We started off the day at a mud bath in Dalyan. You wade into a pool of thick, mineral-rich mud and cake the mud all over your body and face, then step out of the pool and bake in the sun. As the mud dries and cracks, you will feel it tightening. This drying process is what supposedly draws out impurities and exfoliates the skin. Once completely dry, you head to the showers to rinse the clay away.
We had lunch on a boat while crusing along the Dalyan River. Along the way, we saw the Dalyan Rock Tombs. The ancient people believed that the souls of the dead would be carried to the afterlife by winged, mythical creatures. Because of this, they buried their elite—kings, nobles, and wealthy citizens—high up on the cliffside closer to the heavens. The larger and higher the tomb, the more important the person inside.
We arrived at İztuzu Beach (often called Turtle Beach.) This beach is a strictly protected breeding ground for endangered Loggerhead sea turtles and mass infrastructure is banned. Instead, there are these iconic, orderly rows of simple straw parasols and sunbeds clustered only in designated zones to keep the rest of the sand clear for nesting turtles.
This evening we were back in Fethiye in the Fethiye Fish Market. We ate at the Öztoklu Restaurant where you bring the fish and they cook it for you.
