The Dalaman State Production Farm and the Abbas Paşa Farm House
Take a day to visit the State Production Farm in Dalaman. The farmhouse is a huge building surrounded with green grass just like that on a golf course, monumental palm trees and right next to it is the Abbas Paşa Cami (Mosque). The story of the building is an interesting one, with the Khedive of Egypt, Abbas Paşa, who was an avid hunter, wanting to build a hunting lodge in wild life rich Dalaman region. The construction work was contracted out to a French firm. However, at the same time the firm had been contracted to build a railway station in Egypt. Due to a mix up over the plans, the French built a railway station at Dalaman, where no rail line existed, and a hunting lodge in Egypt.
Although it was never used by Abbas Paşa, the building stayed in Dalaman, providing both a thing of architectural beauty and a nice story
Rafting in the Dalaman Stream
The Dalaman River has become one of the Turkey’s most popular rafting spots in recent years. The stream has two different levels of difficulty. The higher one has a difficulty level of 3th grade and can only be undertaken with rafting boats. The lower level can be done by "river canoeing" and is advised for the beginners. On this stage, which only hasa level one difficulty rating, children can also join in. This might be the last year when one can raft or river canoe on the Dalaman Stream as the building of a dam on the waterway is progressing rapidly. If you are interested you should hurry up. According to the brochures of the travel agencies, the lower rafting-canoeing trail of the Dalaman Stream starts at Demirli Köyü - Akköprü (village of Demirli-White Bridge) region and ends after a 12 kilometres trip in the Arpacık region.
The travel agencies that conduct rafting tours also transfer clients to the starting point of the rafting. The clients are met with cold drinks, and given a briefing on rafting, technical equipment and issues to be beware of. You get to the location for the day’s lunch break
for one hour and five kilometres from Akköprü. Lunch is served in the open air. After the lunch break, you row to the 10 kilometre point on the trail and this is followed by a relaxing swim.
Technical information on the river and the tour:
The lower trail of the Dalaman Stream, according to the international levels of difficulty, is rated about 1 or 2 degrees. This means that to take part in the activity you need no experience.
All those participating in the tour are covered by insurance and are given certificates at the end of the trip.
The approximate prices for rafting tours:
Adult per person: 50 euros
Per child: 25 euros
Among the agencies that conduct rafting tours in the Dalaman Stream are Trans Nature, Get Wet, Grida, and Alternatif Tourism.
You must try rafting. You will get lots of joy and excitement and there is no risk as you are accompanied by experienced guides.
Sarsıla Cove
Most of the material needed to build the train station of Dalaman came by ship from France. These ships pulled into the sheltered and calm cove of Sarsala, which is 12 kilometres from Dalaman. The cove today is one of the most popular stop points of the boats and yachts on the Blue Cruise.
The water of the cove is very clean, and where there is no construction pine trees grow down to the sea. The only drawback of the area was that it had a very bad road. However, now you can get there easily using any type of vehicle. To get there you take the road from the airport through the village of Kapıkargın. Keeping to the forest road you come to one of the branches of Dalaman Stream, the Tersakan Çayı, and arrive after passing by many sulphurous lakes that are linked to the sea. The trip is scenic and extremely pleasant. When you reach the top of the cove you come across a really wonderful panoramic view. (For the coves and islands of the Kapıdağ Peninsula, which face the Gulf of Göcek see the Blue Cruise and Yacht Tourism pages in the Muğla section.)
THE DALAMAN GUIDE
Important Phones
Fire 110
Emergency 112
Police 155
Forest Fire 177
Governer’s Office (252) 692 50 11
Municipality (252) 692 20 10
DHMİ Central (252) 792 52 91
Tourism Information (252) 792 52 20
Police Headquarters (252) 692 27 01
Gendarmerie (252) 692 52 85
SSK Hospital (252) 692 50 26
Customs Office (252) 792 50 26
Transport
You can easily get to Dalaman from Muğla-Fethiye highway. There are buses that run here every day from all major cities.
Those who come by plane land at the Dalaman Airport. The international airport also has domestic flights from cities such as Ankara and Istanbul. (For bus, airline and rent a car see the guide section.)
Food-Drink
The Dalaman Valley is very fertile and every season offers you an abundance of fruit and vegetables. Since there are always plenty of vegetables, local vegetable dishes are rich and widely consumed. Some of the green plants not even known in big cities, such beetroot, mustard, mallow, nettle, clayey, patience, purslane and yellow herb, are turned into delicious meals in the hands of local women. You can sample some of these in Dalaman’s restaurants.
Accommodation
There are hotels and pensions near the airport and also in the city centre. The largest hotel is the Therme Maris Otel in the İncebel region. (For hotels and pensions see the guide section.)
Thermal waters tourism
It is believed the sulphurous thermal waters of Kapıkargın and İncebel have healing powers. The İncebel thermal waters are used by the Therme Maris Hotel. Within the hotel you have beauty and care facilities, mud bath and sulphurous water pools.
Rafting and river canoeing
There are companies conducting rafting and river canoeing tours on the Akköprü section of the Dalaman Stream. You can be collected directly from your boat or hotel and taken on your rafting safari, being returned at the end of the day.
Yachting tourism and Blue Cruises
The shores of Dalaman are on the route of the Blue Cruise. On the Blue Cruise route the boats go to the coves of Sarsala, Büngüş, Sıralıbük, Kurşunlu and Taşyaka (Bedri Rahmi) on the Kapıdağ Peninsula. All these coves are of extraordinary beauty. (See Blue Cruise and Yachting Tourism section.)
