Standing on the ramparts of Marmaris Castle at dusk, it feels like a very different place to how it feels at ground level. The first thing you lose, climbing away from the harbour, is the noise. One minute you’re on the marina front, surrounded by waterfront diners and the smell of frying calamari drifting out of restaurant doorways, boat touts calling out day-trip prices as you pass, and thumping music emanating from the town’s notorious Bar Street; then you turn up a side street behind the last souvenir stall, and within a few dozen steps it’s gone. The traffic, music, and bustle of resorts is replaced with peace. Looking out over the red rooftops, you see the water of the bay shimmering in the last of the day’s sunlight with the sails of yachts and traditional boats bobbing away from the shore. Marmaris Old Town is quite different from the place you just left.
It’s a small enough quarter that you can walk from one end to the other in ten minutes if you had somewhere to be. Thankfully I don’t, and neither, it seems, do all the other tourists that are navigating these passageways with me. Nobody really comes up here with somewhere to be. Walking back downhill from the castle, the lanes fork and double back with no real logic into small staircases, small courtyards, and dead ends. Whitewashed houses with bright blue or pink flourishes lean in close overhead, and every so often a gap between buildings opens up to give you a view out to the bay. It only adds to the appeal that the sea is never more than a few minutes away.
This part of Marmaris has been here for a long time, and the layout has barely changed since. Suleiman the Magnificent’s men would have climbed this same slope in 1522, hauling stone up to rebuild the fortress that still stands at the peak of the hill today, using Marmaris’s sheltered harbour as a staging post before sailing on to Rhodes. It’s hard to imagine now, sitting at a peaceful café with a glass of tea cooling on the table and a cat or two by your feet, that this was once a place of such military and strategic importance, and that the castle above me has been watching over this bay for five centuries.
While the rest of the town began to sprawl quickly from the 80s onwards, with resorts and developments spreading along the beach, Old Marmaris was left fairly untouched. Yes, a marina popped up alongside it and the old Ottoman buildings began to be occupied by restaurants, bars and souvenir shops, but it kept much of its character, buildings and cobbled streets as they were; a place that grew, slowly, around a fortified hill and a fishing harbour while empires rose and fell around it. Even now, away from the museum inside the castle walls and a bazaar doing brisk trade in leather bags and evil-eye trinkets, it still carries the feel of the village it always was.
This guide covers everything worth doing in that pocket of town, plus practical tips on timing your visit and getting there. For where to eat across the wider bay, see my guide to the best restaurants and bars in Marmaris; for a full regional itinerary, see 4 days in Marmaris.
Getting There
There’s no airport in Marmaris itself, and the nearest is Dalaman (DLM), about 95km away. It’s well served from the UK, with direct seasonal flights from most major airports including London (Gatwick, Stansted, Luton), Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol and Glasgow, mostly running from spring through to autumn. Flight time from the UK is around four to four and a half hours. Outside the summer season, flights are less frequent.
From Dalaman, transfers take anywhere from one and a half to two hours. A taxi will set you back €95 to €120 (£55 to £80 or ₺2,400 to ₺3,500).
By Car
From Dalaman Airport, it’s roughly a 90-minute drive to Marmaris along the D400 coastal road. It’s a nice, scenic drive, as the route runs through Ortaca and Köyceğiz, skirts Göcek’s marina, and climbs over the Sakar Pass before dropping down into Marmaris Bay. If you planning on exploring the wider region, I’d highly recommend hiring a car. Hire cars are readily available at the airport, and the road is well maintained, but if you’re not used to mountain driving, allow extra time and expect the midday stretch (roughly 11am – 2pm in peak summer) to be busiest.
A private transfer or taxi is the easier option if you’d rather not drive: journey time is similar, around 80–90 minutes door to door, and most companies offer a fixed price booked in advance rather than a metered fare.
I tend to use Discover Cars for my car rental when travelling, as they allow you to book in advance and compare multiple providers for the best deal. A hire car also opens up the wider area, allowing you to take detours to other resorts or less-visited bays and beaches at your own pace.
