17 Things to Do in Marmaris for Foodies and Culture Lovers

I’ll be honest: before I visited Marmaris, I wasn’t sure that it would be for me. Marmaris has a reputation as a package holiday destination for rowdy Brits, full of all-inclusive resorts and booze cruises.

However, while you can absolutely find those things in Marmaris, you can also find ancient historical sites, stunning nature, and some incredible restaurants.

In my opinion, it’s a shame that so many people associate Marmaris with sun loungers and cocktail buckets, because this sun-kissed slice of paradise truly does have something for every type of traveller.

So, whether you’re trying to decide between Marmaris vs. Antalya, or wondering whether a package holiday to Marmaris is worth it, this article is here to help.

I recently spent 4 days in Marmaris, and I’m going to share some of my favourite things that my friends and I got up to while we were there.

Are you ready? Then let’s get into it.

1. Visit Marmaris Castle and Museum

Believed to have been built in 1044BC, Marmaris Castle is one of the most worthwhile things to see in Marmaris, and the one most people skip because they’d rather stay on the beach.

Marmaris Castle is the highest spot in Old Marmaris, and the views over the harbour are gorgeous, as well as the manicured gardens inside the fort.

The museum inside gives you a decent overview of the area’s history without requiring an entire afternoon (I’d leave 45 minutes to an hour for the castle and museum). My favourite part of the museum was a 2200 year-old bronze sculpture of a woman that dates all the way back to the Roman period, but was only found 5 years ago by local fisherman!

2. Shop in the Grand Bazaar

Marmaris has a large covered Grand Bazaar in the town centre that sells everything. From replica designer gear (I may have bought an Arsenal jersey for £5), and tacky souvenirs to handcrafted bags, ceramics, spices, jewellery, and so much more.

Haggling is often expected in the market stalls, but if you see prices on the walls, it’s best not to (unless the vendor starts to bargain with you first).

I found that shopkeepers weren’t nearly as aggressive as I’ve experienced in other places (Marrakech, I’m looking at you), and I enjoyed chatting and having friendly banter with them.

3. Take a boat trip

Taking a boat trip is one of the most popular things to do in Marmaris, and you’ll see hundreds of tourist boats lining the harbour with themes like Pirates of the Caribbean (this is a popular one), and even Mr. Bean!

Depending on the kind of vibe you want, there’s a boat trip to suit everyone, from the adults-only boats with loud music and unlimited booze, to the family boats, and more tranquil trips that promise not to play music!

One thing that all of the boat trips have in common is that they visit various picturesque bays, make time for swimming and snorkelling, and include lunch on the boat (usually barbecued fish or chicken with pasta and salad).

As I was visiting Marmaris on a press trip, my colleagues and I had one of the huge wooden gulets to ourselves, but I’d love to experience one of the boats in full party mode!

4. Take a jeep safari

Taking a jeep safari in Marmaris was not on my bingo card, but if you’ve exhausted your beach tolerance, it might just be the perfect option!

A jeep safari takes you off-road into the Turkish countryside, stopping at beaches, viewpoints, and traditional villages along the way.

We all had so much fun bopping around in the back of the jeep, and it was great to get away from the harbour and see a more rural side of Marmaris.

Most of the jeep safaris in Marmaris include lunch, and, randomly, a water fight (which you’ll actually be grateful of after being exposed to that scorching Turkish sun!).

This jeep safari tour on GetYourGuide is very similar to the one that we did.

5. Eat traditional Turkish food

I’ll be sharing some specific restaurant recommendations later, but for now, my biggest piece of advice would be not to limit yourself to the buffet dinner provided by your hotel.

While I’m sure many of the all-inclusive hotels in Marmaris have great food, there are also plenty of incredible restaurants in Marmaris, and it would be a waste to visit Marmaris and not experience some of them.

Turkish food culture is a massive part of Turkish culture in general, and if you’re not having multi-course meals that last several hours, you’re not doing it right.

Street food in Marmaris is also a must – gözleme (a stuffed flatbread) and börek (flaky filo pastry stuffed with meat, spinach, or cheese) are two Turkish street foods that you should especially look out for.

6. Visit the honey house!

I didn’t know this before I visited, but Marmaris is famous for its pine honey, and Marmaris Bal Evi (literally ‘Marmaris Honey House‘) is a small honey museum and tasting spot just outside the town centre. Here, you can learn how pine honey is produced, learn more about bees and how important they are, and try some of the famous honey.

