Selimiye is a village on the east side of Bozburun Peninsula, founded at edge of the bay with the same name. Turgutköy is on the north coast of this bay, while Selimiye is on the southern coast. Selimiye is 43 kilometres (50 min) away from Marmaris. The most reasonable way to get here is via Datça Road. The road from İçmeler-Turunç is a little shorter (38 km) but it takes longer time due to its very uphill and curvy nature.

​

The name of the village is from Selim I (an Ottoman Sultan lived in 16th century), and the former name was "Losta". Since its location is a sheltered area for ships, it has always been alive since ancient times. The people of Selimiye originated from Razgrad / Bulgaria. [reference] People's subsistence is tourism, fishing and agriculture.

​

The nature, the calmness and the ambiance of Selimiye greatly impress the people who see it for the first time. Many of the visitors come to Selimiye more than once. Naturally, the tourist population in Selimiye increases every year. Even though the number of concrete buildings has increased compared to past, Selimiye still manages to stay cute. The fact that people do not allow building large hotels in Selimiye, plays a great role in this.

 

Though Selimiye is a village, it does not definitely look like an average Turkish village, especially the region close to the sea. There are many boutique hotels, pensions, restaurants, cafes, markets and souvenir shops in the coastline of approximately 500 meters long. We do not know whether it is compulsory or voluntarily, but almost all of these enterprises are decorated in accordance with the concept of "a fisherman town on the Aegean coast", so they have added beauty to their surroundings. It is a great pleasure to walk on the stone road amidst the decor, that this architecture and natural beauties create. During the walk you do not hear toppy music sounding on the street or encounter the artisans who call you into their restaurants fervently. The only venue with music, "Piano Jazz Bar” does not disturb people outside. We can say that enterprises are very respectful towards visitors and to each other. 

​

 

Selimiye is crowded during the summer season, and on weekends as well as long national holidays it's overcrowded. Naturally, high demand has increased prices. The prices in Selimiye are quite high, compared to other similar places in Marmaris. Despite the high prices, in some restaurants or hotels it is difficult to make reservations even a week before.

 

​

Eating and Drinking

 

Selimiye has a wide variety in eating and drinking. Varieties and places of recommendation are as follows:

Sea products >> Sardunya Restaurant (Always full and expensive) and Hidayet's Place/Hidayet’in Yeri (Sea bass and octopus very successful, Vedat Milor (top gourmet in Turkey) recommended, Prices just below Selimiye avarage)

Mantı/Ravioli>> Badem Mantı (Prices are not high, raw pie, leaf wrapping and fried ravioli are nice)

Toast etc. >> Karadut Coffee House (Prices are below Selimiye avarage, toast and ayran are delicious, sausage is good, Vedat Milor recommended)

Pide >> Blue Pide/Mavi Pide (The roasted eggplant pide is worth trying)

Dessert >> Paprika (Prices are high, poppyseed sweet, chestnut tiramisu, peach dessert and lemonade with lavender are delicious Abramovic (very famous Russian billionaire businessman) has come here for a while:)) Losta Desserts (Goat milk ice-cream, goat cheese losta sweet)

 

In addition to these, places serving home-made dishes and concept cafes like Losta-Ceri can be preferred as well. But let's repeat the tenth: prices are high. If you have a limited budget and want to make a good choice, there are many scoring and recommendations for just about any place in Foursquare app. Take a little time to search online and choose the ones that suit your taste and budget.

​

Sea

 

​The sea in Selimiye Bay is very clear and calm. Hammocks are established in the sea in accordance with the laziness that this environment brings in, a Selimiye cliche. The sea is nice, but it has the following disadvantages: there are always many yachts and boats in the bay, the ground is not sand but pebbles, the coastline is mainly used by the enterprises and the sun loungers are put right beside the coastal walkway. There is no public beach in Selimiye. When you want to get into the sea you have to use either hotels’ beach or other private beaches. Another important point is that there is no sewage system in Selimiye and it is mentioned that the septic pits of enterprises leak into the sea. According to a measure made in July of 2016, the coli bacillus level detected as 820 in the port. Briefly our idea is that it is not wise to swim in the center of Selimiye especially for children. But like all over Marmaris, there are also boat tours for diving and sightseeing in Selimiye. Swimming tours are usually held between 10 am-5 pm hours, swimming breaks given in aquarium like bays in addition to Kamelya and Dişlice Islands. The price of the tours is 60 ₺ (as of 2017) including lunch (fish-pasta-salad-dessert). You only pay for the drinks. So, the prices in the sea are cheap compared to the shore. Of course, you can not bring you own food to the boat. Another option for a clean sea is the Shallow Bay (Akkum/Sığliman), which is 2.5 km north of the beach. The beach is a bit mixed with the soil, you should see and decide. If you have a car, there are already dozens of alternatives at half an hour's distance.