By Public Transport
The cheapest way in is the Havaş or Muttaş coach service, which runs roughly hourly between Dalaman Airport and Marmaris Otogar (the town’s bus station), taking around 1 hour 30 minutes. Tickets are inexpensive and can usually be bought at the airport or online in advance. From Marmaris Otogar, Old Town and the harbour are walkable, but you may want to catch a taxi if you have a lot of luggage.
If you’re coming from elsewhere on the Turkish coast, such as Bodrum, Fethiye, or Antalya, there are regular intercity coaches that also stop at Marmaris Otogar.
From Other Resorts in the Area
If you’re staying in one of the resorts around the bay rather than in central Marmaris, getting to Old Town is relatively easy. The dolmuş (shared minibus) network is the cheapest and most frequent option, running roughly every 10–15 minutes in peak season from Icmeler, Turunc, and Armutalan into Marmaris’s bus terminal or main street, from where it’s a short walk down to the Old Town and the harbour. Icmeler to Marmaris takes around 20–30 minutes; Turunc, being further round the bay and over a mountain road, takes closer to 40 minutes.
Between April and October, sea water taxis are a more exciting alternative. Regular boats run from Icmeler and Turunc’s waterfronts straight into Marmaris harbour. For resorts further afield in Bozburun, Orhaniye, or the Datça peninsula, you’ll need to head to Marmaris’s main bus terminal for a connecting service, or drive.
Where to Stay in Marmaris Old Town
Most people visiting Marmaris will opt for staying in one of the hotels along the main strip, and it’s easy to see why: you’re close to the beach and there are plenty of restaurants and bars within stumbling distance. However, staying inside Old Town itself is a different experience from basing yourself at the beach. You trade sunbed and sand for picturesque cobbled lanes, castle views, and the real Marmaris rather than a beach bar. Most of the accommodation here is focused on smal , boutique guesthouses rather than big resorts, so book ahead in peak season, and be prepared for a short uphill walk with luggage in places.
Sunset Boutique Hotel Marmaris
You’ll find this hotel tucked behind a narrow entrance that’s typical of the old quarter. This small guesthouse leans into its setting with antique wooden ceilings, locally made décor, and bathrooms finished in mosaic tile. Some rooms look out over the marina and bay, and one has a direct view of the castle, but the real highlight is the rooftop terrace bar, which has one of the better sunset views in town
Mets Boutique Hotel
A little deeper into the upper lanes of Old Town, the Mets is easy to miss, but it’s worth the effort of finding. Whitewashed stone walls, understated Mediterranean-style rooms, and a rooftop terrace with sweeping views over the marina and bay. It’s an adults-only property, which keeps things quiet despite sitting close to the bazaar and harbour.
8 oDa Marmaris
8 oDa is spread across restored old houses in a quieter pocket of Old Town, away from the busiest tourist thoroughfares. Accommodation comes as multi-level apartments with kitchens and washing machines, decorated with a homely, lived-in charm. The bougainvillaea-draped terraces and individually furnished living rooms make it a charming place to stay.
The Best Things to Do in Marmaris Old Town
Although the old town is mostly just a place to eat, drink, and enjoy a walk amongst the historic buildings, there are a handful of sights worth adding to your route around it. Most of what’s listed below sits within a few minutes’ walk of the harbour, so it’s entirely possible to cover the highlights in half a day, though it’s just as easy to stretch it into a full one if you factor in time for eating, shopping, and just sitting somewhere with a coffee.
Marmaris Castle (Marmaris Müzesi)
The castle sits at the highest point of Old Town, directly above the harbour, and its walls hold a lot of history. The site itself has been settled and fortified in some form since antiquity, but the castle you see today was rebuilt in 1522 on the orders of Suleiman the Magnificent, who used Marmaris’s natural harbour as a staging point for the Ottoman fleet ahead of the campaign against the Knights of St John on Rhodes. For much of its history afterwards, it continued to be used for military purposes, and it wasn’t opened to the public until restoration work began in the early 1980s, after which it was converted into the archaeology and ethnography museum you can visit today.
