Marmaris, Turkey

We spent several non-consecutive weeks in Marmaris because it is in the direction we want to go and it’s a good place to get (more!!) work done on the boat. Our first time there, we were in coats. By the time we left, we were swimming in the sea. We walked many miles along the waterfront and had our favorite places to eat. We met various friends, some for the second time, visited a hospital (thank goodness nothing serious) and found the Costco of food markets.

As always, the best part of Turkey are the Turks, their food, and the history. Otherwise, Marmaris is full of sunburned tourists, a bazaar full of designer fakes and many large nightclubs. On our way to get something checked out at the hospital, Jordan and I met the nicest taxi driver. He waited with us, translated, entertained Jordan, and then, while we were waiting for the results of a blood test, took us to the bulk food market where he pushed the carts and made many recommendations on all the best foods to buy. Everywhere we have traveled, kindness is the norm, and yet it always feels surprising and overwhelming.

The Marmaris castle is remarkably preserved and filled with items collected from various shipwrecks off the rocks nearby. The views were enthralling and the kids enjoyed seeing the artifacts; Jordan, particularly, took notes on all the ancient tools so that he could recreate his own.

We hiked in one of the few National Parks we’ve seen in Turkey to a very large, very cool cave - literally and figuratively. It’s hard to imagine all the people that have lived or found refuge there over the thousands of years. And per usual, we were nearly alone when we visited.

While the city of Marmaris isn’t one of our favorites, it did feel nostalgic leaving as it was the start of our journey to new places. From here, we jump off to the more western and northern coast of Turkey, eventually leaving for Greece. There are still some amazing sites to see but we are down to our last three weeks in Turkey!