The second half of May and the first week of June is one of the best times of the year to go on vacation somewhere cheap. Schoolchildren and students holidays not begun yet. Therefore, there are not so many tourists, and hotels, tickets and package tours prices are slightly lower than they will be in summer.
Where to go on vacation? The priority was a trip to the sea. I had to choose from relatively inexpensive options: the Black Sea coast (Sochi, Anapa, Crimea), Turkey, Greece, Cyprus, Spain.
The reduced rate of the Turkish lira made trips to Turkey especially attractive by the price. Greece, Cyprus and Spain cost significantly more. In addition, I do not have to spend money on food in Turkey (All included in hotel).
Package Tour to Turkey
Where (which resort) to choose? Turkey has a very long coast, and there are many resort towns.
The most popular resort region is the coast near the city of Antalya. If you have not been to Turkey, you can choose one of the nearby resorts (Kemer, Side, Lara). East of Antalya is the city of Alanya, next to which there are also many good beaches. (This is the warmest region of Turkey and you can go on vacation here in May. But we decided to choose another city this time.
Marmaris is located west of Antalya, near the border of the Mediterranean and Aegean seas. The bay where the city is located is protected from the open sea by islands. Therefore, the appearance of large waves on the sea here is unlikely. They say that it is not so hot in the middle of summer. For some, this will be an advantage when choosing a tour. In eastern Turkey, in Alanya, we have already been. This time I wanted to see another region. Therefore - Marmaris.
Studying travel guides and making plans (which places to visit, which excursions to go on) is an important part of preparing for the trip. Meet Marmaris.
Prestige Hotel
Prestige Hotel & Apart is located in the eastern part of Marmaris, at a distance of about 150 meters from Long Beach. The distance from the hotel to the square with the statue of Ataturk (on the embankment) and the Dancing Fountain is approximately 2.5 kilometers.
The hotel has (mostly) very good customer reviews. This was the reason for choosing this hotel to stay in Marmaris.
Prestige Hotel & Apart has a category of "4 stars" and (in my opinion) is fully consistent with its category.
The hotel room is quite spacious. In the distance from the window you can see the sea.
The hotel does not have animators (this may be important for someone.)
After 23:00 the bar closes and the hotel becomes completely quiet.
For children there is a children's pool, swings, water slides.
The food in the restaurant is quite good, the menu has meat and fish.
Wireless internet worked throughout the hotel (free of charge).
The room has a kettle, but the "All inclusive" from almost no need.
Drinking water can be poured into bottles for free (near the bar).
The hotel does not have its own beach, but you can visit different beaches. You can get a place on any beach, or get to the City Beach by shuttle bus, or stay in a free place on a towel.
This is a really nice hotel. I can recommend this hotel in Marmaris, if the above mentioned features are suitable for you.
Where to go and what to do
We did not plan to go on guided tours this time. If a trip to the tour is not included in your plans, then the vacation program in Marmaris is about the same for many tourists.
Beaches
Most likely you will visit the beach that is closest to your hotel. Since our hotel did not have its own beach, we visited various places in Marmaris.
The city beach - Marmaris Urban Beach - is located in the center of the center. This is a completely free beach. Buy a beach towel in the nearest store (from 7 lire in 2019) and choose any free space on the sand.
Long Beach stretches along the coast from the City Beach in the direction of Ichmeler. Almost the entire beach area is occupied by hotel and restaurant lounge chairs. Buy something in the restaurant (juice, cocktail) and take a chaise lounge for the whole day. (We managed to rent two sun loungers for 19 liras in May 2019.) You can find a completely free place in the western part of the beach.
Near the village of Icmeler there is a great beach. In the village itself there is also a free, municipal beach.
In the photos - beaches in Marmaris.
Marmaris Beach
Walks along the promenade
Marmaris promenade is a great place for walking. The promenade has a total length of about 10 kilometers, from Ataturk Square in Marmaris to the harbor in Icmeler.
The best time for walking comes after sunset. It is warm, but not hot in the evening in Marmaris. Artists and musicians often perform on the terraces of restaurants (along Long Beach). Here you can buy something to drink at the bar and listen to live music in some places.
I recommend to look at the musical fountain, which is located near the statue of Ataturk (about 100 meters from the embankment). Performances begin in the evening, after 21:00.
Tours
In Marmaris, as in other cities, tourists are offered many excursions.
Among the sea tours are offered: fishing trips, diving, trips to various islands. You can also go to the Greek island of Rhodes.
Prices in one of the travel companies on the waterfront in Marmaris: a trip by ship to the islands of the Aegean Sea - 16USD, a trip to the antique city of Ephesus - 30USD. The price includes: transfer, trip, lunch, guide services. You can also rent a bike (10 Turkish liras per hour).
On the embankment and on the central streets there are many points of sale of excursions (English is spoken everywhere).
If you want to hire a personal guide and buy an individual excursion, then you should book the excursion in advance.
Trips on excursions were not part of my plans this time. Therefore, I can not talk about my experience. (Only relaxing on the beach, "All Inclusive" at the hotel.)
Is Marmaris a good place for a holiday?
Can I recommend to go to Marmaris on vacation? In my opinion, yes.
Marmaris is a very interesting, modern city. There are so many beautiful places and a long beach. One of the advantages - there are rarely big waves at sea. I was very pleased with the trip to Turkey.
- If you want to spend a vacation in a busy city, choose a hotel closer to the city center.
- More modern and comfortable hotels are located in the western part of the city.
- Choose a hotel in the village of Icmeler, if you want to relax from the city noise.
- There are even more peaceful places between Marmaris and Icmeler.
I wish you a nice holiday.