The museum is spread across several small exhibition rooms built around a beautiful open courtyard, and most of the displays can be seen in under an hour, though history enthusiasts could easily spend longer. The collection is split roughly into two halves: an archaeology section displaying glassware, coins, amphorae and everyday objects excavated from nearby ancient sites such as Knidos and Burgaz, and an ethnography section covering more recent Ottoman-era life, with weaving, carpets, copperware and traditional weapons on display. It’s not flashy, but the informational boards are in English and Turkish, giving useful context, and it’s a worthwhile way to hide from the midday heat.
Even if you have no interest in the exhibits, it’s worth visiting to climb the ramparts that surround the courtyard. They give you one of the best views in Marmaris, stretching from the harbour and the marina to the rooftops of Old Town, and the bay stretching out beyond.
The museum charges a small entry fee (inexpensive, though it’s worth checking the current price locally, as it does change), and it’s generally open daily from around 8.30 am until early evening in summer, with shorter winter hours.
Wandering the Old Town Streets
Once you’ve visited the castle, the best use of your time is to explore the narrow streets of the old town without much of a plan. The steps and alleyways fan out downhill from the castle towards the harbour in a bit of a maze that was clearly constructed before any semblance of town planning was considered. The lanes are so compact in some places that only two people can barely pass, and largely closed to traffic. Cobbles, whitewashed walls, and the window ledges decorated with colourful flowers make it so that there is a little beauty around every corner; where you end up is mostly down to which turning looks more interesting.
Many of the homes and buildings here date back to the Ottoman-Greek period and have been carefully restored rather than modernised, turning them into cafes, guesthouses and shops. Colourful, timber-framed upper storeys lean slightly over the street below, with shuttered windows and walls in white, ochre, and faded blue. Bougainvillaea and jasmine spill over garden walls in the summer, and it’s not unusual to have to step around a sleeping cat or two.
Scattered among the houses are small artisan workshops and family-run studios making jewellery, ceramics, and leather goods. Shopping here is a fair bit calmer than at the bazaar, as you’re much less likely to be harassed by touts or feel pressured into buying. It’s worth ducking into a few even if you’re not shopping, to watch the craftspeople at work. Just remember that a polite hello in Turkish goes a long way if you do stop to browse.
The Bazaar and Shopping
Old Town’s covered bazaar and the surrounding streets are the place for souvenir shopping, and unlike some resort strips, there’s genuine craftsmanship among the stalls if you look for it.
While it isn’t as atmospheric as the sprawling bazaars of Istanbul, some would say less ‘authentic’, you can expect to find a good range of leather goods, spices, textiles, and Turkish ceramics as standouts, and it’s worth buying here rather than at the marina-front shops, which are pitched squarely at cruise-day visitors and sell all manner of fake designer goods at budget prices. That isn’t to say that there’s not a whole manner of tat on offer, but haggling is expected and part of the process, meaning you can get a good price. Start well below the asking price and settle somewhere in the middle.
Old Town Waterfront and the Marina Edge
Old Town’s historic streets blend nicely and gradually into the modern harbourfront, and the stretch where the two meet makes for one of the nicer short walks in Marmaris, especially at dusk, when the restaurants are just starting to fill, and the light is at its best.
Starting from beneath the castle, a promenade runs along the curve of the bay, with the old fishing harbour on one side giving way, block by block, to the more polished marina front the further east you walk. It’s an easy, flat walk with the sea on one side the whole way.
The old fishing harbour itself, right beneath the castle walls, is still a working part of town and small wooden fishing boats and gulets moor up alongside the tourist boats, and it’s common to see nets being mended or the morning catch being unloaded if you’re out early. Cafés and tea gardens line this stretch and feel a little more local than the restaurants further along the marina, with plastic chairs and Turkish tea served alongside beer and cocktails. It’s a good spot to sit for half an hour with a çay and just watch the harbour go about its business.
Further along, the boats get larger and glossier, the cafés turn into proper restaurants and bars with sea-view terraces, rooftop beer gardens, and the promenade widens out towards the main marina front. It’s also one of the better vantage points for photographing the castle itself, lit up against the hillside after dark.
Netsel Marina
Cross the small footbridge from the Old Town, and you will find yourself in one of Marmaris’ newest and most upmarket developments. Netsel Marina is amongst the larger and more upscale marinas on this stretch of coast, home to superyachts, boutique shops and a good range of restaurants aimed at a more affluent crowd than the cafés and bars elsewhere. It’s worth the walk down even if you’re not shopping, as it serves as a good contrast to the winding lanes of the older part of town.