The museum is free to enter, and a local guide will take you around and introduce you to the world of bees, bee conservation, and Marmaris pine honey.

At the end of the tour is a lovely little shop where you can purchase some pine honey to take home with you.

Marmaris Bal Evi is a hidden gem that most people visiting Marmaris have never even heard of, but if you’re into food and love to learn, it’s a lovely place to visit.

7. Visit the Ancient City of Amos

Most tourists visiting Marmaris have no idea that this place exists, which is certainly a shame, but it does mean you’ll have the place almost entirely to yourself if you choose to visit.

The Ancient City of Amos sits on Cape Asardjik, above Kumlubuk Bay, near the village of Turunç. It dates back to the 4th century BC, founded by Dorians, and its ruins show a mix of Greek and Hellenistic influences.

What’s left today is well-preserved walls, fragments of ancient gates, five watchtowers, a theatre, a necropolis, and the remains of a Temple of Apollo.

Something that makes the Ancient City of Amos special is that it’s unexcavated, with no ropes, barriers, or overpriced gift shop – just ancient ruins on a hillside with some extraordinary views.

Know before you go

The site is open-air and free to visit
To get there, take a dolmus from Marmaris towards Turunç and tell the driver you want Amos. Alternatively, it’s about a 30-minute drive by car or taxi
From the drop-off point, the path is in good condition with wooden steps on the steeper sections
It’s wise to wear sturdy shoes, as even though the main path is well-maintained, you might have to do a little scrambling to get to the higher viewpoints
There’s almost no shade, so be sure to bring water and wear sunscreen

8. Visit the Village of Bayir

About 25km southwest of Marmaris, Bayir is a quaint Aegean village that most tourists never see (their loss). Surrounded by mountains and home to traditional stone houses, village bakeries, and artisan shops, Bayir is as authentic as it gets.

The village is built on the site of the ancient city of Syrna and is known for its natural honey production as well as, most famously, a single tree.

In the village square sits a plane tree that locals believe is around 2300 years old.

As you may imagine, it’s absolutely enormous, and according to local legend, walking around the tree prolongs life (you can also make a wish if you like).

The village square brings together the plane tree, a mosque, a fountain and a cutesy village café (Çinaralti Restaurant), which is the perfect place to order a Turkish coffee and get lost in a book.

There isn’t much to actually do in Bayir, but it’s one of those sleepy villages that you can’t help but fall in love with. I only spent a short amount of time here, but I wish I’d had longer.

9. The Tomb of Diagoras

If you’re a history buff, this is one of the strangest and most interesting places to visit near Marmaris, and almost nobody does, which makes it even better.

Near the village of Turgut, a 2300-year-old pyramid-shaped hilltop tomb was, for centuries, believed by local people to be the burial place of a holy Islamic figure. They treated it as a sacred site, conducting religious rites there, and many young men heading into military service would take a handful of soil from the area as a good luck charm.

It wasn’t until archaeologists uncovered an ancient Greek inscription on the tomb’s walls that the truth emerged: it was actually the burial site of Diagoras of Rhodes, one of the most celebrated boxers of the ancient world.

Diagoras had won twice at the Olympic games, twice at the Nemean games, four times at the Isthmian games, and once at the Pythian games. All three of his sons were also Olympic champions, making the whole family pretty formidable!

The inscription on the tomb reads: ‘I will be vigilant at the very top so as to ensure that no coward can come and destroy this tomb.’

Archaeologists consider this the only surviving pyramid-type tomb in Türkiye, and conservation work is now underway to preserve and improve access to the site.

If you’re interested in seeing the tomb for yourself, here’s a Google Maps link.

10. Sunset Dinner at Hidayet’in Yeri, Selimiye

Selimiye is a small village about 50km from Marmaris, and making the effort to go there for dinner is absolutely worth it.

Hidayet’in Yeri (Google Maps link) is a family-run seafood restaurant sitting right on the water, with wooden tables on the dock and gorgeous sunset views.

Sidenote: It’s also a boutique hotel, so if you want to enjoy the village of Selimiye for longer, it’s worth looking into staying here!

We ate a lot here, and I particularly enjoyed the mixed meze, fried calamari, seabass (which the restaurant is famous for), and slow-roasted lamb (Kuzu tandır).

Book in advance, especially in peak season.

