Mugla
Aegean paradise
Mugla province is home to some of Turkiye's most beautiful Aegean coastline. With charming stone villages, pine-covered mountains, and serene turquoise coves, it's the ideal place for a peaceful recovery surrounded by nature.
Mugla is one of Turkiye's most enchanting provinces, stretching along the southwestern Aegean and Mediterranean coastline. Unlike the busy resort cities of Antalya or Istanbul, Mugla offers a more intimate, authentic Turkish experience. The province encompasses some of the country's most beautiful coastal towns — including Marmaris, Datca, and Akyaka — as well as a peaceful inland capital surrounded by pine-forested mountains. The coastline is characterised by deep blue bays, hidden coves, and pine-covered headlands that plunge into crystal-clear water. Mugla's traditional architecture is particularly noteworthy: the inland towns feature beautifully preserved Ottoman-era stone houses with wooden balconies and terracotta roofs, creating a timeless atmosphere that feels worlds away from modern tourist resorts. The province is also known for its agricultural traditions — particularly olive oil, honey, and herbs — which contribute to a local cuisine that is fresh, simple, and deeply satisfying. For medical tourists seeking a quieter, more reflective recovery experience, Mugla offers the perfect combination of natural beauty, cultural authenticity, and peaceful surroundings. The province has a growing number of quality dental and aesthetic clinics, and its proximity to Dalaman and Bodrum airports makes it easily accessible from major European cities.
Places to explore in Mugla
Discover the landmarks, attractions, and hidden gems that make Mugla an unforgettable destination.
Marmaris & Castle
Marmaris is Mugla's most popular coastal resort town, set in a stunning natural harbour surrounded by pine-clad mountains. The town's centrepiece is the Marmaris Castle, originally built by Alexander the Great in 334 BC and rebuilt by Suleiman the Magnificent in 1522 before his campaign to capture Rhodes. Today, the castle houses the Marmaris Museum, with exhibits on local archaeology and history, and offers panoramic views over the harbour and the islands beyond. Below the castle, the old town's narrow streets are filled with traditional restaurants, craft shops, and atmospheric bars. Marmaris is also a major yachting destination, with one of the largest marinas in the Mediterranean, and a popular starting point for blue cruise gulet trips along the Aegean and Mediterranean coasts. The surrounding bays — including Icmeler, Turunc, and Selimiye — offer quieter, more intimate beach experiences.
Datca Peninsula
The Datca Peninsula is one of Turkiye's best-kept secrets — a long, narrow finger of land stretching westward into the Aegean Sea, with ancient ruins, unspoilt beaches, and a bohemian artistic community. The town of Datca itself is a charming, laid-back place with excellent restaurants, small galleries, and a weekly farmers' market. At the very tip of the peninsula, the ancient city of Knidos — where the Aegean and Mediterranean seas meet — was one of the most important cities of the ancient world, famous for its statue of Aphrodite and its dramatic clifftop location. The peninsula is also famous for its almonds, and the annual Almond Blossom Festival in February fills the town with fragrant pink and white blossoms. The quiet coves and beaches along the peninsula's northern and southern shores are perfect for swimming in crystal-clear water with barely another person in sight.
Akyaka & Gokova Bay
Akyaka is a small, architecturally unique town at the head of the Gokova Bay, one of the most beautiful bays in the Aegean. The town is famous for its distinctive wooden architecture — houses designed in the Ula style by architect Nail Cakirhan, who won the Aga Khan Award for Architecture for his work here. With its slow river flowing through town, shady plane trees, and stunning mountain backdrop, Akyaka feels like something from a fairy tale. The Gokova Bay itself is a paradise for kitesurfers and windsurfers, with consistent winds and warm, shallow waters. The river that flows through town is home to loggerhead sea turtles and blue crabs, and boat trips take you upstream through reed beds teeming with birdlife. The surrounding mountains offer hiking trails with spectacular views over the bay and the Aegean islands beyond.
Available treatments
Best time to visit
May–October for warm weather and swimming
Airport
Dalaman Airport (DLM) or Milas-Bodrum Airport (BJV)
Free cancellation before 15 days
Medical tourism in Mugla
While Mugla may not have the sheer volume of clinics found in Istanbul or Antalya, the medical facilities in the province are modern, well-equipped, and staffed by experienced professionals. Dental clinics in Marmaris and the wider Mugla region offer comprehensive services including cosmetic dentistry, implants, and orthodontics. Aesthetic clinics provide treatments ranging from Botox and fillers to more advanced procedures. What Mugla's medical tourism sector lacks in scale, it makes up for in personal attention and a recovery environment that is genuinely healing. Patients who choose Mugla often do so because they want a peaceful, unhurried recovery surrounded by nature rather than the bustle of a large city.
