Altinkum is a man-made custom resort that has a lovely relaxed and informal ambience throughout the region. Simply perfect for those who want to laze on the beach as there are three sandy beaches within easy reach no matter where you are. Altinkum translated is Golden Sands and it couldn’t be truer as the main beach is known for the glorious stretch of golden sand stretching for miles.

A short walk from the main beach is the second beach which is a hive of activity surrounded by bars, restaurants and shops; and a short walk in the opposite direction tucked just behind the harbour is the third beach which offers a much more peaceful retreat. So no matter what beach lifestyle you are after – you can find it in Altinkum all within a short walk of each other.

If you are looking for more than just soaking up the sun, there is plenty on offer in Altinkum’s shops with a wide variety of value priced souvenirs. Keep your eyes open for the leather goods, designer clothing and famous Turkish carpets. There is a huge weekly market that is a short Dolmus ride away and sells everything from clothes to spices, here you have the chance to put your haggling skills to use and this makes for a good fun day out.

Surrounded by many historical sites, Altinkum is just 3km from the famous Temple of Apollo with all three columns still standing at almost twenty metres. The site is over 2000 years old and well worth a visit. Other sites that should not be missed are the classical Greek city of Prienne and the ancient port of Miletus, both just a short journey away.

The nearest airport to Altinkum, is Bodrum Airport located approximately an hour away, however it is wise to factor an hour and a half for this journey as there can be heavy traffic at times. Flights also arrive into Izmir Adnan Menderes Airport but this would make for a much longer transfer time.

Altinkum means ‘Golden Sands’ and with its beautiful beaches which gently shelve into the inviting turquoise blue Aegean, you will know where it gets it name from. The beaches are ideal for children and non-swimmers as the waters are shallow and clear. There are plenty of water sports, pedalos, banana boat rides and donut rides all at a reasonable price. There are numerous boat trips you can take from the small harbour that runs along the beach front. You can even arrange diving courses and fishing tours.

You don’t even have to leave your sun lounger to get refreshments, there are plenty of people who will serve you a soft cold drink, the famous apple tea or even a Nescafe and they will bring it to you. There is also fresh fruit for sale. The shops and bars are a minute away so you can even get hot food (jacket potatoes etc) cold beers and take them onto the beach. This beach is known as the ‘Main Beach’ and can be reached by a 5 – 10 minute walk from our beautiful apartment.

There is also a more quieter and secluded beach in the area known as ‘Third Beach’. This can be reached by a 5 minute walk from the apartment. It is smaller than main beach and is very peaceful. There are lots of water sports, banana boats etc., there are three bars/restaurants who will bring your drinks etc., to your sun lounger so no need for you to move. They will even take you home at the end of the day as they all provide a free mini bus service. You can also arrange for them to pick you up the following morning to take you to the beach at no charge. Some say that this beach is one of the best in Altinkum.

Night Life in Altinkum:

Altinkum literally vibrates in summer as bars, pubs and clubs are lined in downtown Altinkum with different kinds of music and entertainment. It is not overbearing and there is something for everyone ranging from discos and lively bars to the more relaxed where you can have a quiet drink. Altinkum is as lively or as quiet as you like it. The harbour and Dolphin Square is lined with lively venues, you can also opt for one of the back street bars, which are much quieter. There are numerous restaurants and a wide range of different cuisines – ranging from English, Italian, Mexican, Turkish, Chinese to name but a few.

There are plenty of Turkish speciality dishes which we recommend you try as they are delicious. If you order the Turkish dish which is cooked in a traditional clay pot you will have the full treatment of it being brought out with fire, dancing etc., something not to be missed. All are reasonably priced. You can even get the good old Sunday roast which is excellent value. There are many beachfront restaurants and cafes where you can dine under the clear moonlit skies overlooking the waters edge. The Medusa Nightclub is an open air club in Altinkum which has a laser show and the latest up-to-date music. The Medusa Nightclub can be found along Yali Street, just past the all the restaurant. Just walk along the main promenade walking away from the harbour and follow the road upwards and you cannot miss it.

