Dalyan, Mediterranean neighborhood in Ortaca, Turkey.
Dalyan sits between Lake Köyceğiz and the Mediterranean Sea, with waterways threading through dense reed beds and canals that form its basic structure. These water channels create a distinctive landscape where the boundary between land and water remains fluid.
The settlement gained municipal status in 1969 and underwent reclassification in 2012 when Turkish administrative law reorganized it as a neighborhood. This shift reflected growing ties to tourism and regional development.
Fishing shapes daily life here, and you regularly see fishermen casting nets in the river channels. This traditional practice remains woven into the local identity.
The area sits about 30 kilometers from Dalaman Airport, with regular shuttle services connecting to the neighborhood. Boats are the best way to explore the canals and reed zones.
The Dalyan waterways lead to Iztuzu Beach, where Caretta Caretta sea turtles come ashore to nest in the sand. This beach ranks among the most important nesting grounds for these turtles in the eastern Mediterranean.
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