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Review of Turgut Şelalesi

Turgut Şelalesi or Turgut falls is a tourist attraction which sits 33km from Marmaris centre which consists of a waterfall with small natural pools, and a walking route that is part of the Carian Trail. We visited in mid August by car and did not struggle to find a spot in their large car park. We walked down to a large almost empty restaurant called Şelale Alabalık. Later when talking with the staff members we found out that normally this restaurant was so full you’d struggle to find a table; with people arriving on Jeep Safari, tourists driving to the falls and people coming specifically to smoke shisha on the raised outdoor cushioned booths. However, tourism has slowed during the pandemic and with the exception of Bayram, the place had not had anywhere close to the visitors it usually would.

After a drink we headed off walking towards the falls. The small footpath framed by trees and bushes was easy to walk wearing just flipflops and the route was simple to follow. On the way we saw some carob growing and a local told us to try some of ‘natures chocolate’, hitting the tree above with a large stick till some fell. It wasn’t a flavour I had ever tasted before with a hard outside and a sweet chewy inside and had I not been told it was edible I definitely wouldn’t have tried. But I was happily surprised and munched on a few for the rest of the walk.

Once we got to the falls it actually felt quite busy and I did feel slightly uncomfortable as there were a lot of people crowded together and not wearing masks. I believe this was because to get access to the pools you had to go over a few bridges and stairs that were not made for large quantities of people. I would also suggest being careful on here if you do go as the hand rail and some steps were old and broken. There was also another restaurant/cafe here with a local woman handmaking food in front of customers. After manoeuvring our way around people whilst trying to keep our distance we arrived at the pools and they really were beautiful.

Further up we reached the waterfall and again there was already a small crowd. The waterfall itself was not massive but pretty all the same, with crystal clear cold water cascading down the rocks. At this time we chose not to hang around here and the further we walked past and up through the pools, the quieter it got and the more relaxing it felt. The pools varied in their depth with some only ankle high and others to the waist so a swimsuit is definitely advised.

Following the red and white painted lines we went for a small walk around to admire the pools and at this point we saw almost no one. After taking 100s of photos of the gorgeous scenery and taking full advantage of the cold water on what was a very hot day we decided we were hungry. We made our way back to the restaurant we had started at and ordered grilled chicken skewers with chips, rice and bread. The food was basic but tasty, the service was quick and we ate on the raised booths which we found very comfortable.

Overall I had a very enjoyable day here and definitely think it’s worth visiting. Everything was very clean and pretty. If you go during the pandemic as long as you’re vigilant about other people and wear your mask there shouldn’t be a problem.

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