Shopping in Altinkum:

Altinkum (also known as Didim) runs a weekly market which is held on a Saturday. The local dolmus will take you there they come every 5 – 10 mins. It is a very large market and worth a visit. Here you can buy a huge variety of things, the fresh fruit and vegetables are especially good and extremely cheap The main resort shopping centre is Dolphin Square, near the centre of the resort front.

There are also a large number of shops on the seafront. All the shops are open late at night when the area becomes its liveliest. This is your opportunity to pick up a real bargain, especially if you are good at haggling! If you fancy designer clothes but can’t normally afford them then many good copy designer items are on sale. If you are looking for jewellery then you will find that the quality of the gold here is excellent with the prices much cheaper than at home.

Altinkum Aqua Park:

This water park is just outside Altinkum. It was built in 2004 and has proved to be very popular with English tourists. The water park is just outside of Altinkum, set on a hill on the way to Soke market , The aqua park was built in 2004 and has proved to be popular with English tourist , not as big as Kusadasi Adaland aqua park but not as far to travel , only 15 mins by local bus.

Things to do in Altinkum:

Altinkum’s main attraction are its three long, sandy beaches, that stretch from a small harbour at one end of a gently shelving bay to a rocky cliff at the other. All of these beaches offer watersports, including windsurfing, jet skiing and banana boat rides.

Away from the beaches, Altinkum, runs a large weekly market which is held each Saturday. The local buses – called ‘dolmus’ – run regularly to the market throughout the day from several points around the town. The main resort shopping centre is Dolphin Square, and there are also a large number of shops on the seafront which stay open late at night when the area is at its liveliest.

Other attractions in and around Altinkum include the Apollo Temple, which can be found in the ancient town of Didim, a 5 or 10 minute bus journey away.  It is a very impressive site and definitely worth a visit.

The ancient site of Ephesus  is also a magnificent day out for those who like their historical sight-seeing. This is the second largest ancient site in the world and allows visitors to soak in the atmosphere of Roman times.

Another impressive site is the unique Pamukkale, which captivates visitors with its frozen waterfalls. The thermal waters here have been used for therapeutic treatments since the Roman period.

For a more active sight-seeing tour, you can embark on a jeep safari, which takes you through traditional Turkish villages, as well as olive groves and hillsides and finally to turquoise bays where you can swim.

Family fun is available at two excellent aqua parks. Adaland Aqua Park, located in the town of Kusadasi, is a 50 minute drive from Altinkum and is Europe’s largest water park. If you’d rather not venture that far from the resort, there is also Altinkum Aqua Park, located just outside the town centre, a 15-minute bus ride away.

Whether you are a beginner or a certified diver, the crystal clear waters in Altinkum offers a variety of diving. You can expect to see various marine life ranging from moray eels, octopus, barracudas and lobster to dolphins. Altinkum’s scuba diving centre, Oskenos, offer courses for all abilities.

While not as raucous as other major Turkish resorts, it won’t take long to find after-dark entertainment in Altinkum. Nightlife is centred mainly in Dolphin Square and in the bars along the sea front promenade, where everything from disco dancing, karaoke and belly-dancing to bingo and pool is on offer. Clubbers are catered for during the height of the summer season at Medusa, an open-air night club, while another favourite is the Panorama Cafe Bar with amazing good service.

Turkey , officially the Republic of Turkey Turkish: Türkiye Cumhuriyeti , is a transcontinental country located mainly in Western Asia, with a smaller portion on the Balkan Peninsula in Southeast Europe. East Thrace, located in Europe, is separated from Anatolia by the Sea of Marmara and the Turkish Straits (the Bosporus and Dardanelles straits).

Turkey is bordered by Greece and Bulgaria to its northwest; Georgia to its northeast; Armenia, the Azerbaijani exclave of Nakhchivan and Iran to the east; and Iraq and Syria to the south. Ankara is the capital of Turkey, while Istanbul (the former imperial capital) is the country’s largest city and leading economic, cultural and historic center. Approximately 70 to 80 per cent of the country’s citizens identify as Turks. Kurds are the largest minority; the size of the Kurdish population is a subject of dispute with estimates placing the figure at anywhere from 12 to 25 per cent of the population.

