Datca Peninsula
If you do it all the way to the Datça Peninsula, you may nevermore want to leave. It's a scene of olives tree, pine forests in guarded hollows, and charming blue water. Until about 20 years ago, this was one of the most difficult parts of Turkey, and driving along the tiny neck of land between the Aegean Sea to the north, and the Mediterranean to the south feels like opening the gateway to another, older world. Datça Peninsula is not about to ditch by for a day or two: you must, at least, three days to savor the uncluttered delights of this unique destination. Far from the world of tour buses, it's a home with few constraints, but long horizons and more than 50 little beaches for inner reflection. The best time to travel is in spring when the hills covered in daisies, poppies, and wildflowers, and restaurants offer dishes cooked with wild thyme, rosemary, and other herbs that grow in the mountains and by the sea; in autumn, you can watch the locals harvest olives.
The timeless stone roads of Eski Datça give the same sense of being in another, less stressful world. The ancient remains of Knidos constitute one of the delightful and most suggestive sites along the whole coast.
Datça is a tiny port with some features of a resort. It's one of the most relaxed towns along the entire coast, but Eski Datça and Resadiye are older and have more beauty. Even if you don’t stay hereabouts, spend an evening roaming around the harbor and drinking at one of the quayside cafés. The weekly sale is on Saturday, which is what brings Greek islanders from nearby Symi. It's also the best place to organize a boat trip to Knidos. A lovely day out and feed at an unspoiled beach can also be had at Kargi Koyu, 3 km (2 miles) south of middle Datça.