Altinkum

Altinkum is the beach quarter of Didim, on the Aegean coast of Aydin Province, and its name gives away the main draw: it means "golden sand". What separates it from other Turkish resorts is what stands behind the beach. The sanctuary of Apollo at Didyma sits in the middle of the modern town, and three ancient cities lie within an easy drive of the same anchorage.

Altinkum: Golden Sand on Turkey's Aegean Coast

Altinkum is one of three neighbouring resorts in the Didim district, along with Gumuskum ("silver sand") and Sarikum ("yellow sand"). Didim lies about 123 km from Aydin, the provincial capital, and faces the stretch of Aegean that once formed the approach to Miletus and Priene.

For anyone arriving by sea, the area comes down to three things:

• Beaches: a run of shallow sandy bays, several of them holding Blue Flag status for water quality and beach management, with jet skiing and parasailing operating through the season.
• Ancient sites: the Temple of Apollo at Didyma stands in the town itself, the ruins of Miletus are about 16 km away at Balat, and Priene is a short drive further north.
• A mixed local culture: British second-home ownership since around 2000 has left a visible mark on the resort, to the point that utility bills in the district are printed in English as well as Turkish.

Historical Background

The Temple of Apollo at Didyma

Didyma was never a city. It was a sanctuary and oracle of Apollo administered by Miletus, reached along a Sacred Way some 20 km long that was built in the 6th century BC. An early temple stood on the site around 700 BC. The enormous Hellenistic building whose columns survive today was begun after Alexander the Great's campaign of 334 BC; work continued for more than six hundred years and the temple was never finished. Its double colonnade was planned with 10 columns across the short sides and 21 down the long sides, each column close to 19.7 metres high, on a stylobate of roughly 51 by 109 metres. The unroofed inner courtyard, with its sacred spring, is still one of the most impressive interiors left from the Greek world.

Miletus and the Ionian Coast

Miletus, at the village of Balat inside the Didim district, was one of the twelve Ionian cities and the leading Greek port on this coast until the Maeander river silted up its harbours. Its ruins now lie roughly 10 km from the sea. Priene, on the far side of the same vanished bay, was another of the twelve, and Lake Bafa further inland is what remains of the bay itself.

The Beaches and the Marina

Main Beach is the busiest stretch, backed by cafes, bars and restaurants; Second and Third Beach get progressively quieter as you move away from the centre. Boats berth at D-Marin Didim, open since 2009, which takes vessels from 8 to 50 metres and has a 400-tonne travel lift, dry docks and hangars on site. In August the marina fills quickly, and crews often anchor off Altinkum Beach or in Aquarium Bay instead.

Local Life and Excursions

The British influence is easy to spot: menus run from kebabs to English breakfasts, bars show English football, and the Saturday market mixes Turkish produce with imported British goods. Didim proper, just inland, keeps a more traditional feel, with hamams and tea houses rather than seafront bars.

Lake Bafa and the ruins of Herakleia under Latmos on its shore make a straightforward half-day trip. Sirince, a former Greek village known for its fruit wines, and the House of the Virgin Mary are both worth doing but are longer excursions: they sit above Selcuk, well to the north in Izmir Province, not in the Didim area.

Getting Around

The resort is compact enough to cover on foot. For longer hops into Didim and the surrounding villages, the shared minibuses known as dolmus run frequently and cheaply. June to September brings the warmest sea and the most dependable afternoon breeze, and Didim is a popular stop for gulet charter guests exploring Turkey for a practical reason: the marina, the Apollo temple and three ancient cities all sit within a few kilometres of one another.