Villas in Aegean Region

Ölüdeniz suits families who want a sheltered lagoon beach, Dalyan suits a quiet river town, and Bodrum suits marinas and nightlife. Most of our villas in Turkey's Aegean Region are around Ölüdeniz and Hisarönü, near Fethiye. Dalaman airport serves the south and Milas-Bodrum the Bodrum peninsula, two hours apart by road, so choose your area before you book flights.

Where

Villas: 46
From, per week: £328
Cheapest month: December
Nearest airports: Dalaman serves Ölüdeniz, Fethiye, Dalyan and Ula, and Milas-Bodrum serves Bodrum, Turgutreis and Milas. Flights from London to either take around four hours. The two airports are two to two and a half hours apart by road, so check which suits your villa. For Assos, fly to Istanbul and drive, or connect to Edremit or Çanakkale.

Where to stay in Aegean Region

Ölüdeniz, Hisarönü and Ovacık

Most of our villas in this region are in and above Ölüdeniz, on the slopes around Hisarönü and Ovacık. The Blue Lagoon is a shallow, sheltered bay inside a nature park with a small entry fee, and the main beach is pebble and shingle. Paragliders launch from Babadağ mountain and land on the seafront. Kayaköy, a village abandoned by its Greek population in the 1920s, is just over the hill. Dalaman airport is around an hour away.

Best for: Families who want a lagoon beach and plenty of restaurants close by

Not for you if: You want a quiet Turkish village: Hisarönü's main strip is full of bars and British visitors in summer.

Fethiye town and harbour

Fethiye is the market town for this stretch of coast, about 20 minutes from Ölüdeniz. Day boats leave the harbour for the islands of the gulf, and the Lycian rock tombs of Amyntas are carved into the cliff above town. The Tuesday market fills several streets. Çalış, to the north, is a long shingle beach known for its sunsets. We have only one villa in the town itself. Dalaman airport is around 45 minutes away.

Best for: Boat trips, the Tuesday market and a working Turkish town

Not for you if: You want a beach on the doorstep: the town seafront is a harbour, and the beaches are a drive or dolmuş ride away.

Dalyan

Dalyan sits on a reed-lined river, opposite the rock-cut tombs of the kings of ancient Kaunos. River boats run from the town quay to the ruins of Kaunos, the mud baths and İztuzu, a long sandy spit where loggerhead turtles nest. From May to October the beach closes from 8pm to 8am to protect the nests. Dalaman airport is only around half an hour away, the shortest transfer in this region.

Best for: A quiet river town with a turtle beach and ancient ruins

Not for you if: You want nightlife or a beach in town: İztuzu beach is a boat ride or 20-minute drive away.

Bodrum and Turgutreis (Bodrum peninsula)

Bodrum town is built around two bays, with the Castle of St Peter between them, home to the Museum of Underwater Archaeology. The marina, bars and clubs make it the liveliest town on this coast in summer. Turgutreis, near the western tip of the peninsula, is quieter, with a long seafront, a big Saturday market and sunsets over the Greek islands. Milas-Bodrum airport is around 40 minutes from Bodrum and closer to an hour from Turgutreis.

Best for: Marinas, restaurants and nightlife, with quieter bays nearby

Not for you if: You want calm, warm water every day: the peninsula is windier and the sea fresher than further south.

Milas and Ula (inland Muğla)

We have a single house in each. Milas is an old market town close to Milas-Bodrum airport, with the Roman temple at Euromos and Lake Bafa, under the Latmos mountains, within about 40 minutes. Ula is a hill district above the Gökova Gulf. Its coastal village, Akyaka, has a clear, cold river lined with fish restaurants and a beach known for kitesurfing. Dalaman airport is around an hour from Ula.

Best for: Rural quiet, with ancient sites and the Gökova Gulf in reach

Not for you if: You want a beach or a restaurant within walking distance: these are country houses with a drive to the coast.

Assos (north Aegean)

Assos, at the village of Behramkale, faces the Greek island of Lesbos across a narrow strait, a long way north of Bodrum. The Temple of Athena stands on the hilltop, and below it a tiny stone harbour has fish restaurants and small hotels by the water. Nearby beaches are mostly pebble. We have just one house here. Edremit and Çanakkale airports are closest but have no UK flights, and Istanbul is around five hours away by road.

Best for: A stone village with a Greek temple above a tiny harbour

Not for you if: You want a short transfer: Assos is far north of the other areas, with no UK flights nearby.

When to go to Aegean Region

May, June, September and October are the best months: the sea warms up from late May and stays swimmable into October. July and August are hot and the busiest weeks, with Bodrum crowded and the Blue Lagoon full by late morning. The Bodrum peninsula and Assos get a steady northerly summer wind, the meltemi, which keeps evenings fresher. Many restaurants and beach clubs around Hisarönü and Ölüdeniz close from November to April. Turkish public holidays such as Kurban Bayramı fill the resorts for a few days.