Weather lowdown
December is one of the coolest months of the year in Marmaris. It is also the wettest month.
Daytime temperatures reach no higher than 17°C and can drop as low as 7°C in the evenings. December is characterised by falling temperatures; December 1 is the warmest day of the month, while December 31 is the coldest. Daily high temperatures range around 17°C in the beginning of the month, but fall to 15°C near the end. The daily lows also decrease, from 9°C on December 1 to 8°C on December 31. The average daily temperature in December is 12°C, which makes it the third-coldest month of the year, after January and February. 61% of December's days are classified as cool and 45% of them as cold. Since November, when it still was 21°C, the sea temperature has dropped significantly, to 18°C. December is the first month of winter in the resort and the weather can be pretty rough, although still relatively warm compared to other destinations in Europe at this time of year.
As by far the wettest month of the year, there is a very high chance of rain showers in December. It is absolutely recommended to bring a waterproof mac and umbrella with you. This month has 14 days of rainfall, the highest number in the year, and a total amount of precipitation of 280mm, which is also the highest amount in the year. To put this into perspective, the second-wettest month, January, has 231mm of rainfall, while the driest month, August, only has 8mm. The chance of precipitation increases slightly in the course of the month, from 40% on December 1 to 44% on December 31. The most common forms of rainfall are thunderstorms, light rain and moderate rain. On average, thunderstorms happen on 56% of those 14 days of rainfall; light rain occurs on 30% of those days; and moderate rain on 14% of the rainy days. All types of rainfall are most likely to occur in the last half of December. On the positive side, those thunderstorms and rain showers tend to be heavy, but short. However, it is important to keep an eye on the weather forecast, because unusually heavy cloudburst can flashflood the lower lying areas in the region.
The December skies are very cloudy and the amount of cloud cover even increases throughout the month. December 1 is the least cloudy day, with 72% of cloud cover, while December 31 has 79% of cloud cover. Because of these cloudy skies, December also has the lowest number of sunshine hours in the year, a record that it shares with January and February. That number is 7, only half of the hours of sunshine in July, the sunniest month of the year.
The length of the days in December is basically constant. The longest day of the month is December 1 with 9.50 hours of daylight. December 21 is the shortest day of the month and also of the year with 9.39 daylight hours. After December 21, the days start to lengthen again. December 31 has 9.42 hours of daylight.
The cool temperatures and likelihood of rain mean that the beach is totally off limits at this time of year. There are still many ways to explore this area though, as well as plenty of things to do.
Where to stay
Malibu Beach Hotel lies near the beach and pedestrian promenade. Besides modern and comfortable rooms, this four-star hotel also has a restaurant serving Turkish and international cuisine, a lobby bar, saunas, wellness centre and Turkish baths including a tea ceremony.
A little further away, in Icmeler, you can stay in Hotel Aqua. This is a five-stay luxury hotel, with an all-inclusive option, that has an incredible array of amenities. The Aquarius Main Restaurant has an open international buffet; there is a patisserie in the lobby; a poolside grille; and lobby, garden and poolside bars. In addition to that, there are three more restaurants, two on the first floor and one in the garden. The outdoor pool and private beach won't be of much use in December, but the heated indoor pool certainly will be. Other amenities include Turkish baths, saunas, steam baths, an ice fountain, a fitness centre and whirlpool. While the kids play on the playground or in the mini-club, the adults can enjoy stage shows and live music performances.
Another great hotel in Icmeler is the Union Palace Hotel. There is an à la carte restaurant and a buffet restaurant, an outdoor pool, an exercise pool, conference room for 150 people, fitness facilities and Turkish baths and saunas.
Where to eat and drink
What's convenient about visiting the resort in December is that you won't have to make any reservations. You can just walk into any place and get a table, room or participate in an activity. As mentioned above, Netsel Marine is chock-full of great restaurants.
Club Mistral Restaurant & Bar is one of those excellent restaurants. This is a suggested place to go to for romantic dinners its seaside location is superb. On the menu are wonderful seafood dishes, international cuisine and Mediterranean food, such as spaghetti, pizza and carpaccio. Not only do they serve dinner, you can also go there for lunch or breakfast.
Another wonderful dinner destination near the harbour and one that often appears on lists of the best places to eat is Dede Restaurant. This popular restaurant regularly experiments with ingredients and cooking methods and serves visually stunning dishes. They are tasty as well! Its menu consists mostly of seafood and fish, but you can also order Turkish and international dishes, like Turkish kebabs and steaks. The wine list is extensive and will allow you to pair a wine with any dish.
The Pineapple Restaurant is also situated near the seafront and may be one of the most-visited places in Marmaris. It calls itself 'My Marina English Pub' and offers fantastic harbour views. You can choose from various pastas or pizzas, or try one of their great seafood dishes. The restaurant also serves Asian-style food and traditional Turkish cuisine, such as kebabs and lamb dishes. It's a bar too, so you could just go for a beer or a cocktail and enjoy the views.
If you feel like going out later in the evening, you should head to either Bar Street, lined with bars, pubs and nightclubs, or stay on the beachfront, which also has a large offer of nightclubs, cocktail bars and discos.
Things to do
Marmaris is one of the major boating and yachting hubs in all of Turkey. Located in its own bay Marmaris Bay it has several marinas. The Mediterranean and Aegean Seas are dotted with islands; its coastlines filled with sandy beaches, picturesque bays and sheltered coves. Even in winter the resort is a popular destination for people with boats. You can admire yachts and sailboats in the harbours throughout the year. The largest and most popular harbour is Netsel Marina, located in the heart of Marmaris and near Marmaris Castle and other attractions. With facilities for maintenance and painting, as well as power and electronics, it is one of the best marinas in the entire Mediterranean Sea. Strolling along the seafront on a chilly December day can be a pleasant experience, especially when you head into one of the excellent restaurants or bars in the area afterwards. Netsel Marina is also particularly popular among locals and tourists for its huge shopping centre. There are also yacht equipment shops, souvenir shops, boutiques and markets.
Other marinas in the resort and in the bay are Albatros Marina, Akdeniz Marti Marina in Orhaniye and Karacasogut Marina.
A truly unique experience in Marmaris is swimming with dolphins. The Omega Dolphin Therapy & Activity Center is located about halfway between Marmaris and Icmeler and is Europe's first open-water dolphinarium. The main goal is dolphin therapy, which essentially means that children with mental or physicals handicaps can learn to overcome their disabilities with the help of dolphins. Specially trained dolphins help therapists improve the child's health. These treatments take place in a so-called Dolphin-Therapy Pool, which has three trained dolphins.
This amazing treatment centre does not only offer better lives to children with disabilities, but also gives anyone the opportunity to swim with dolphins. This, of course, takes place in a separate pool. Both pools are located in the sea; they literally float. It's the first and only floating sea dolphinarium in Europe! The Swimming with Dolphins program is open for visitors year round. There are five session times every day and each session lasts approximately 40 minutes. You generally don't have to make reservations, especially not in the low season. There are four options: you can visit and watch the dolphins from a viewing platform; meet and touch a dolphin; actually swim with a dolphin in the pool; and, last but not least, become a dolphin trainer for a day. This truly extraordinary place should be high up on your to-do list when visiting Marmaris in December!
