Turunc Beach, Marmaris
The verdict
- Best for: Travellers who want a quieter cove with clear water and a village pace over the resort bustle, and who do not mind a pebble entry and a little effort to get there.
- Best spot: Arrive by morning water taxi from Marmaris or Icmeler, take a lounger in the centre of the cove, and swim before the day boats moor in toward midday.
- Know this: Turunc rewards the winding road or the boat with cleaner, calmer water than the town. It is pebble not sand, so pack water shoes, and for soft sand stop at Icmeler instead.
Published 21 March 2026. Last reviewed 11 April 2026
Turunc is the cove you go to when you have had enough of the resort and want the water clear and the pace slow. It sits about twenty kilometres southwest of Marmaris, over the headland and beyond Icmeler, a former fishing village that has grown into a low key resort without losing its bones. The cove is wrapped by green hills, the water is clean and a deep blue green, and the whole place runs a notch quieter than the bays closer to town. For clearer swimming and a calmer day, it is well worth the trip.
The trip is the thing to plan, though, and here is where you choose your arrival. The road from Marmaris winds up and over the mountain in a long series of bends, scenic and genuinely lovely but enough to test a queasy stomach, and the dolmus and the hire car both take it. The kinder option in summer is the water taxi or day boat across the bay, which lands you straight on the cove with the headlands sliding past on the way. If you can time it, come by sea in the morning and you will have the clearest water and the quietest beach before the trip boats moor toward midday.
Be honest with yourself about the shore. Turunc is pebble, not sand, so the postcard does not quite match a barefoot stroll, and you will want water shoes for the entry. If soft sand and a shallow shelving paddle are what your day needs, Icmeler back over the hill is the easier beach. But if you want cleaner, calmer water, a village lunch and a real change of gear from the Marmaris strip, Turunc earns its place, and the cove next door at Kumlubuk takes the same idea a step further into the quiet.
Clubs near this beach
Turunc is ringed by beach venues and small hotels rather than ruled by a single club. We describe the setting factually and route enquiries through our directory; we never invent venues, minimum spends or amenities.
Beach venues around the cove
The shore is lined with beach setups, cafes and bars offering loungers, parasols and food and drink to your spot, the usual way to spend a Turunc day. Their names, menus, set charges and any minimum spend are set by the venues and to be confirmed.
Village hotel terraces
Several of the small hotels around the bay run their own lounger sections and terraces on or above the cove. Access, day passes and whether non guests are welcome vary by property and are independent and to be confirmed.
Turunc lies about twenty kilometres southwest of Marmaris, beyond Icmeler and over the headland, and you reach it one of two ways. The land route is the winding mountain road, taken by the dolmus minibuses and hire cars in around forty minutes, scenic but full of bends that test a delicate stomach. The sea route, in summer, is the water taxi or day boat across the bay from Marmaris or Icmeler, slower but far gentler and a lovely approach. If the boats are running, they are the nicer choice. Conditions are typical and never guaranteed.
There is some parking in the village if you drive, though it is limited in peak season, so an early arrival helps. To settle in you will usually take a lounger set from a beach venue or hotel and pay for it or for your food and drink, so pick your spot before the day boats land toward midday. Pack water shoes for the pebble entry, bring a little cash for the village, and time your swim for the morning when the cove is at its clearest and quietest.
Reserve a day at Turunc Beach
Tell us your date and party and we will point you to the right beach club style venues around Turunc cove and the wider Marmaris coast, with the clear calm water and village pace the bay is known for. No charge to enquire.
Common questions
How do you get to Turunc from Marmaris?
Turunc lies about twenty kilometres southwest of Marmaris over the headland. You reach it either by the winding mountain road, on a dolmus minibus or by car in around forty minutes, or by water taxi and day boat across the bay from Marmaris and Icmeler in summer. The road is scenic but bendy, so the boat is the gentler arrival if you are prone to travel sickness.
Is Turunc beach sandy or pebble?
Turunc is a fine pebble and shingle beach rather than soft sand, so water shoes are worth packing for a comfortable entry. The trade for the stones is clean, clear water, and the cove holds its colour and clarity better than the busier sandy beaches closer to Marmaris town.
Is Turunc better than Marmaris town beach?
For peace and clearer water, yes. Turunc is a calmer fishing village cove with cleaner water and a slower pace than the busy central strip, which is the reason to make the trip. The catch is that it is pebble not sand and takes a winding drive or a boat to reach, so it rewards the effort rather than offering the easy convenience of the town beach.
Do you have to pay to use Turunc beach?
The beach is a free public cove, but most of the frontage is laid with loungers and parasols run by the beach venues and small hotels that ring the bay, and they charge for a set or expect you to eat and drink. You can use the public shingle for nothing. Their rates are set by the venues and to be confirmed.
Is Turunc good for families and swimming?
It suits families who do not mind a pebble entry, with calm sheltered water in the cove and a relaxed village behind it. Water shoes make the entry easier for small feet, and the clear water is good for a gentle swim and a look at the fish. For soft sand and a shallow shelving entry, Icmeler is the easier family beach.