​

Kamelya and Dişilce (Love) Islands, and Bencik Cove

​

Let's say few words about three of the stops on the route of Selimiye boat tours:

 

> Kamelya (Camelia, Camelia, Monastery) Island: Having a small Orthodox church with 1800 years of history is the island's greatest feature. The church is very easy to reach because it is directly on the tiny beach where the boats approach. The mosaics in the church's courtyard did not deteriorate much until today. The old friend of the church is a centuries-old olive tree in the garden. Thousands of colored cloths, shoddy and even nylon bags attached to it stand like new bride. Other residents of the island are goats and donkeys, which look forward to approaching of the boats. We do not even mention clarity of the sea and view.

 

Dişilce (Love) Island: This island is made up of steep and high rock fragments with yellow and orange colored mosses. It is 300 meters long from beginning to end. It was named after the rocks that lined up side by side like teeth (Dişlice means something like ‘toothy' in English). At the same time, the island has also received the name of 'Love Island' because it is quite dexterous to hide secret lovers between the rocks. There is no sign of life on the island other than seagulls, there is not already any flatness. One of the most beautiful things that can be done here is to swim to rear of the island through a passageway in the middle of it.

 

​Bencik Cove: Bench Cove is located just on south of the narrowest part (1200m) of Datça Peninsula. From the inside of the bay it is possible to reach the northern side of the peninsula, that is, to Bördübet Bay by walking a half hour walking. According to a rumor, in order to be protected from the attacks of the Persians, the Cnidos wanted to connect the sea to the Kayıkaşıran (Balıkaşıran) bay on the north and convert Datça into an island state, but they could not make it real for sure. In Bencik Cove, the sea forms a fjord by penetrating 2 km into the land. The shore is covered with pine trees, and the north side is reedy. It is a port of choice for yachts due to offering shelter against all kinds of winds. Bencik Cove hosts a summer site with MTA (a state institution) camp.

 

Historical Ruins

It is possible to encounter historical ruins around Selimiye Village. There are three castle remnants around Selimiye, whose ancient name is Hydas. One is on the highest peak of Selimiye, the other is on top of Sarıkaya hill, and the last one is in Kızılköy Quarter. There are remains of a rampart dating back to the Hellenistic period, in the southeastern hills of the bay. A watchtower 100 m off the shore, marine lights, monasteries and theater are other invaluable remnants of the city to visit. The artefacts found from the wrecks are exhibited at the Bodrum Underwater Museum. [reference]

​

Summary

Selimiye is one of the prominent villages of Marmaris with its calmness, rich cafe-restaurants and charm. To benefit from the blessings of this place, you have to stay at least a few days and, if possible, in one of the coastal hotels. If this is not possible, you should arrive at a very early hour for daily coming, you should attend a boat tour in hot and sunny hours of the day, and return home after a delicious dinner.

​

Bonus-1: The best location to take a panoramic photo of Selimiye is "Yalnizlar Tepesi (The Solitude Hill)", the first hill on the way to Bozburun.

​

Bonus-2: On the way from Turgut to Selimiye there is a small wooded area by the sea suitable for picnic, which is referred to as "Erler Mevki" on the map. It is possible to figure out the presence of such a place from vehicles already parked on the roadside. You can take a picnic and swim here, or at least pull over the car to the right and take a picture of the beautiful view of the bay.

​

Bonus-3:It is possible to find beautiful gift or souvenirs in Selimiye. We recommend: “Severin"