2 Best Sights in The Turquoise Coast, Turkey

The 25-minute ferry ride to the Greek island of Kastellorizo (called Meis in Turkish) gives you a taste of Greece and lets you imagine what Kaş must have been like before the 1923 population exchange, when most residents were of Greek origin. Isolated from the rest of its country, Kastellorizo has escaped major development and maintains the charm of an island that time forgot. Attractions include a small 12th- to 16th-century crusader castle, notable for its crenellated gray-stone walls; a large blue cave with fine stalactites (speedboat trips can be arranged in Meis Harbor when you disembark); the 1835 church of St. Konstantine and Eleni (usually locked), which reused granite columns taken from the Temple of Apollo at Letoon in Lycia; and a mosque converted into a small museum that recounts the island's tragic history. You can get a taste of the island in just an afternoon, but if you want more, overnight at one of the several hotels or pansiyons. If you're day-tripping, don't be alarmed if the ferry operator wants to hold onto your passport when you disembark in Greece—they process the passports in batches to speed things up. If you're not comfortable with this, just ask to have your passport stamped while you watch.

Sedir (Cedar) Island, also known as Cleopatra Island, is about a 30-minute drive north of Marmaris, and then a boat ride into the Gulf of Gökova. Here you can explore the ruins of ancient walls and a Roman theater, but you can't walk or lounge on the island's beach, which is now fully protected. Local tour guides will tell you that its rare sand–made from tiny egg-shaped, luminously white pearls–was brought here by Marc Antony for Cleopatra. Enjoy views of it while swimming before the impressive escarpments of Mt. Kavak. Various Marmaris-based tour operators run day trips here; prices run around 140 TL a head. Alternatively, drive to Çamlı village and catch one of the "dolmuş boats" (80 TL return) that shuttle back and forth to the island.