Altinkum is a small and clicky holiday resort on the Aegean coast of Turkey. It has attracted much negative press because of expats who have been swindled out of life savings by unqualified property dealers who saw quick cash to be made during a property boom.
Also a famous American writer visited Altinkum last year and declared that she will never come back because it was not traditional Turkey. Now, I could come out in defence of “Tinky town” as it is nicknamed and ask the writer to define traditional but it is as plain as day that Altinkum has been influenced by British presence.
Altinkum Harbour
The facade on offer to holiday makers is far different from the small fishing village that Altinkum used to be. However, the holiday resort has just adapted to what tourists want. Business owners are fulfilling a demand for a bucket and spade holiday.
Most visitors to the resort compare Altinkum to sunny Blackpool and they are right. Walk along the beach front and you will see plenty of signs advertising English breakfasts and traditional British Sunday lunch.
Lads working in restaurants come out wearing their English football tops, chanting their latest sales patter in a perfect English accent. Patrick days, Halloween and Christmas are also widely celebrated events in resort. Far from the Turkish vibes that many first time visitors to the country expect.
That is Altinkum but there is another part to the small resort, called Didim.
Apollo temple Didim
From Altinkum To Didim
Didim is not near the beaches and British restaurants and it has more of a traditional vibe than Altinkum. Wander into a bar and sit on floor cushions while listening to live singers playing Turkish love songs on their guitars.
Head to lokantas (restaurants) and grab a traditional meal for just 5TL (about 2 English pounds). Not everyone in Didim speaks English either so it is a perfect chance to practise Turkish.
Didim is classed as the resort centre and it is an important place especially for expats because all amenities and many offices and shops are based there.
There are traditional aspects to holidays in Altinkum, you just need to know where to find it. So if I have persuaded you to still give the resort a chance, here is some information to know.
Altinkum Resort Information for Tourists
Altinkum Funfair
- The main local market happens on a Saturday near the bus station
- The resort has three beaches, stupidly named First, Second and Third beach
- A marina and funfair are based at Third beach.
- It is worth noting that in high season of summer, the main beach is packed sunbed to sunbed. At these times, consider using smaller beaches on the outskirts of resort.
- Surrounding resorts close by are Akbuk, Mavisehir, Yesilkent and Yesiltepe
- The hottest months are usually July and August when temperatures can reach high 40’s.
- Dolphin Square and 2nd beach are well known for their family friendly bars
- At the end of the long promenade near the harbour are bars and nightclubs which are not for children. The nightclubs stay open till 5am.
- Accommodation is plentiful and includes bed and breakfast hotels, all-inclusive resorts and self-catering apartments.
- Ataturk Boulevard is the main road running through Altinkum and is where everything happens; supermarkets, cash points, bus routes, bars, restaurants, McDonalds, Burger king etc
- Altinkum does have a stray dog problem. There is a shelter who always accepts volunteers that want to help.
- Taxis are yellow and do not run on meters if your journey is within Altinkum. I always thought this was illegal but apparently not so the set price for any route within Altinkum is 15 lira even if you only go 200 metres.
- Local dolmus buses are frequent within summer months. Their destination is listed on the front of the bus.
- The transfer time from Bodrum airport is one and a half hours.
Ataturk Boulevard
Things to do in Altinkum
- Visit the ruins of Apollo temple at the entrance to Didim
- Book a Jeep safari trip to go through Akbuk
- Jump on a daily boat trip leaving from the harbour
- Visit the nearby town of Soke if you like exploring new areas
- Bafa Lake and the traditional village of Herakleia is 1 hour away
- Visit the best ancient ruins in Turkey called Ephesus (2 hours away)
- The house of Virgin Mary is also near Ephesus
- Miletus and Priene are ancient ruins located less than an hour away
- Dilek national park is near Kusadasi and has plenty of beaches and natural landscapes
- The wine making Greek village of Sirince is a two hour drive away
- Scuba diving and snorkelling are popular in this area
- Have a Turkish bath
Fresh fish for sale at the harbour
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It is a long journey by bus Ned, so get a connecting flight from Istanbul to either Bodrum or Izmir airports. Alternatively, hire a car and make a week long road trip of it. You could take in sites such as Canakkale, Pergamon and Ephesus on the way.
