Didim, while a small municipality in Turkey in reality, is a popular tourist resort. You’ll find plenty of offers for separate and package tours to Didim. As such, today’s post will go over what you can do in Didim. What to see in Didim? What interesting places can you find around Didim? All of this and more in our guide to Didim below.
Didim
What to see in Didim?
Let’s start with the fact that Didim is a small district in Turkey – it had 97,000 residents in 2022 and an area of merely 424 km2. If you want to get around the city quicker, you have public buses, taxis and car rentals. If we’ll convince you to visit some of our spots listed below, you’ll certainly need a car or go with an organised tour from your hotel. You can find info about those at reception. If you don’t mind the costs, we’d recommend hiring a car for more freedom.
Didim was historically a part of the peninsula on which the ancient city of Millet was located. Today, that part of the bay is no longer here, having been buried by the Meander River.
Still, there are plenty of ruins of ancient cities and settlements here, so there will be plenty to see for those of you interested in historical sites. For those of you who aren’t, don’t worry, we’ll take care of you along the way too.
The Temple of Apollo
Beautiful places in Didim
Here is the first of Didim’s big, important sights. The Didim Archeological Park is located to the north of the city. The main attraction here is the Temple of Apollo, one of the largest Greek temples discovered in the region. This temple dates back to 550 BC, and was ultimately linked to Milet, which would be around 12 miles from here.
The base of the temple is more than 115m by 58m. Some of the decorations, columns and architectural elements are very well preserved. The archeological park itself is not large, though don’t worry, this is just the first point on our list.
A ticket to the Temple of Apollo in Didim costs 50 TL. The museum is open from 9am to 7pm
Milet
The ancient ruins of Milet
Milet is located near the village of Balat. It is closely linked to the Temple of Apollo, but the main centre of the city is to the north of Didim. You’ll find many places of interest here, such as the amphitheatre, the Baths of Faustina, the mosque, the gymnasium and other buildings. It’s also the place from which the famous Thales and Anaximander came. The city was founded at the turn of the first and second millennium BC and was one of the most important Greek cities of ancient times.
Over the hundreds of years, naturally, the city’s state declined heavily, especially due to the closure of the bay by riverine settlements. Today, it’s mostly ruins, albeit not that badly preserved given the span of time. You can also find a Museum of Miletus in its Archeological Site. A ticket to the Milet Archeological Site costs 50 TL. Parking is free.
Didim Altınkum Plajı beaches
Which beaches to choose in Didim?
Beaches of Didim are one of the main reasons why tourists flock to this place. Didim offers excellent beaches both in and around its centre. The best beach is the Altınkum Plajı to the south of the Didim centre, with its excellent restaurants, hotels and auxiliary infrastructure.
The beach is pleasantly sandy with designated swimming areas for kids. You can enjoy a wide variety of water sports here and, once you’re bored, you can head onto the boulevard or the centre itself, as they are right next to the beach.
As for beaches further away from the centre, ones with a bit more privacy, we recommend Zırtlan Deliği to the west of Didim, Manastır Koyu (also to the west but closer to the centre), Cennet Akvaryum Plajı to the east and Haydar Koyu across the bay. There are quite a few beaches within the 5 mile radius around Didim, but you can also find more secluded, hidden ones further away.
Priene
The ruins of Priene
Back to ruins though. Priene is another ancient city located near Didim. Here, you can find another theatre with a beautiful view of the whole place, the temples of Zeus, the sanctuary of Athena, the agora, the Roman baths and other ancient buildings. You will also find interesting hiking spots around the nearby forests on the hillside where Priene was located.
Priene was less important politically than the larger and more important brother, Millet, which was located on the other side of the bay of the meandering river called… Meander.
Shopping in Didim
The Didim Bazaar
Anyone who has been to a market in Turkey knows how plentiful these can be. On certain days, including Saturdays, there are shopping days in Didim, meaning days when you can buy all sorts of spices, nuts, fruits, vegetables, even clothes, perfumes and alcohol in the market.
You will also find plenty of steady shops on Yali Boulevard next to Altinkum Beach, as well as on the city’s main street – Ataturk Boulevard.
Bafa Lake
Lakes around Didim
The Bafa Lake is a remnant of the former bay of Milet and the Sea of Vafi. The lake was enclosed by the sediments of the Meander River. Today, Bafa has become a tourist attraction, a calm oasis for you to experience. You can enjoy slow, peaceful strolls here, admire nature, or see one of the nearby monasteries. Do remember that this is a nature reserve and a bird sanctuary, so behave appropriately, don’t litter or frighten the animals.
Interesting places around Bafa are: the Doğal Milli Park Alanı (beach), Herakleia (ruins of another of the towns of this bay), Ikis Monastery, Latmos Antik Kenti Kaya (castle ruins).
Jeep or buggy rides
What to do in Didim?
Many of the travel agencies in Didim offer rides in special jeeps or buggies through the wilderness of the Aegean coast. Such a tour is usually around £30 per person and lasts about 3h. A fun activity for offroad enthusiasts.
Buyuk Menderes National Park
National Park near Didim
This is a Turkish National Park located on a peninsula near the Greek island of Samos – less than 1.5 miles away. You can find hiking paths, beaches, plenty of forests and even wild boar in the park. Fires are quite frequent in the Buyuk Menderes, so sometimes some of the paths are closed during the hottest of days to prevent fires from starting. What can you see in the park?
The Cave of Zeus
An interesting site in Güzelçamlı on the north coast of the peninsula is the Cave of Zeus. You’ll find beautiful azure waters here, a result of a mix of salt water and cold fresh water. Additionally, you’ll find a ban on swimming in the waters here, and, simultaneously, people bathing inside.
Doğanbey
On the south coast, an interesting place to visit is the houses of Doğanbey (Eski Doğanbey Evleri). It’s an old, 19th-century village with pretty stone houses, once abandoned and now restored by the Turks back to its glory. An opportunity to see the village atmosphere of Turkey.
Bodrum and İzmir
Cities near Didim
If you want to take a drive to one of the bigger cities, we recommend the large Bodrum and the comparably huge Izmir and their respective sights.
Bodrum is 75 miles south of Didim, Izmir is about a 100 miles north, so not necessarily ‘near’ by some standards. Still, both are quite worth a visit. If you’d prefer something closer, we’d recommend Kuşadası, north of Didim
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