The river Dalyan flows into the sea near a long sandbank. Not only the Caretta seaturtles favour this spot for laying their eggs but also the German travel agency Neckermann. A few years ago, only international protests could keep Neckermann from building a hotel right there. Today, the mouth of the river is a nature reserve and it is prohibited to stay overnight. Tourists get down to the sandbank through a reed labyrinth (25 kB). On the sandbank, which is 7.5 km long and 200 m wide, you may sunbathe under a rented sun-shade and choose between bathing in the brackish water on the riverside and the saltier water on the side of the sea.
On our coach trip to the landing stage, we stopped near a stork colony (47 kB). We could also see water turtles (18 kB), however, no Caretta turtles which may be observed on the beach by night only.
The boats do a stop every now and then on their tour. Tourists may bathe in freshwater where the Dalyan is just like a small lake (34 kB). There is also a short shore leave to hot sulphur and mud springs (74 kB) where you can do your skin something good. Soaking in mud and bathing in the stinking sulphury water afterwards is supposed to make you look approx. 10 years younger - mind you, nobody seemed to notice that with me ;-). Next to the former Kaunos, you'll see the Lykian rock graves (81 kB) cut into a wall of rocks in a height of about 30 m.
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
|---|
last update: 24.11.1999