Knidos at the Tip of the Datça Peninsula

The Datça peninsula is where the Aegean mixes with the Mediterranean, and Knidos at its tip was built exactly on that meeting point. The road is long, winding and single lane in places, but on arrival you understand why people sailed all this way in antiquity.

Getting there: two and a half hours from Muğla, an hour and a half from Marmaris. A ferry runs from Bodrum and is much shorter than the road. From Datça town it is another hour to Knidos, so fill up beforehand.

The day: spend the morning in Old Datça, where the stone houses and narrow lanes have been restored and breakfast is well served. Then set out for the tip. Knidos has two separate harbours, a theatre, temple terraces and a sundial. In antiquity the city was famous for the Aphrodite of Praxiteles; the statue is gone but the round foundation of its temple remains. From the terraces the line of each sea can be picked out separately. Swimming at Palamutbükü on the way back completes the day.

Eating: the Datça almond carries a geographical indication and really is distinctive. Olive oil and herb pastries from the peninsula are sold in the villages along the road.

Tips: there is no shade at Knidos, so avoid the midday heat. In late February the almond blossom turns the peninsula white, the best season for anyone wanting it uncrowded.