Göcek (or Kalimche as it was known in ancient times) is just a simple town in the district of Fethiye in the Mugla Province of Turkey.
According to the legends, Icarus landed in the sea around the Göcek area straight after his infamous flight to escape the tower where he was imprisoned.
Göcek was used by ships as a harbour for loading and unloading any and all chrome ore that has been collected from mines under the local mountains during what was known as the Ottoman period.
Today however, Göcek hosts the biggest yacht tourism in the region, with Six Marina's to it.
A prominent and very distinctive charatceristic of the town however, is the fact that it harbours many islands and coves which are located in a large and very secluded bay. In 1988, Göcek was registered as an Area of Special Protection, and is therefore unable to accommodate multi-story buildings, the most floors that will be allowed for tourist accommodation are two floors for anything. Göcek has become renowned for being a peaceful and a quiet settlement area and perfect to visit time and time again.
Until the year 2006, driving between Göcek and Dalaman could only be done alone a relatively narrow road. However, since June 2006, more people were able to visit Göcek thanks to the 980 metre Göcek tunnel.
The population of Göcek is around 4,500, however, in the summer months, this figure far exceeds 7,000 people. There is heavy yacht traffic in the Göcek town harbour since Göcek is the main loading and unloading location for Blue Cruises, the harbour is quiet and safe for and travellers from international locations, as the bay is very secluded.
The "hidden paradise" of Göcek, the Göcek coves and the 12 islands, have beautiful clean Mediterranean water, green wonderful pine forests, and amazing beaches, have not only rendered Göcek an indispensable destination for not only sailors, but also people who wish to have somewhere quiet to visit.
Should you want to eat or drink along the peaceful promenade, then you're in luck, there are many restaurants, cafés, and bars on the promenade.
Of all of the beaches, some are privately owned, but some are also publically owned, and are all beautiful to walk along or just to lay down and sunbathe.
Should you should fall ill, there is a 24 hour health centre, 5 Doctor's and 3 pharmacies.
Want to do some shopping, there are two big and several smaller stores as well as 2 butchers should you want to buy any meat
Although tourism is the main source of income for the locals of Göcek, life for many of them continues as it has for many centuries. “guests of God”, that is the phrase used by locals to describe guests and foriegners.
Looking for self catering holiday accommodation in Gocek? Then below is a selection of apartments in Gocek and villas in Gocek that can be rented direct from their owners. You can either click on each listing for further details or you can use our search engine on the left if you are looking for something in particular.
