Göcek

Göcek is a town in Lycia on the Mediterranean coast of Turkey. It's a small resort midway between Dalaman and Fethiye, and at the last count in 2014 its population was 6590. The main attraction is the series of small coves and islands around the bay, easily reached by boat.

Understand
The original village of Göcek is 2 km inland, a sleepy place of farming and forestry, and a harbour was constructed to ship out the logs. From the 19th century chromium ore was mined in the hills - this is valuable stuff, as it turns plain steel into stainless steel, highly resistant to corrosion, and electroplated chrome surfaces are shiny and resist tarnishing. The local mines have closed but Turkey still exports chromium. The small plain below the village was built over in the 1980s as the place morphed into a tourist resort lining the shore. Initially this was domestic tourism, as airports capable of receiving international flights lay at some distance and the approach roads were poor. One notable frequent visitor was prime minister Turgut Özal (1927-1993) who went on to be Turkey's president. He liberalised the economy and sought to mend the historic quarrels with Armenia and the Kurds, but died suddenly in office. Meanwhile Göcek benefited from the upgrade of Dalaman Airport, and in 2006 the hairpin approach over the mountains was superseded by a tunnel.

The climate is subtropical Mediterranean. Summers are hot, typically 35&deg;C by day and 20&deg;C by night. Winters are mild, 14&deg;C by day. Early summer and autumn are good times to visit.

Get in
Göcek is 19 km east of Dalaman Airport. Many visitors arrive on package flights from Europe, and the coach transfer takes about 30 minutes.

Buses towards Fethiye from Istanbul and Izmir, and the Havaş bus from Dalaman Airport, stop at the filling station on D400 north edge of town. Walk 1 km southwest down Atatürk Blv to reach town centre.

Muttaş is the regional bus company, run by Muğla district council. Bus 48-2 runs every 15 min between Dalaman town and Fethiye via Göcek, and Bus 3-50 also runs between Fethiye and Göcek every 30 min. A swarm of dolmuşes also ply these routes.

D400 is the coast highway, which bypasses town to the north. The approach from Dalaman to the west has been improved by a toll tunnel, but you can still take the switchback lane over the ridge for the sake of the view.

Get around
Walk. Turgut Özal Cd is the pedestrianised mall parallel to the waterfront.

See

 * Town centre is modern, including Central Mosque (Merkez Camii) on the main plaza. The prayer hall is on the first floor, ground floor is shops.
 * The promenade is pedestrianised and lined with palms.
 * - "Mosque by the well" - is the focus of the old village inland, predating the resort. The old alleys and houses have mostly succumbed to modern development; the mosque is in traditional style but only built in 1998.
 * is a Lycian rock tomb on a bypassed loop of D400, badly eroded. The highway is divided so you can only enter the loop westbound, and exit the same way as the other end has been closed off.
 * Twelve Islands (Oniki Adalar) dot the Gulf of Göcek and are visited by boat trips.
 * is the large one sheltering the village. It has good beaches.

Do

 * Beaches: not in town, it's lined with boat wharfs and the water is full of unmentionables. İnlice cove 5 km east can be reached by dolmuş, Ayten cove is 6 km west and accessible by road.
 * Boat trips: over a dozen operators, you'll find them touting along the promenade.
 * With your own boat you can explore the many coves at your own pace. Yachts and other boats can be rented in town. Göcek is a Port of Entry into Turkey, as is nearby Fethiye, so if you arrive from Greek waters you can clear immigration and customs here.
 * Turkish baths: Göcek Hamam is at Kuzey Sk 30 where Highway D400 leaves town east. Mixed reviews, some female customers felt unsafe.

Buy

 * Stores: about 20 around the main plaza and a block back from the promenade. Carrefour, A101 and Migros are the main chains. Banks and ATMs are found nearby.

Eat

 * Lots of places along the waterfront.

Drink

 * Some dozen bars line the main street.

Sleep

 * Campsites are near the beaches, at İnlice east and beyond Ayten west.
 * Pansiyons are dotted about town. Two near the promenade with good reviews are Tufan and Ünlü.

Stay safe
Usual advice about care of valuables, traffic, sun protection and water safety. The jandarma patrol the main areas to deter the pickpockets and unruly drunks.

Connect
Göcek and its approach roads have 4G from all Turkish carriers. As of June 2023, 5G has not rolled out in Turkey.

Go next

 * Fethiye the large resort east has Lycian tombs. You come this way for Ölüdeniz, the blue lagoon.
 * Dalaman, where you probably arrived by air, has a small beach resort village but is otherwise modern and bland.
 * Dalyan is a small resort just west of Dalaman, with the ruins of ancient Kaunos, a delta wetland and a turtle sanctuary.
 * Marmaris is a large resort west with an old castle.