With guaranteed warm weather and a long coastline of welcoming beaches, Turkey has been a regular favourite on the package holiday circuit for decades. Families, couples and groups come to Turkey to enjoy Turkish dancing, kebabs and a stroll around the local bazaar every year. But what are the alternatives to staying in one of the usual beach?

Istanbul

The largest city in Turkey sees many visitors each year although a lot of them are just passing through on their way to somewhere else. The huge city is sprawling and busy but just across the Bosporus is another world. The short hop across this body of water takes visitors to a magical world of Middle Eastern Turkish delight which is a stark contrast to the European style resorts along the coast.

Train Rides

Spending a long day on a train in searing heat isn’t everyone’s cup of tea but as the end point of the world famous Orient Express route, Turkey has been the scene of many a carriage train journey. The route between Istanbul and Antayla, boarding at Sirkeci station, is a beautiful journey, taking in many of Turkey’s geographical features.

Pamukkale

The snowy white pools at Pamukkale are formed by calcium deposits in the water clinging to the rocks, turning them into something resembling a huge marble bath. Although Pamukkale does see a lot of daily visitors from nearby resorts, very few people stay the night. Staying the night at Pamukkale certainly offers an alternative way to start the day with the sun glinting off the milk pools and creating a morning so bright it’s practically blinding.

Cave Hotels

Along the coast line in North Turkey, ancient homes from Byzanite, Roman and Hitiite times have been turned into wonderful unique hotels that manage to gel cave dwelling with the luxury of 21st century living. The domed rooms have been carved from existing rock to create a wonderful holiday experience.

Religious Sites

As a land where the world’s three main religions - Christianity, Islam and Judaism - have managed to co-exist peacefully for decades, visiting any religious site in Turkey is a site to behold. Mosques, churches and synagogues all sit side-by-side, and on exiting, the men and women from each get together to enjoy coffee on the steps or in a local cafe.

Oil Wrestling

Kirkpinar Oil Wrestling is a sport specific to Turkey. Nowhere else in the world can you see hundreds of grown men cover themselves in oil and wrestle to be crowned champion oil wrestler. Each year in June, in a meadow just outside Edirne, the men get together and fight it out in gallons of olive oil. The tradition is thought to date back to Ottoman times.

Follow a Trail

Turkey is not usually considered as a walking holiday destination, unless you know about the 500km Lycian Way which stretches from Fethiye to Antalya. The trail passes ancient villages along the Mediterranean coastline and was once the way the traders would transport goods on the back of donkeys.