Datça

Datça is a thin peninsula that sticks out into the crystal-clear water of both the Aegean and Mediterranean seas. When you travel all the way down the peninsula until the road ends, you’ll find yourself at the ancient city of Knidos. From your vantage point amongst the ruins, you can see the line in the sea where the Aegean ends and the Mediterranean begins. The peninsula is covered in almond groves and here you can find the most delicious almonds you’ve ever tasted. There are tiny villages scattered along the seaside and you will be hard-pressed to come across another foreign tourist.

The water is crystal clear and so, so clean and the food is beyond compare. The mezes are mouth-watering with my favorite local delicacy being pickled çağla. Çağla translates to green almond and it is the unripe almond still inside its hull. Pickled to perfection and served alongside stuffed zucchini flowers, wild Aegean greens with yogurt, and local cheese, it makes the perfect lunch.

Datça also hosts some fabulous wineries. A perfect late-afternoon jaunt takes you to a wine-tasting room in this historic windmill. Just across the way is a farm shop selling local olive oil and honey. Don’t forget to slather some almond oil lotion over your suntan as you walk back out into the glorious sunshine!

In the evenings, the restaurants set up the beach in town with tables where you can have fresh calamari and sea bass. The sound of musicians singing their Turkish ballads with the help of anyone who wants to chime in accompanies the fresh flavors. A walk along the beachfront promenade wraps up maybe the most relaxing day you’ve ever had.