Havaş and Muttaş both run a shuttle between the airport and the Marmaris Bus Terminal (Marmaris Otogarı). Both cost 165₺ (as of February 2024).
Some people also choose to fly into Milas-Bodrum Airport, which is about an hour and 45 minutes away. There’s no public transportation from this airport, so you’ll have to take a taxi or rent a car.
Getting to Marmaris by Bus
The Marmaris Bus Terminal serves major cities such as Izmir, Antalya, Bursa, Ankara, and Istanbul, but from the latter two it’s better to fly.
Getting in from Bodrum is a little trickier. There used to be direct buses from the Bodrum Bus Terminal but they were unavailable during my last trip between the two cities in June 2022. First, we had to get a Muğla Kent Kart to board a minibus at the Bodrum Bus Terminal. A friendly driver helped me fill up the card with the correct amount of money needed to complete the first part of the journey.
Next, the minibus stopped outside the city of Muğla where we filled up our cards and changed minibuses to get to Marmaris. It was competitive getting onto the second minibus as it seemed everyone wanted to go to Marmaris, so there was lots of pushing and shoving. My advice is to get up to the door and get in as soon as you can or you’ll be waiting for the next one!
Where to Stay in Marmaris
There are plenty of decent places to stay in Marmaris, with many hotels along the long stretch of beach running to the southwest of the city center. The more upscale places are further away from the city while the budget options seemed to be closer. Overall, Marmaris is a much more budget-friendly option than Bodrum.
Marmaris Beach Hotel
We stayed three nights at the Marmaris Beach Hotel. It has its own small private beach area right across from the seaside promenade in front of the hotel.
The hotel contains a small pool near the lobby, and serves a decent breakfast. It has a great location near some decent restaurants and nightlife and is a 20-minute walk from the city center.
The hotel was a bit pricier than some of the other budget options but it was clean, comfortable, and the air conditioning was excellent. My only complaint would be the noise from the nearby bars and clubs that would vibrate through the room well into the night.
The best part about the room, however, was the incredible view overlooking the bay. It was a great way both to wake up in the morning and to wind down an eventful day.
Where to Eat in Marmaris
Marmaris has a good variety of restaurants to choose from. Many are located along the seaside promenade in the hotel zone while others frequented by locals sit further inland.
Can Pizza
For our first lunch in Marmaris, we stopped at Can Pizza, which sits about a block inland near the city center. Along with pizza, they also serve pide and kebab dishes. It’s owned by a gruff but friendly man who once served as a sailor. He’s quick to point out his hand with six fingers, which in his own words make him a perfect lover. His son speaks incredible English and does a fantastic job waiting tables.
I had a delicious Adana kebab plate served with fries and salad while the rest of my group had pide. Overall, the food was great and we enjoyed the hospitality and chats with the owner.
Yunus
For one dinner and one lunch, we ate at Yunus along the seaside. It’s a modern and somewhat upscale place with an international menu.
For lunch, I had a tomato soup and halloumi salad, which were both excellent. The next evening for dinner, I had a vegetable soup and burger. The burger was nothing to write home about.
My only complaint about Yunus is the treatment I got as a foreigner. The table next to us was full of Turkish people and they had a fantastic spread of traditional Turkish food that obviously wasn’t on the menu. I asked for a Turkish menu (in Turkish, mind you) and what the next table was having, and the waiter answered back smugly in English “we don’t have a Turkish menu”. This is something I’ve experienced a few times in the past in other touristy areas, where the Turkish menu has lower prices and different offerings than the typical tourist menu.
Antepli Çıtırım
On our final evening in Marmaris, we visited Antepli Çıtırım. It’s an authentic Turkish restaurant recommended by a local. It was filled with locals, so we knew it would be good going in.
Antepli Çıtırım has a menu full of traditional Turkish favorites such as kebabs, pide, güveç, and lahmacun, as well as some specialties from the southeast. I had the çökertme kebab, which is a hearty dish of veal strips sautéed with tomato sauce, tomatoes, and peppers. It’s served on a bed of thin crispy fried potatoes and yogurt. The dish is typically associated with Bodrum. It was very good but not as good as my very first çökertme in Bodrum itself. The rest of the group had kebabs and pide and they loved their meals.
Our group had fallen in love with katmer, which I introduced them to in Istanbul. We ordered a version of katmer here, but it wasn’t as good as we had hoped it would be.
Anatolia Bistro
Anatolia Bistro is at the south end of Kordon Avenue. They have a decent menu and good service. We didn’t eat there but we had a few beers while my group waited for their blue cruise pickup.
Bahadırlıoğlu Baklava
Finally, we popped into Bahadırlıoğlu Baklava, which is a block inland near the hotel zone. It’s been around since 1990 and run by a friendly older man and his wife. They were almost out of their stock for the day, and we were lucky to get some of their specialties to take with us. The baklava and every other dessert we tried were fresh and tasty. I’d love to go back one day to try the börek!
Entertainment in Marmaris
As far as entertainment is concerned, Marmaris caters to all tastes. Options include dance clubs, live music, drag shows, foam parties, karaoke, hookah bars, chill bars, and more. One place I can recommend is La Vita Restaurant at La Beirut Beach Hotel. We went there for the hookah and drinks and had a great experience with the friendly and lively staff.
Blue Cruise
Marmaris is a popular place to board a Turkish gület for a blue cruise, which takes guests along the coast. Short blue cruises last about four days and end in Fethiye, while longer one-week cruises usually return to Marmaris. Check out Farout Cruises, a company I’ve booked some of my guests with, for more info.
