Turquoise Coast, Turkey & Rhodes, Greece

You’ve read my quips about Turkey and I shared my thoughts on Istanbul and Cappadocia, but exploring for 5 days on the Turquoise Coast of Turkey may have been my favorite part, followed by 4 days in Rhodes, Greece.

5 Days Turquoise Coast of Turkey, 3 Days in Rhodes, Greece: Schedule of the Bluest Seas! (Turquoise Markers on Map)

Turquoise Coast – Day 1: Temple of Artemis — A Day in Ephesus — A night in Marmaris
Turquoise Coast – Days 2 + 3: Kas — Kaputaş Beach — Kekova Island Sunken City
Turquoise Coast – Days 4 + 5: Fethiye: Çalış Plajı — Ōlüdeniz Beach/blue lagoon
Rhodes Greece – Day 1: Anthony Quinn Bay
Rhodes Greece – Day 2: Day 2: Lindos & St. Paul’s Bay & Kallithea Springs
Rhodes Greece – Day 3: Historic Rhodes Old Town

Day 1: A Historic Day in Ephesus, a Party Night in Marmaris

We had flown to Izmir from Cappadocia and drove the one hour to Selcuk so we could have an early start to the next day. We rented a car from Sixt at Izmir airport and used it to get to Marmaris. For the second leg of the trip, we rented another car from Sixt located in Fethiye.

We woke up and went to the Temple of Artemis, one of original seven wonders of the world, a Greek temple dedicated to the goddess Artemis. Though there is very little remaining, for a history buff like Evan, standing in the ruins was majestic.. but in all honesty, you don’t need more than 15 minutes here.

From there we drove to Ephesus. Per Wikipedia, “Its excavated remains reflect centuries of history, from classical Greece to the Roman Empire – when it was the Mediterranean’s main commercial center – to the spread of Christianity.” In the summertime it really is best to get there as early as possible, as there are few areas of shade and the sun is extremely strong. Even those at the ticketing booth warn you to stay hydrated. While I had opted for the audio tour, I found it difficult to follow. This was the one place I thought we really could have used a tour guide because the stories they tell about this city shed a perspective you don’t gain by sight alone.

That being said, the amphitheater and Library of Celsus are some of the largest and most grand ruins I have ever seen. Several hours are needed, but confirming that other blogs are right- it’s nice and quiet in the morning. Once the cruise ship tours come in, it’s absolutely mobbed.

We were so hot and bothered after Ephesus we actually forgot to make one stop I had been dearly looking forward to- the Firca Ceramic Store.. there’s always next time. From Ephesus, we drove down to Marmaris, where we intended to spend a casual night before taking the ferry to Rhodes, Greece the following morning. Casual the night was not.

Marmaris: we thought this was a casual town to hang out in before our ferry the next morning. We grabbed my pre- birthday dinner at Gusta Bar & Grill, close to midnight. While the food was delicious and we had seats on the top floor overlooking the boardwalk/harbor, there wasn’t much of a fun vibe. We decided we’d walk the boardwalk a bit further before heading back to our room to sleep. And this walk turned out to be the biggest and best surprise of the entire trip. Unbeknownst to us, but apparently not the rest of the world, Marmaris is a massive party town. A few blocks south of where we had dinner, we walked past one club after another.

Since it was my birthday night, and even though our international ferry was at 8am, we went to Club Babylon and did not regret a minute of it. The music was perfection. Give me that kind of music and I could stay out all night. Thank you Marmaris for the wonderful surprise. It was a good way to start making up for the food poisoning 🙂

Rhodes happened in between Marmaris and Kas, but I’ll cover it at the end.

Days 2-3 on the Turquoise Coast: The Quaint Cute Town of Kas

After ferrying back on a late afternoon from Rhodes to Fethiye, we rented a car and drove down to Kas. This was the most hippie town we stayed in on the Turquoise Coast. Though it’s also become more of a tourist destination, it has still maintained more of an authentic culture. The town was small, and thus extremely walkable. The bar culture was strong, and the narrow streets had all the right feels.

The next day we went to Kaputas Beach in the morning- definitely one of the most turquoise oceans I have ever swam in (though the water was not crystal clear). Parking was far from the entrance, so the earlier you go, the better. We then also went to a locals beach called Akcagerme Plaji which was a different, less luxurious experience, but for us, a great contrast.

The second day we did a boat tour covering the Kekova Island Sunken City & Historical Sites. It was quite pricey, and though well rated and advertised as an English tour, it was really 95% Turkish, and maybe 5% English. There was barely any translation of where we were sailing or what we were seeing. We probably could have just went to another beach since the boat seemed to simply stop and let us out to swim. Oh well, I’ll still take swimming in the Mediterranean Sea over Coney Island any day. The only thing we did learn was that the sunken city of Kekova we swam in was 3000 years old, housed a few thousand people, and was taken out by an earthquake.

After this boat tour, we proceeded to buy a classic kilim Turkish rug, and hopped in a car to make our way to Fethiye. Before we did, we made one last stop at another ampitheatre in Kas.

If we have more time, I would have stopped at Kabak beach on the route between Kas and Fethiye, as my research and locals alike said this is one of the best beaches along the coast.

Days 4-5: Fethiye – Bucket List Digital Nomad Location?

Fethiye was perhaps my favorite city of the trip, and a place where I could envision digital nomad living for some time in the right season. Fethiye is massive, with an old town as well as other neighborhoods varying in style, luxury, locale and attractions.

