At 6km long, the beach is famous for being one of the last protected nesting sites for the Caretta Caretta Loggerhead Sea Turtle.

 

This turtle has been around for 95 million years and can be thanked for saving Iztuzu from frantic development activity. Open from 08.00 till 20.00, the beach is closed at night from May to September to allow the turtles to lay their eggs in peace and their hatchlings to reach the sea without distractions.

 

To get to the beach by boat, go to the boat co-operative on the riverside and take a public boat for a 30 minute journey through reed beds, past Kaunos and the Dalyan fish traps.

 

In high season the boat starts around 9.30 departing every half hour or so. Return trips start around 13.00 Or catch a dolmus (Bus). The journey takes you through 12km of beautiful countryside to the pine-clad bay.

 

There are basic cafes at each end of the beach selling gozleme pancakes, toasts and other snacks and you will find sun beds and sun umbrellas for hire at very cheap rates.

 

The beach is famous as a breeding ground for the loggerhead turtle. These giants of the sea lumber ashore on summer nights to lay their eggs in the sand. Turtle beach hit the headlines in 1987 when the foundations for a luxury hotel were laid at the south end of the beach. There was a storm of protest from conservationists throughout the world (including Britons David Bellamy), backed by public opinion the Turkish government scrapped the project and declared the beach a protected area for ever more.