Planning a tour of Turkey and we're trying to include a beach visit in mid August. We'll be coming from the Ephesus area. The travel agent I've been working with suggested either Cesme or Olu Deniz, and said that OD was probably the nicer one, albeit a bit further away (which is fine with us).

Any recommendations of one over the other? It would be nice if there was something to do in the area - a cute town and/or historical something - instead of just a beach. But beach is important too for R & R.

We are a family w/a young teen, tween, and kid, therefore we are not interested in having drinking contests and closing down the bars. Not sure if either one of these areas is known for having a hard core party scene, but please advise if this is the case.

Thanks!

I was surprised to see Cesme mentioned. I stayed there in the late 60's. I can't remember anything about it, though. As a matter of fact, I think I'll do a little research on it.

We have not been to Olu Deniz, but Cesme is an upscale town. They have some nice hotel/resorts.

"Olu" means 'dead' and "deniz" means 'sea' . That is very apt for the place in the middle of August.

It will also be inundated with young Brits enjoying their type of the bar scene, not only those lodging at Oludeniz but also those coming in from hisar Onu, kayakoy, fethiye, Ortaca, etc.

Cesme combines three resort areas, more local and parts of it more upscale. It has beach clubs, sandy beaches, excellent wind surfing, a nice breeze, a shopping street, neighborhood stores, two weekly street markets, excellent Aegean restaurants (some can be rather expensive) with very different salads and starters. Alacati is the upscale and windsurfing area with cooler sea water, Cesme is the lower end but with good and lively night life near by, Ilica has the best of the two worlds, being in between Cesme and Alacati.

We did not like the Sheraton at Ilica and like others kept on complaining about the A/C being turned off in the rooms during the day.

You can take day trips from cesme area to a Greek island and/or to Seferihisar and the adjoining ruins of Teos if you wish.

If Fethiye area interests you more, consider going further South to Kas or even Ucagiz (if you are willing to drive) which do not have beaches but terrific bays and inlets and islands, some with sunken ruins where you can swim, kayak and snorkel, and where the nearby beaches like Patara and canyons like Saklikent and ruins like Tlos, Pinara, Xanthos and Myra are terrific.

However, be warned that anywhere South of Ephesus is going to be very very hot and quite humid in August.

Thank you Othercelebi for your thoughtful and detailed response. I have asked a few other people for their opinions, and it sounds like this might be one of those 6 in one, 1/2 dozen in the other situations. After reading your post, though, I am leaning towards Cesme because it sounds like there are more options. Thanks again!

I'd say Cesme. Not because of its beaches, but its proximity to lots of other nice places. When I visited last time I was amazed how close and connected these places are...such as Icmeler, Boyalik and Alacati, and even Kusadasi. From Cesme to Kusadasi is almost an hour drive.. unbelievable. Make sure to visit Cesme Kalesi (Castle), beautiful view.

And if you are coming from Ephesus there are two other nice stops;

1- Sirince Village: it is 15 minutes away from the major roads, it's like a hidden treasure (Even though it's located in the Aegean region, it reminds me Black see region because of the altitude, breezy. Very tasty breakfast, and food)

2- Tire. It's 30 minutes from the Izmir-Aydin highway. Again it's great stop to get good food in a such beautiful ambiance, and history too.

Had you choose either one of them, I'd go for Sirince.

You will not find these tips in any travel agencies.

Enjoy

Listen to Other, he truly knows Turkey. In fact, he lives there.

BTW, the road to Sirince can be death defying.

since you asked about turkey's beaches

Çıralı is an agricultural village in the southwest of Turkey in Antalya Province. It is close to the ancient ruins of Olympos and Chimaera permanent gas vents.
It is a very small rural village located just over an hour's drive southwest from Antalya and boasts a beautiful 3.5 km secluded beach, the ruins of Olympos, the flames of the Chimaera / Yanartaş, as well as being a protected area by the WWF for the nesting of Caretta, also known as loggerhead sea turtles.
Also near Çıralı is the Ulupınar region, which is rich in rivers and creeks. Cirali/Çıralı is one of the last unspoilt natural areas along the Antalya coastline.
For the intrepid trekkers, highlights of the Lycian Way with paths are also found in Çıralı. One runs from Çıralı to Tekirova (19 km) and another travels from Çıralı to Ulupınar and then back down to the flames of the Chimaera which is around 12 km. All these trails and paths are marked in red and white.
Another wonderful section of the Lycian Way (Likya Yolu) near Çıralı is the summit of Tahtalı Dag, also known as Mt. Olympos. It is located in the National Park of Olympos or Olimpos Bey Dağları Parkı.
There are no large hotels but numerous small places with accommodation, e.g., family run pensions.
Although close to Olympos it is not possible to drive between the road of Çıralı and the road to Olympos since they are separated by the beach and the ruins of Olympos.


Cirali was mentioned recently in the Guardian Travel section..listing it as #5 of the top 10 crowd-free beaches, from hidden bays to pristine secluded coves..

Also it is featured in this month's March 2012 edition of the Travel and Leisure as " Best Secret Beaches on Earth"
These beach hideaways are understated, unexpected, and—at least for now—under the radar.
Cultural tourists will be drawn to Cirali, a protected village on the turquoise Turkish Mediterranean, where the beach leads to nature preserves and ancient ruins. The endangered loggerhead sea turtles that nest on these pebbly sands have helped Cirali fend off developers.

to continue reading the full article
http://www.travelandleisure.com/arti...hes-on-earth/9

http://www.fodors.com/world/europe/t...os-and-cirali/

Turkey has dozens of pristine beaches, among the finest of which is Cirali, a long stretch of fine white sand at the mouth of a towering canyon. The beach, an easy walk from the ruined city of Olympos, is a protected nesting ground for loggerhead turtles. After dark, lights on the shore are extinguished so as not to confuse the hatching babies. On a moonless night, the view of the Milky Way is phenomenal.

Cirali might be a tad quiet for teens though,
an alternative might be Ortakent on the Bodrum Peninsula listed by the Times last year as one of the top beaches.
It is low key, has a great laid back feel and has mostly Turkish patrons, a sandy pebbly expanse with small restaurants, small hotels and cafes along the length of it and lots of windsurfing and watersports.
Not as green as both Cirali or Olu with the fantastic mountain backdrops though, but a different ambiance.
My view is that the Aegean beaches (Cesme to Bodrum) are slightly cooler with breezes, and much less humid than the southern coast in August.
***One very important factor to remember for anyone staying in beach resorts or attempting to travel in Turkey in August is that the religious fasting month of Ramadan runs July 21-August 19 in 2012. The fasting doesn't affect tourism much, but the three day national holiday at the end will certainly! All of Turkey is on the move and having a holiday- espcially at beaches! Cesme, Bodrum and Olu are all very popular. So try to avoid moving during or be in place for the period 18- 22 August. Make sure you have your flights booked!
Enjoy!