11. Explore Old Marmaris

The Old Town of Marmaris is gorgeous, and what I love most about it is that as well as the busy tourist streets lined with souvenir shops and tea houses, you can duck down an alleyway and feel like you’re completely alone.

There are so many of these hidden corners in Old Marmaris, and although the area itself is quite small, you’ll be spoilt for choice with photo opportunities.

There are some lovely boutiques here selling handmade jewellery, wall hangings, and other stunning bits and pieces, so be sure to leave some room in your suitcase for those! The area around the base of the castle is particularly good for shopping and little coffee shops.

12. Dinner at Dede Restaurant

Dede started life as a café in 1973, founded by Ali Denizelli, who spent most of his life at sea working as a postman between Marmaris and Rhodes. He lived to the ripe old age of 104, which he credited to seafood and a life on the water.

His grandchildren now run the restaurant and named it Dede, the Turkish word for grandfather, in his memory.

The menu at Dede leans heavily on fresh seafood and steaks, and although my steak was served medium rather than the blue I’d asked for, everything else I tried was delicious, and everybody else who had ordered steak was very happy, so I’m willing to give them a pass!

The menu has both traditional Turkish food, as well as plenty of international cuisine, and the setting on the marina with views of the wooden gulets is hard to beat.

Book ahead for evenings, particularly in July and August.

13. Cleopatra Island

Cleopatra Island, also known as Sedir Island, sits about 16 kilometres north of Marmaris in the Gulf of Gökova. The legend goes that Mark Antony had sand shipped from Egypt as a gift for Cleopatra, which is you can see as either a romantic gesture, or an extraordinary logistical undertaking!

The sand is indeed unusual: each grain is a perfect sphere, the beach is made from tiny seashells rather than conventional sand, and modern research suggests the composition is indeed similar to that found in Egypt, and it is strictly protected.

You cannot take any sand home, you cannot bring towels onto the beach, and there is even a wooden walkway to prevent direct contact with the sand in places. Most people visiting who want to swim and enjoy the sun actually relax on the grassy area behind the beach, and enter the water using the wooden walkway.

Also on Cleopatra Island are the ruins of the ancient city of Cedrae, which include a theatre and city walls, which are definitely worth having a look at.

The best way to see Cleopatra Island is on a boat tour like this one, which will include stops for swimming, a BBQ lunch onboard, and time to explore the island.

Know before you go

There is an entrance fee of about 13 EUR to enter the island, with concessions for Turkish people and those holding a museum pass
Cleopatra Island is open from May-October and is only accessible by boat
Most people visit on one of the organised boat trips from Marmaris that I mentioned earlier

14. Fine dining at Sento

Sento by NUUP is a gourmet restaurant set within the NUUP nature hotel complex in Çamlı, just outside Marmaris. It’s known for its elegant outdoor setting, creative cuisine, and emphasis on sustainability using locally sourced ingredients (many of which come from NUUP’s own farm!).

Sento offers a Fine Aegean Cuisine concept, based on nature and rooted in Mediterranean and Turkish influences.

I had the best steak of my life here – dry aged ribeye with rosehip, asparagus, cherry smoke, and Denizli burnt yoghurt with shoestring fries on top. I asked for it to be cooked blue, and to my surprise, it was done perfectly (it’s very rare that chefs actually listen when I ask for blue steak!).

Other dishes I recommend are: the garden salad with pickled red cabbage, baby spinach, pickled chard stems, caramelised walnuts, and heirloom bulgur; potato waffle with aged kaşar cheese, truffle mayo, and spring onion; grilled artichoke with fava bean puree, pickled green tomato, sunflower seeds and asparagus. For dessert, you have to get the warm lavender chocolate cake.

When each dish brought out, a chef comes to the table to explain how each one is made and what’s in it, and the bar staff made our group bespoke cocktails according to our tastes as a pair of musicians provided the entertainment.

Trust me, this might be a half-hour taxi drive out of town, and it might be more expensive than other restaurants in Marmaris, but it is SO WORTH IT.

If you only dine out once while you’re in Marmaris, make sure it’s Sento (Google Maps link).

15. Party on Bar Street

I know I said that this guide was for culture lovers, but I didn’t specify exactly what culture, and trust me when I say that your eyes will be opened on Bar Street!

There’s everything here, from pop-up cocktail bars, to bougie nightclubs, and everything in between.

We were on a mission to sample the best of bar street, so we started with a street bar called Apollon Tektekchi (Google Maps link), where we had some shots and soaked up the atmosphere.