The territory of modern Turkey has been inhabited by diverse civilizations at various points in history, including the Hattians, Hittites, Assyrians, Lydians, Greeks, Thracians, Phrygians, Urartians, Armenians and Persians. Hellenization started during the era of Alexander the Great and continued during the Roman and Byzantine eras.

The Seljuk Turks began migrating into the area in the 11th century, and their victory over the Byzantines at the Battle of Manzikert in 1071 has been regarded by historians as the decisive event which led to the establishment of a Turkish homeland in Anatolia. The Seljuk Sultanate of Rûm ruled Anatolia until the Mongol invasion in 1243, when it disintegrated into small Turkish principalities.

Beginning in the late 13th-century, the Ottomans started uniting these Turkish principalities. After Mehmed II conquered Constantinople in 1453, Ottoman expansion continued under Selim I. During the reign of Suleiman the Magnificent the Ottoman Empire encompassed much of Southeast Europe, West Asia and North Africa and became a world power. In the following centuries the state entered a period of decline with a gradual loss of territories and wars.

In an effort to consolidate the weakening social and political foundations of the empire, Mahmud II and his successor Abdülmecid I started a period of modernisation called Tanzimat in the early 19th century, bringing reforms in all areas of the state including the military and bureaucracy, along with the emancipation of all citizens.

In 1913, a coup d’état effectively put the country under the control of the Three Pashas. During World War I, the Ottoman government committed genocides against its Armenian, Assyrian and Pontic Greek subjects. Following the war, the conglomeration of territories and peoples that formerly comprised the Ottoman Empire was partitioned into several new states.

The Turkish War of Independence, initiated by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and his colleagues against occupying Allied Powers, resulted in the abolition of monarchy in 1922 and the establishment of the Republic of Turkey in 1923, with Atatürk as its first president. Atatürk enacted numerous reforms, many of which incorporated various aspects of Western thought, philosophy, and customs into the new form of Turkish government.

Turkey is a charter member of the UN, an early member of NATO, the IMF and the World Bank, and a founding member of the OECD, OSCE, BSEC, OIC and G-20. After becoming one of the first members of the Council of Europe in 1949, Turkey became an associate member of the EEC in 1963, joined the EU Customs Union in 1995 and started accession negotiations with the European Union in 2005 which have been effectively stopped by the EU in 2017 due to “Turkey’s path toward autocratic rule”.

Turkey’s economy and diplomatic initiatives led to its recognition as a regional power while its location has given it geopolitical and strategic importance throughout history. Turkey is a secular, unitary, presidential republic.

Resorts
Bodrum a picturesque town with pretty cottages and incredible nightlife. You will find many little resorts nestling up to the town including Gumbet. Izmir, was apparently the location of ancient Troy but these days you are more likely to find many English friendly resorts such as Kusadasi.

On the Mediterranean coast, Antalya offers the contrast between the historic town and sumptuous beaches with resorts such as Alanya and Side proving to be consistently popular with visitors from across the world. Dalaman offers something for everyone from the buzzing bars of Marmaris to the bustling town of Fethiye, which offers a slice of modern Turkish life.

Olu Deniz is famous for its stunning beach & mountain range nearby you will find a National Park giving you an option to recuperate when beach inactivity gets too much while sophisticated Icmeler offers great nightlife and beach life.

Beaches
Where Europe meets Asia, you will find that Turkey reflects the influences that both continents has had upon its culture in unique and surprising ways. It is also renowned for golden, sandy beaches, crystal-clear water and a popular night-life, as well as ancient ruins and historical buildings.

Turkey has over 5,000 miles of coastline to choose from. Nestled against the Black Sea, The Aegean Sea and the Mediterranean Sea; all are renowned for their cleanliness, their warmth and the abundance of marine-life that they host.

Food
When you travel to Turkey dont forget to sample the local cuisine. Mouth-watering smells drift across the pottery-strewn hills at meal-times and you could find yourself enjoying a leisurely dinner of a variety of world-famous kebabs, fresh fish grilled on a barbecue or pilav: a traditional rice dish that is said to be un-cookable outside of Turkey. And if you are feeling brave, you could try a glass of the local anise-based lions drink or Raki, as we know it.