Our first day in Fethiye was our most lax day of the trip. We walked around the town, got some souvenirs, and decided to use the little time at the end of the day to go to the locals beach, called Çalış Plajı. It wasn’t a luxe beach club (though many are notoriously overpriced in food/drinks/entrance fee) but a really calm and long strip of beach we enjoyed. Because we had limited time, we decided the cost could be spent on another activity the following day. We enjoyed Çalış Beach’s sand (which are tiny rocks, and stick far less than sand) and remembered back to our time in Menton, France where standing in the ocean you saw city on one side, and mountains on the other. Much like Menton, we didn’t regret our sporadic choice here to go here either.

One of my favorite restaurants of the trip was a seafood restaurant called Girida Port. While not rated the best in 2024 and I actually don’t feel the service was impeccable, the restaurant was recommended to us by several locals and I get why. Hand selecting your piece of seafood under the glass makes it more satisfying to consume.

On day 2, my favorite day of the entire trip, we went to Ōlüdeniz Beach/blue lagoon. We started the day paragliding over the beach to get an aerial view. For my 21st, I went skydiving, so this seemed appropriate for my 35th- slightly less subdued, but still plenty of adrenaline. After a steep 30 minute drive up the mountain, I believe I was the first from our group to run down and leap off. Luckily I barely had time to process what I was doing. The long 25-30 minute flight was both frightening and deeply relaxing, a combination I hadn’t experienced before. My tandem instructor asked me if I wanted an extra burst of adrenaline, to which I obviously said yes. The speed at which he turned me around and then landed were by far the scariest part of the flight, but all.. still worth it. Because Evan’s tandem paraglider didn’t take off at the exact same time, poor Evan had to stand up and look at where he was going to run for the next 20 minutes, waiting for the wind to be “just right” to ensure the best conditions.

Afterwards, we spent some time swimming at the beach itself. While the blue lagoon at the tip is clearer and the waves are smaller (hence the families/kids), it’s also colder and feels more like a lake. That is why Evan and I rented lounge chairs/an umbrella further up the beach where we enjoyed the looks and feel of the ocean far more 🙂

All in all- much like our visit to Greece and France, while the first week of July is quite hot, I still loved most parts of this trip (sickness aside) and could have easily spent a few more weeks exploring the cities, and people.

3 Days in Rhodes, Greece (Blue Markers on Map)

In between our Turkish trip, we took an international ferry to attend a wedding in Rhodes, Greece. Finding a taxi at the port of Rhodes was strangely very difficult, but the ferry was on time and a smooth experience for us. Our first impression while driving from the port to the hotel was honestly disappointment. The main roads felt far more commercial than all of the Greek islands we’d visited in 2021, but luckily by the end of the trip we learned our first impression deceived us. Given the wedding festivities, I don’t have an itinerary for Rhodes, but I will say several days could easily be spent here. Here are the highlights we hit/recommend on the island:

Day 1: Anthony Quinn Bay
And my birthday, and the welcome night of the wedding

Named after the American actor Anthony Quinn, who bought a piece of the bay after filming a movie here (The Guns of Navaronne), this calm bay is where we spent my birthday relaxing, swimming, enjoying a beach drink and the crystal blue waters. In the evening we drove through the busy night life of Faliraki Bay to get to Tulum Beach Bar Restaurant for the welcome party.

And at night, after the welcome party, we spent time lounging in our private pool in our hotel where we got upgraded on account of my birthday (picture below).

Day 2: Lindos & St. Paul’s Bay
And wedding celebrations at Kallithea Springs

I wish I had an entire day to spend in Lindos and St. Paul’s Bay. The 40 minute scooter ride from our stay in Faliraki, though way too windy for my liking (similar to our other Greek scooter experiences in 2021), was well worth it. Lindos is a frequented tourist village that we didn’t have much time to visit but its cobbled streets were picturesque, full of boutique stores, restaurants and bars. Lindos and Rhodes itself are probably most known for the Acropolis, a temple dedicated to the god Athena, built originally in the 2nd or 3rd century B.C. We didn’t do either, but if we came back to Rhodes, that’s one of the first things I’d do. Instead, we spent time swimming in St. Paul’s Bay, renting paddleboards for an hour and discovering the caves via paddleboard hugging the bay – my favorite place on the island.

Kallithea Springs was the wedding destination – and by no exaggeration was a wedding on a cliff. A historical site once known for its thermal springs is now the home of a venue that is an architectural gem, swimming bay, and venue. And this Greek marvel is where my high school friends got married.

Day 3: Historic Rhodes Old Town – not a tourist trap!

Another supposed tourist trap was Rhodes Old Town. Maybe Evan and I are suckers for old towns, but when they include history, boutique stores, restaurants, and manageable crowds, we generally love them. We actually wish we didn’t listen to those who said it was a tourist trap, because quite frankly, it was a very enjoyable time and had we not been rushing off to our ferry, we gladly would have spent several more hours here. While we didn’t get to go to the Palace of the Grand Master or Street of the Knights, walking alongside the walls was majestic, even for a couple who has walked many historic old towns before.

All in all, I will say that Rhodes feels extremely different to the other Aegean Greek islands we visited in 2021 – less authentic as a whole because it’s so commercialized, but with great hidden gems all throughout the island.