Boat Trips from Old Town Harbour
Walking from the resort end of town along the waterfront, you’ll see all manner of boats lining the dock, from yachts and stylish gulets to double-decker monstrosities decked out to resemble something from Pirates of the Caribbean. Each of these offers day trips to different islands and bays around Marmaris; It’s worth checking the signs and advertising boards in front of each one to determine where they’re going, what’s included (lunch or beach barbecues, plus drinks are sometimes thrown in) and whether it’s going to be a relaxing, subdued day on board, or if you’re essentially hopping onto a sea-bound nightclub.
Generally, trips run daily between roughly May and October, and while options and operators vary, a handful of set itineraries cover most of what’s on offer.
Cleopatra Island (Sedir Island)
This is the classic day trip that most people opt for. It doesn’t depart directly from the harbour; instead, you’ll take a scenic drive to Çamlı village, followed by a sail across the Gökova Gulf to a small island with a fine white-sand beach and ancient ruins, said (by legend rather than fact) to have been imported for Cleopatra herself. It’s a full day out, usually around seven hours door-to-door, typically including lunch, a few swim stops in secluded coves along the way, and a couple of hours of free time on the island itself.
Dalyan
This is the other big, full-day option, and it’s quite different from visiting Cleopatra Island. You’ll have a river cruise through the reed-lined Dalyan Delta, past ancient Lycian rock tombs cut into the cliffs above the water, with stops at the loggerhead turtle nesting beach at Iztuzu and the mineral mud baths at Sultaniye. It’s a good pick if you want history and nature alongside your beach time, rather than just the beach.
Island-Hopping and Gulet Cruises Around the Gulf of Hisarönü
This style of boat trip is much looser in terms of itinerary and offers a more relaxed day out. The traditional wooden gulets call at a string of smaller islands and bays such as Orhaniye, with swimming and sunbathing stops in between. Lunch and drinks are often included and are often of higher quality than what you’ll get on the larger boats.
Family and party-oriented options
For something a little more raucous, larger-scale cruises are also common in peak season, from pirate-themed boats with foam parties and entertainment aimed at children, through to livelier all-day booze cruises for groups wanting an excuse to get sloshed at sea. Most of these depart from the same harbour and run to similarly loose itineraries with swimming stops.
Turn up at the harbour in the morning and you’ll find plenty of operators and touts selling tickets directly, often at better prices than pre-booked resort tours, but it pays to confirm exactly what’s included (lunch, drinks, hotel transfers), how many people will be on the boat, and the stated itinerary before paying, since standards vary considerably between operators.
Where to Eat & Drink in the Old Town
Old Town’s dining scene mostly sits along the stretch between the castle and the harbour, and it ranges from long-standing institutions to lively meyhanes with live music most nights. It’s worth eating here at least once during your stay rather than sticking to the main resort area, as the food is generally more traditional and the settings much more atmospheric. For a fuller rundown covering Marmaris, Icmeler and Turunc, see my dedicated restaurant and bars guide.
O'Yes Restaurant
Where: Yat Limanı, Tepe, Barbaros Cd. No:9, 48700 Marmaris/Muğla, Türkiye
When: Daily 11am – 12am
A fixture at the start of the old harbour since 1991, O’Yes is family-run with a sprawling international menu that has pretty much anything you can imagine – steaks, seafood, pizza – which may not appeal to some, but you can always expect fantastic service. The seaside terrace makes it a great choice for a sunset dinner, and portions are generous enough that sharing a starter or two is the way to go.
Dede Restaurant
Where: Tepe Mah. Barbaros Cad. No:15 Yat Limanı, 48700 Marmaris/Muğla, Türkiye
When: Daily 9am – 1am
A classic that you need to visit, Dede is Marmaris’s oldest restaurant, dating all the way back to 1973. It sits right on the old harbour and has stayed in the same family ever since opening, named after its founder, a former postman who ran the harbour route between Marmaris and Rhodes for decades. It’s a little pricey compared to most places nearby, but ordering the fresh fish displayed for you to choose from is a must. Alternatively, the menu spans seafood, Turkish and Mediterranean cooking alongside a really great wine list.
