İztuzu Beach (Turtle Beach)

İztuzu Beach, known in English as Turtle Beach, is a 4.5-kilometre sand spit in Muğla province that separates the Dalyan River delta from the open Mediterranean Sea near the Aegean town of Dalyan. The beach is one of the most important nesting sites in the Mediterranean for the loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta), and stringent conservation rules govern access during the breeding season. Between May and October the beach is divided into zones: the central section is open to visitors throughout the day, while the eastern sections are closed from dusk to dawn to protect nesting turtles. Lighting and noise are restricted at night, and the beach is fully cleared of sunbeds after sundown during the nesting months of June through September. The sand is pale and fine, giving the water a luminous turquoise tint in the shallows that deepens to open blue offshore. One side of the narrow spit faces the sea with gentle waves, while the lagoon side fronts the calm, brackish Dalyan River channel. A natural fresh-spring water fountain on the beach provides cold drinking water at no charge. A small café and sun-lounger hire (₺80–₺120 per pair) operate from a wooden platform set back from the nesting zones. A lifeguard is on duty in the central public section during high season. The most scenic approach is by river boat from Dalyan jetty — a 30-minute journey through reed-lined channels past the Lycian rock tombs of Kaunos and the Dalyan mud baths, costing approximately ₺80 return. A road route via Ortaca reaches a western car park from which a shuttle minibus accesses the beach. Conservation information boards explain turtle biology and nesting behaviour, making İztuzu an educational destination as well as a scenic one. Swimming conditions are generally gentle, with shallow water extending a considerable distance from shore.