Datca
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 Datca 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 Datca peninsula with pine forests and roads zig zagging down to sea level will bring you to Knidos, on the tip of the Datca 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 in Datca 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 Datca 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 in Datca are the hand made embroideries. These embroideries are made of silk that is home-made. You can buy these embroideries from the bazaar on saturdays.