Next was Hangover Club (Google Maps link). Hangover Club is a cavernous space that offers table service, table dancers, and a DJ playing chart music. It’s not necessarily a good club, but it does the job.

My favourite bar on Bar Street was Shame (Google Maps link), which is a tiny bar that plays R&B and hip-hop and had my friends and I dancing until the wee hours.

16. Books & Coffee

I wasn’t expecting to find somewhere like Books & Coffee (Google Maps link) in Marmaris, so I was super happy I did!

Books & Coffee sits right on the harbour, and is the perfect place to do some reading, catch up on work, or just order an iced coffee and enjoy the views from the roof terrace (I ordered the iced white mocha, which was so good).

You can buy books in a range of languages here, including lots of classic novels (I found The Count of Monte Cristo!), and the décor is super thoughtful and aesthetic.

The staff here are lovely, and their San Sebastian cheesecake, which is homemade everyday) is to die for.

17. Pineapple Restaurant

Pineapple Restaurant has been at Netsel Marina since 1998 and is one of the few places in Marmaris that covers a lot of ground (seafood, steak, pasta, pizza, and more) but does it all well.

Our guide from the Marmaris tourism board told us that this is her favourite restaurant, so when we went there for lunch, I had high expectations!

Dishes I tried include the halloumi, artichokes with capers and olive oil, fried calamari, cheesy garlic mushrooms, and a risotto with shrimp and asparagus.

Everything was excellent, and the portion of risotto was enormous!

Useful Information

Best time to visit Marmaris

Marmaris is open for business between late April and the end of October, with many attractions being closed in the winter (as well as unpredictable weather conditions).

In summer though, you can expect wall-to-wall sunshine, very little rain, and enough to keep you busy for a week or more. I visited Marmaris in late May, which was the perfect time to visit because the weather was great, but the crowds weren’t too thick. If you also want to visit when it’s a little quieter, I recommend June or September.

It’s also worth knowing that cheap holidays with Jet2holidays are far easier to come by in shoulder season if you’re on a budget.

How to get to Marmaris

To get to Marmaris, you’re going to need to fly to Dalaman Airport in Türkiye. Flights to Dalaman Airport with Jet2 are easy to come by, with 13 UK airports flying there directly.

Typically, I fly from Manchester airport but for this trip, my group were taking flights from London Stansted Airport. The flight time was just over 4 hours, and I had enough Prosecco onboard to keep me entertained throughout!

Where to stay in Marmaris

There are hundreds, if not thousands of hotels to choose from in Marmaris, especially if you’re looking at a package holiday to Turkey with Jet2.

We stayed at the Nature Green Diamond Hotel, an all-inclusive resort within walking distance of Old Marmaris. The Nature Green Diamond Hotel is home to several bars, 6 restaurants (2 buffet and 4 à la carte), and 5 swimming pools.

The décor was a little dated in places, but everything was always spotlessly clean and overall, this was a great place to stay. The breakfast was amazing, and I also loved the on-site sports bar, which wasn’t included in the all-inclusive offering but was nonetheless a great spot to watch the boxing.

The all-inclusive drinks menu includes a lot of cocktails, and while I stuck to wine and Prosecco, my friends (who made sure to diligently sample each and every cocktail), said that they were really good on the whole.

Things to Do in Marmaris | Final Thoughts

Marmaris gets a bad rap, usually from people that have never been before, who think they know it all.

It’s easy to look at Marmaris from the outside and write it off as being a resort town that caters exclusively to Brits abroad, with little to no authentic Turkish culture to be found.

However, as someone who has literally just got back from Marmaris, I’m here to tell you that those assumptions couldn’t be more wrong.

Is it possible to visit Marmaris and do nothing except lie on a sun lounger drinking all-inclusive cocktails, buy fake designer handbags, and get drunk on Bar Street? Of course it is.

But it’s also possible to visit ancient archaeological ruins, indulge in world class fine dining, get lost in nature on a jeep safari, and discover authentic Turkish villages that feel lost in time.

Marmaris rewards the people who bother to look beyond the obvious, which is probably what I love the most about it. It rewards the people who make the effort to discover the real Marmaris, and you don’t have to venture far to be awestruck by what it has to offer.

I loved Marmaris, and if you’re considering whether it’s worth the trip, I think you already know my answer.

Until next time,

XOXO

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