Goya
Where: Tepe, 48700 Marmaris/Muğla, Türkiye
When: Daily 10am – 3am
Tucked into the backstreets near the castle and museum, Goya is the place to come to experience a typical meyhane. It’s a Mediterranean tavern built around meze, seafood, and live Turkish music most evenings. It’s the kind of place where you will find a good mix of locals and tourists, which gives it a cosy, convivial atmosphere that is perfect if you’re travelling with a big group and want to order a huge spread of small plates to share.
Pineapple Restaurant
Where: Sarıana, Netsel Marina, 48700 Marmaris/Muğla, Türkiye
When: Daily 9am – 12am
Netsel Marina felt like a suitably lavish and upmarket venue for our final lunch in Marmas, and it is also a fitting one – this place was actually the first restaurant to set up in the new marina complex all the way back in 1991.
With views looking straight back across the water to Old Town and the castle (Kaleiçi), the restaurant serves fairly simple Turkish and international dishes, but the food is good and worth a stop, especially as the bougainvillaea-draped setting makes it a really nice choice for a more romantic evening or a special occasion.
Bar Street
If you have ever heard about the slightly raucous and rambunctious nature, it is almost entirely because of Bar Street, Marmaris’s nightlife strip and the loudest contrast Old Town has to offer against its own quaint and picturesque backstreets.
Here you’ll find a It’s a dense run of bars, clubs and late-night dining spots that stays busy well into the early hours, with everything from live-music bars to full-on clubs packed in close together. It’s noisy, hectic, and not for everyone, but if you like drinking and dancing, it’s part of the Old Town experience. It can be worth a walk-through even if you don’t plan on stopping for a drink, if only to see the other side of the town you’re visiting.
When is The Best Time to Visit Marmaris?
Anyone who has visited the Turkish Riviera will have a general idea of what the weather is like here at different times of the year. Marmaris, like the rest of this stretch of coast, has a classic Mediterranean climate. It’s hot and dry during the summer, while the winter is wetter but still quite mild.
Obviously, the school holidays during July and August are the peak season. This is the time when it can be unbearably hot (regularly touching 35–37°C, occasionally higher), busy, and expensive. While the town is at its most lively, Bar Street and the beaches are at full intensity, hotel prices rise, and the heat between roughly midday and mid-afternoon can make sightseeing genuinely uncomfortable.#
With that in mind, September and October make a strong case as the best time. The sea stays warm from the summer months, daytime temperatures ease back into the high 20s to low 30s°C, crowds thin out noticeably after the school-holiday rush ends, and accommodation prices drop from their August peak. It’s similar in May and June, when air temperatures are a comfortable low-to-mid 20s°C, and the crowds and prices haven’t yet hit their summer peak.
FAQs
A few quick answers to the questions that come up most often when people are planning a visit to Marmaris Old Town.
Is Marmaris Old Town worth visiting?
In my opinion, this is the part of Marmaris that is actually worth visiting. It’s the one part of the town that predates the development of the resort, and while the rest of Marmaris was largely built for tourism from the 1980s onwards, the Old Town is a throwback to when this was the fishing village that came before. If you only do one thing away from the beach during a Marmaris holiday, this is it.
How long do you need in Marmaris Old Town?
You can probably cover the entirety of the area in 2 or 3 hours: The castle museum, a walk through the bazaar, and enough time to explore the backstreets. If you want to take your time, a half-day is even better because it gives you enough time to add the marina walk out to Netsel, have lunch or stop for a coffee (even better, an ice-cold pint of Efes).
Is Old Town walkable from the resort areas?
From central Marmaris and the main beach, yes. It’s just a short, flat walk from most hotels in that part of town. If you’re staying further around the bay, it’s a different story, and you will have to take a dolmuş, taxi, or seasonal water taxi.
Is Marmaris Old Town busy with cruise ship passengers?
It can be, particularly around midday when ships are in port. The castle, the main bazaar and the harbourfront cafés can feel a little too busy for a few hours. Ideally, plan your visit for early morning or early evening, when the ships’ passengers haven’t arrived yet or have already left.