Hi Nat. I will be flying to Istanbul from Washington DC USA. What do you recommend as mode of transportation to go from Istanbult to Altinkum..fun and reasonably priced. Thanks. Ned
🙂 You will enjoy it Goncalo
Hi! My name is Goncalo and i m going alone to altinkum for the first time! i m a bit worry to go alone but i m pretty sure i m going to enjoy!
Your report is very good and i m so excited for my holidays!! i m Going next week 30 of july! 🙂
Ok Iain, I will ask around and let you know if anyone responds.
Update : Hi Iain, sent you an email with details. 25 lira per day
Hello again Nat,
Thanks for getting back to me so quickly. Unfortunately I do not have a Facebook Acc., sorry.
Iain.
I have never looked around Iain because I am not a biker myself. Are you on Facebook? If so, there is a group called New Altinkum of 2015, with more than 2000 members. Somewhere on there is bound to know. Let me know if you don’t get an answer and i can ask around
Hi Natalie,
Great Blog 🙂 … my wife and I are visiting Altinkum in late August / early September 2015, and staying at the Palm Wings.
We were hoping to hire a couple of pedal bikes to get around whilst we were there. Can you recommend a reliable hire outlet near to our hotel?
Any info re prices etc would be very welcome.
Thanks.
Iain.
Some major changes happening at the moment Billy. The seafront will definitely look busy by the time you return
me and all of my family have been going to altinkum for 20yrs , and we love it ,me and my wife are in our late 60s , and we are coming back again in july ,with family, staying at esra, cant come soon enough for us,
Aw Thank you Tony – Won’t get my head through the door now!
Hi Natalie, love all your writing and you as well xx
Good on you Bill – my friend has been there 10 years and still not seen the inside! Welcome back to Turkey in May
One of the first things we did when we purcheased our “bolthole” was to visit the temple, amazing, fantastic, awesome.
We have since made a good many friends in Altinkum both locals and Brits, what a fabulous place it is, sure you encounter the rip off merchants, but this happens all over the world, but that,I am afraid is life.
Now that the “council” has started to clamp down on thse daft bas****s, it has made our visits more pleasant.
Soon be May, and the opportunity to chat with all of the lovely people out there, be welcomed in their home, offered chai, kahvi, or what else they have.
A truly lovely country with a fantastic indigenous population.
Hi Nat we are out 14th june and it cant come quick enough.
have had the apartment since 2006 and hopefully wont be too far off before we can spend alot more time there
I think this is going to be a good summer for Altinkum Steve. Is it long before you make it back?
great report natalie, you have really whetted my apetite. i love altinkum and didim and cant wait to get back there
steve
Agree with that Jack but you would be amazed at how many expats living here have not been up to the temple!
I can’t say I was that impressed with Tinky Town (love the name, BTW) but the Temple of Apollo is splendid and well worth a visit.
Definitely not like this resort Simon and the expats in the big city tend to blend in because it is so big. Are you going anywhere in specific?
I’m hoping that the izmir penisula isn’t so “british” when we pass through in july.
Very true about Kusadasi and Bodrum Phil. Someone mentioned before that Altinkum was trying to change their status to a city so they can get more money from the government for roads etc.
Altinkum is less sophisticated than other nearby resorts such as Kusadasi and Bodrum but has a charm about it non the less.
You can’t compare it to the aforementioned as they have obviously had a lot more money spent on developing the area and are also closer to the airports (and more expensive too!)
Altinkum is a Turkish resort – its where the Turkish people holiday. They come from Ankara and Istanbul to holiday homes and hotels here.
We have a property there and each year we go, we try and find somewhere new to visit. Its a good base and we like it.
Looking forward to our next visit.
Hi Jane, yes I know about main beach. I live in Altinkum too!
I first went there 11 years ago and loved it, but you are right about it being like a English sea side resort , but in the sun. We have an apartment there and every time we go its less turkish and more English , which for me is disappointing . You can find traditional places to eat or drink, but you have to look for them. Some of them are in ataturk boulevard. I have also been to free Turkish concerts by the marina, although I’m not sure how often they are.
I have thought of selling and buying somewhere else in turkey, but we have turkish and british friends there, and I love my apartment.
FYI the first beach as you called it , is actually called the main beach, this is the beach area near to Dolphin Square where all the restaurants and bars are. Altinkum means golden sands.