Close to the Antalya airport and city center, this nine-mile-long sand beach is lined with all-inclusive resorts that cater to families with kids’ clubs and other activities and entertainment for all ages. The water here is warm, shallow and calm. You can take a banana boat ride or visit Sandland, an open-air display of sand sculptures. Ovabükü Beach Best beach for peace and quiet Afterward, you can hit one of the unspoiled beaches within the park, which also contains longer marked trails for keen hikers, including the 15km (9 mile) trek through Olukludere Canyon to the village of Eski Doğanbey, with its historic collection of old Greek and Turkish homes. Büyükada Big Tour, Istanbul Yedigöller translates to ‘Seven Lakes’ in English, and that’s exactly what you’ll find in this national park in the northern province of Bolu. The namesake lakes were formed by avalanches and today are ringed by mixed forests that burst into brilliant displays of color each fall. The Kapankaya Manzara Seyir Yeri, a scenic overlook, is one of the most popular places in the park to visit. Key events: Gümüşlük Classical Music Festival, Bodrum Ballet Festival, Ephesus Opera and Ballet Festival September

People drive from all over the area to watch the sunset from Gümüşlük, a tiny village at the western edge of the Bodrum Peninsula. The beach here isn’t anything special, but it’s lined with a bevy of charming (and mostly pricey) waterfront fish restaurants with romantic seating areas and camera-ready views. Lara Beach Best beach for family-friendly resorts Istanbul’s sidewalk cafes and rooftop bars are hopping, and the Aegean and Mediterranean coasts are warm but not yet sweltering. Even Turkey’s far east is thawing out. It’s a good time to be pretty much anywhere in the country.

The full treatment includes a scrub and massage by a same-gender attendant, but you can also opt to bathe yourself in their steamy chambers. With their marble-covered interiors and sky-lit domes, the grandest hamams – such as the Ayasofya Hürrem Sultan Hamamı, the Cağaloğlu Hamamı and the Kılıç Ali Paşa Hamamı in Istanbul – are a treat for the eyes as well as the body. In the old Ottoman capital of Bursa, hamams like Eski Kaplıca and Yeni Kaplıca feature pools fed by the area’s natural thermal springs. See Cappadocia from above and below Key events: Istanbul Design Biennial (every other year), Republic Day, Cappadocia Ultra-Trail, Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival November Tiny colored cubes of glass, ceramic or stone were used during the Roman era to make amazingly detailed tableaux depicting mythological tales, heroic battles, lavish banquets and other scenes. Splendidly preserved examples of these mosaics, which often decorated the floors of grand palaces and villas, can today be found in numerous museums in Turkey, most notably the Gaziantep Zeugma Mosaic Museum, the Hatay Archaeology Museum and the Haleplibahçe Mosaic Museum in Şanlıurfa. Linger over a leisurely Turkish breakfast With generally good highways and varied landscapes ranging from sea shores to summits, Turkey is prime road-trip territory. Larger cities have metro and tram systems, while even the smallest villages are generally served by at least one daily dolmuş (shared taxi) or minibus. In the summer and fall, the water levels are high enough to float into Altınbeşik Cave on rubber rafts to explore the cavern’s gigantic underground lake, gliding past stalactites, stalagmites and travertines. The surrounding landscape in the Manavgat Valley of Antalya is a dramatic mix of karst and pine forests. Yedigöller Milli Parkı

Stretching from the Aegean Sea to the Caucasus Mountains, Turkey covers an area bigger than the size of Texas. Fortunately, it’s well-connected by domestic flights and buses, although less so by rail.While some of the best trails have been mapped by the Culture Routes Society, a non-profit organization raising awareness of culture-focused hiking in Turkey, paths aren’t always well-marked, and it can be difficult to get information about hiking routes in English. Lonely Planet’s Turkeyis our most comprehensive guide that extensively covers all the country has to offer, with recommendations for both popular and lesser-known experiences. See the minarets of Istanbul’s Old City, hot-air balloon over Cappadocia, gaze at the magnificent Aya Sofya; all with your trusted travel companion. Taxis are available almost everywhere in Turkey, from big cities to small towns. In Istanbul, they have a poor reputation for surliness and attempting to scam passengers, particularly tourists. Using the local ride-hailing app BiTaksi (which is also available in Ankara) or Uber (which only offers rides in standard yellow and turquoise cabs because of outcry by taxi drivers) can provide more accountability, as can having your hotel call a taxi rather than finding one on the street. Such problems are encountered much less elsewhere. Public transportation in cities in Turkey Nevertheless, with outdoor activities gaining popularity in Turkey, more and more local municipalities and community organizations are creating new hiking routes, including urban treks in the capital led by Hiking Istanbul, the expanding Mysia Ways network in Bursa, new Ecotrails around Dalyan and the Leleg Way on the Bodrum Peninsula.