You may know that you definitely want to visit the coast while you are in Turkey but you might be trying to figure out which town or part of the coast to visit. Below is my take on the key attributes of each of the main beach options in Turkey.
| Region | Getting there | Need a car? | Beaches | Proximity to ancient sites | Best time to visit |
| Bodrum | Easy: Airport is 40km from city | No | Some decent beaches around the peninsula, but you are just as likely to swim directly off the rocky coast | No major sites on the peninsula, but some sites are accessible within a 3 hour drive (Ephesus, Afrodisias) | April – Oct |
| Antalya | Very Easy: Airport in the city | No | Lara, Konyaalti beaches in town | Aspendos, Side, Perge, Termessos are very easy to reach; Lycian sites are within a couple hours’ drive | May-June / Sept-Oct |
| Izmir / North Aegean | Moderate: Izmir airport | Yes | Sarımsaklı beach near Ayvalik, beaches on the Çeşme peninsula | Ephesus, Troy, Bergama, Assos | June, July, August |
| Western Mediterranean | Moderate: Dalaman airport | Yes | Some of the best beaches in the country including Patara and Iztuzu | Lycian sites: Xanthos, Letoon, Myra, Kekova, Caunos | May-June / Sept-Oct |