Culture & history
Mugla's cultural heritage is rich and diverse, reflecting thousands of years of habitation by Carians, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, and Ottomans. The inland city of Mugla itself is a hidden gem, with a remarkably well-preserved old quarter featuring stone-paved streets, traditional coffeehouses, and a Thursday market that has been running for centuries. The province is also home to several important archaeological sites, including the ancient city of Stratonikeia and the Becin Castle ruins. The coastal towns each have their own cultural character: Marmaris has a lively bazaar and a restored Ottoman castle, Datca offers a bohemian artistic community, and Akyaka is famous for its unique Ula-style wooden architecture. Traditional crafts, including handwoven textiles, olive oil soap, and pottery, are still practised throughout the province.
Food & cuisine
Mugla's cuisine is a celebration of Aegean simplicity — fresh, seasonal ingredients prepared with care and served with generous hospitality. The province is famous for its olive oil, which forms the base of countless dishes. Wild herbs gathered from the surrounding mountains — including thyme, oregano, sage, and rosemary — add distinctive flavours to everything from salads to grilled meats. Seafood is exceptional along the coast, with grilled octopus, stuffed squid, and fresh-caught fish served at harbourside restaurants. Inland, try the local specialities: otlu gozleme (herbed flatbreads cooked on a convex griddle), tandır kebab (slow-roasted lamb), and the region's exceptional honey, produced from pine forests that gives it a unique, dark amber colour and a rich, slightly resinous flavour. The town of Koycegiz is famous for its fresh fish restaurants along the lake shore, while Datca is known for its almond-based desserts and excellent local wine.
Where to stay
Mugla offers a charming range of accommodation, from small family-run pensions to stylish boutique hotels set in restored Ottoman houses. In Marmaris, you'll find everything from large resort hotels to intimate guesthouses along the harbour. Datca peninsula offers eco-lodges and stone-built boutique hotels surrounded by olive groves and almond orchards. Akyaka's distinctive wooden buildings include several beautiful small hotels overlooking the river and sea. For the ultimate Mugla experience, stay at a traditional stone house in one of the inland villages, where you'll wake up to the sound of birdsong and the scent of pine forests.
Getting around
Getting around Mugla province is easiest with a rental car, which gives you the freedom to explore hidden beaches, mountain villages, and coastal towns at your own pace. Dolmus (shared minibuses) connect the main towns and are a cheap and authentic way to travel. Marmaris and other coastal towns are easily walkable, and many offer bicycle hire. Boat trips are another wonderful way to explore the coastline — daily boat excursions depart from Marmaris, Datca, and other harbours, visiting secluded bays and beaches that are only accessible by sea.
Recovery in Mugla
Mugla offers perhaps the most peaceful recovery environment of any destination on this list. The province's natural beauty, clean air, and unhurried pace of life create the ideal conditions for healing. After your treatment, you can spend your days taking gentle walks through pine-scented forests, sitting in harbourside cafes watching fishing boats come and go, or swimming in calm, warm bays. The region's excellent cuisine — focused on fresh, healthy, olive-oil-based dishes — supports your body's healing process with nutritious, delicious food. If you're the type of person who finds crowds and city noise stressful, Mugla's tranquil atmosphere will help you relax and recover faster. The province also has several thermal springs — particularly around Koycegiz and Dalyan — where you can enjoy natural mud baths and hot springs that have been used for therapeutic purposes for centuries.
Nature and Activities
Mugla province is a paradise for nature lovers. The coastline is dotted with hidden coves and beaches, many of which can only be reached by boat or on foot. The Dalyan Delta, a river estuary famous for its population of loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta), offers boat trips through reed-lined channels to the ancient ruins of Kaunos and the famous Iztuzu Beach — a pristine 4.5-kilometre sand bar where the turtles come to nest. Koycegiz Lake, connected to the delta, is surrounded by mountains and offers peaceful boat trips, hot springs, and mud baths. The Gokova Bay is a designated marine protected area, with excellent snorkelling and diving. Inland, the Mugla Mountains offer hiking through pine forests, with trails leading to ancient ruins and panoramic viewpoints. The province is also part of the Carian Trail, a long-distance walking route that rivals the Lycian Way for scenic beauty.
Mugla at a glance
Travel tip
Mugla city centre is inland and peaceful. For coastal access, stay near Marmaris or Dalaman. The region is well-connected by Dalaman Airport.
Ready to visit Mugla?
Book your treatment in Mugla today. Hotel and transfers included. Free cancellation before 15 days.
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