 Known in Turkish as
"half island", the Datca Peninsula is surrounded on three sides by
the Aegean sea
and is reminiscent of a small Greek island some 20 years ago. Datca
(antic name Knidos) is a
town where life centres around the harbour. Carpet shops, boutiques,
restaurants, bars and even an amphi cinema line the harbour side and
each evening an assortment of gulets, yachts and gin palaces arrive to
drop anchor in this attractive setting.
A drive through the
peninsula with pine forests and roads zig zagging down to sea level will
bring you to Knidos, on the tip of the peninsula, a site dating back to
400BC and most famed for its statue of Aphrodite, the first naked female
statue in history. If you prefer less strenuous activity then there are
numerous bays, some sandy, some pebbly but all with crystal clear water
and many ideal for snorkelling.
 Datca is famed for its
almonds (the best almonds in the world), honey and thyme and air. In ancient times it was known as
"magic air", due to the north wind that blows in the summer there is
very little humidity and this is considered to be of great benefit for
some medical complaints. Also the most important handcraft is the
hand made embroideries. These embroideries are made of silk that
is home-made. You can buy these embroideries from the bazaar on
saturdays.
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Known in Turkish as
"half island", the Datca Peninsula is surrounded on three sides by
the Aegean sea
and is reminiscent of a small Greek island some 20 years ago. Datca
(antic name Knidos) is a
town where life centres around the harbour. Carpet shops, boutiques,
restaurants, bars and even an amphi cinema line the harbour side and
each evening an assortment of gulets, yachts and gin palaces arrive to
drop anchor in this attractive setting.
