Loryma Resort and a family holiday to Marmaris area of Turkiye

Turkiye is a country for all the senses, from the spices that fill the markets to the colour of the turquoise sea. We have enjoyed great holidays to Bodrum and to Antalya. Our recent family holiday to Marmaris area of Turkey saw us stay at the beautiful Loryma Resort hotel on the hills outside of Turunç.

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Loryma Resort Hotel Turunç – a family holiday to Marmaris area of Turkey

Turunç is the sweetest fishing town which is now also geared up for tourism. The fishing boats still sit by the sea though and go out to work each morning.

Loryma Resort hotel sits on the mountain side overlooking Turunç. Here amongst the olive and pine trees where the cicadas create their constant music the apartments are arranged with many looking out over the incredible coastline.

We loved this resort with its beautiful swimming pools and landscaped grounds. Loryma really cares about the environment and the produce in its restaurants too. Wherever possible using local ingredients and fresh vegetables and fruit.

Loryma Resort – a family holiday to Marmaris

Our accommodation was perfect for our family of five. With two double bedrooms and a lounge with sofa bed.

There was also a large dining area complete with full kitchen and two bathrooms.

The facilities

Loryma is really well set up for a family holiday. There are three pools – an indoor pool, outdoor pool and children’s pool.

Three times a week there is a complimentary yoga session on one of the outside lawns. There is a small gym on site too.

A complimentary mini bus runs through the day from the hotel into Turunç and back again. There’s also a public bus service at the end of the road which runs into Içmeler and Marmaris (read about our trips out further down the post).

There is also a small shop onsite.

Food at Loryma Resort

There is a main restaurant at the resort which has table service and a buffet style restaurant. We didn’t eat here for any of our main meals as we used the self catering facilities or ate out in the towns.

We did however eat at the buffet restaurant each day for breakfast. This had a lovely spread of breads, fruits and cereals. There was an egg chef to cook up omelettes and we liked the Turkish touches with halva, dried fruits and honey on offer. All locally sourced.

A family holiday to Marmaris – day trips we took

We really enjoyed relaxing at the resort but we are a family who love to explore so we took a number of trips out.

Marmaris

We visited Marmaris a couple of times. We were expecting it to be really touristy and while those elements definitely exist we loved the Old Town and the Marina.

Finding our way winding through the little back streets was just wonderful. It’s such a picturesque area of the town and one that definitely shouldn’t be overlooked.

We wandered through and out the other side down to the marina. Here big yachts nestle side by side with serene sailing boats. It’s a lovely tranquil area with lots of waterside restaurants to eat at.

Içmeler

Içmeler is a medium sized town bigger than Turunç but much smaller than Marmaris. There are buses running to Marmaris every few minutes and to Turunç every hour from Içmeler.

We visited the Wednesday market twice on our holiday to Marmaris. Içmeler market was brilliant for picking up fresh vegetables and fruit. They also had a great selection of dried fruit and nuts and Turkish delight.

We also really enjoyed the beach area here with all its restaurants and great vibe.

Içmeler also became the place we would visit the Migro supermarket which had a lovely bakery section.

Visiting Knidos – a family holiday to Marmaris

I love history and as a family we enjoy visiting places of cultural significance. Knidos was an Ancient Greek City that was a major hub by 5th Century BCE.

Now in ruins across the hillside it is an atmospheric place that spills out towards its own natural harbour. The sea glistening turquoise and clear.

We wound our way through the mountainous roads lined with pine trees to Knidos. The only way to get here is by driving so we hired a car for the day.

Wandering through the site was just magical. Seeing the amphitheatre which overlooked the sea and imagining all the plays and performances that would have taken place there.

There are little details of the past everywhere here. Unfortunately the town’s most famous statue, the first life-sized statue of a nude woman by the sculpture Praxiteles in the form of Aphrodite no longer exists.

My favourite part of the day was swimming in the harbour here where people have swum for thousands of years. Looking across to the amphitheatre, fish darting around our feet, the sea feeling warm and cold in streaks throughout the water.

The children spotted pieces of pottery from Ancient Greek pots and jugs with handles and spouts. Peering down at the straggly seaweed below I wondered what else lay here that hadn’t yet been discovered.

If you make it to Knidos, and you should, there’s a cafe here for food and refreshments. It really is worth the trek. It’s a magical place and one of those travel experiences that seeps into your skin and makes you feel alive even as it’s happening.

Eski Datça

A good stop off on the way to Knidos, or just worth visiting on its own, is Eski Datça. The main town of Datça is also great to spend time in but we headed to the old town, Eski Datça for this trip.

This is such a sweet town, with old stone houses and little cobbled pedestrianised streets shaded with branches of flowers.

There are some amazing shops here selling lots of arts and crafts, clothes and accessories. There are also many little restaurants to sit and relax in a while.

We didn’t have long as we spent most of our time at Knidos but Eski Datça is somewhere we would love to return to.