Altinkum is a resort town located on the shore of the Aegean sea in Turkey. The name translates to "golden sand". The town has three main beaches.

Altinkum's beaches gently shelve into the inviting turquoise blue Aegean. There are excellent beach facilities on any of the three great beaches, with water sports of many kinds and also pedaloes for those who prefer the pace of life a bit slower. Sunbeds and umbrellas are available for rent on any of the beaches and once you are settled, there will be no need for you to move until sunset, with handy bars and restaurants very close by. The sun-warmed waters along the beaches are mainly shallow for a couple of hundred metres and are ideal for both supervised children and non-swimmers.

Altinkum is a small and friendly resort and you will get to know the local people very quickly because they will enjoy talking with you and offering a cup of Turkish tea or apple tea. It does not matter if this is your first or last trip, you will find yourself coming back year after year to visit your new friends.

The area where Altinkum is located is shaped as a peninsula surrounding Mugla on the east coast with huge inlet of Akbuk, the Aegean sea on the west and east coast, Lake Bafa and the Menderes River on the northern coast. It takes about an hour by car from Bodrum, Milas Airport.

Altinkum is a quickly developing holiday resort completely different from what it used to be 10-15 years ago. It now welcomes large population of tourists and foreign residents from all over the world. However if you compare it to the big tourist resorts like Bodrum, Kusadasi it has not been spoiled in any way. Most all of the infrastructure work has now been completed and most main roads have now been finished including pedestrian areas around main beach.

There is a local market in Didim which is held every Saturday and can be reached by local Dolmus (bus) from the resort centre. The bus runs every 5 minutes or if you want to walk it takes about 25 minutes.

If you want to discover the beaches, natural coves and bays it is best to do this by boat and these trips are organised daily from the harbour from the beginning of May. There are also water sports, diving courses and fishing tours available.

The resort centre of Altinkum is about 106 km to the city of Aydin, 53 km to the town of Soke, 73 km to Kusadasi and famous Ephesus and 110 km to Bodrum.

The turquoise waters of the Aegean Sea are an ideal complement to the many lovely beaches. When you are finished relaxing in the sun and enjoying the fun & games in the water, there is plenty to do in the town as well. Whether you just need to relax with a good meal before you retire in to your hotel room or you want to check out the local nightclubs and bars and have a few drinks, there is always something to do.

The nightlife in Altinkumis excellent. You will find many bars as well as nightclubs and discos. There are British Pubs, Turkish Bars, Irish Bars and these are all family-friendly and full of fun.

Altinkumalso has many great restaurants; from Turkish to British, as well as Chinese and Italian, you will find everything you want.

The town of Didim is also worth a visit with lots of good shops and restaurants, in fact many of the Didim restaurants have very cheap and very good local cuisine.

Local attractions

• The Temple of Apollo is only a short 5 minute walk from the resort centre which is called Yenihisar.
• It is located near many other ancient sites, including Miletos and Ephesus.
• The new Didim Marina project, expected to be completed in 2009 will be the largest on the coasts of Turkey, with an American-style shopping centre, restaurants, supermarket, gym & fitness centre, cultural office, banks, swimming pool and children’s facilities as well as berthing for up to 620 yachts.
• On the outskirts of Altinkum in Mavisehir is an Aqua park.

Transport

Altinkum is 1 hour 20 minutes transfer from Bodrum Airport and 1 hour 45 minutes from Izmir Airport.