Weather lowdown
July and August are by far the hottest months of the year in Marmaris and make up the absolute high season in the resort. Daytime temperatures reach a sweltering high of 35°C on average and even in the evenings fall no lower than 21°C. The average daily temperature in July is 28°C, significantly higher than the 25°C average in June. With 53% of the days categorized as warm and 36% as hot, July is the hottest month of the year in the resort. Temperatures are basically constant throughout the entire month. That means that there is virtually no difference between the average highs and lows in the beginning of the month and the end of the month. Occasional high peaks and heat waves of more than 37°C are possible though. The temperature of the Mediterranean and Aegean Seas averages a comfortable 25°C in July, which is ideal for swimming and makes taking a refreshing dip in the sea totally comfortable.
While the amount of daylight in June was practically constant, the days shorten slightly throughout July. The longest day of the month is July 1 with 14.38 daylight hours and the shortest day is July 31 with 14.01 hours of daylight, a decrease of more than half an hour. However, the good thing is that nearly all of these daylight hours are hours of sunshine.
On average there are 14 glorious hours of sunshine each day, the highest number of daily sunshine hours in the year. This makes Marmaris an extremely popular destination among sun seekers. The skies are mostly clear throughout July, with an average of 13% of cloud cover, a number that decreases slightly in the course of the month. July 1 has 15% of cloud cover, while July 31 has 12% of cloud cover, which essentially means cloud-free skies for most of the day.
Precipitation only occurs on four days this month, the lowest number of precipitation days in the year, and this means that there are a whopping 27 days without any precipitation at all. The total amount of rainfall in July is 23mm, which makes it the third-driest month after August and June. By far the most common form of precipitation are thunderstorms. 85% of rainfall in July happens in the form of these short but heavy thunderstorms. On the plus side, the average daily chance that it rains is only 4%. This chance decreases slightly in the course of the month, from a 5% chance of rainfall on July 1 to a mere 2% on July 31.
With average afternoon temperatures around the mid-30s and virtually no clouds or rain, July is in the absolute high season in the resort. The crowds of sunbathers, partying youngsters and vacationers are enormous. If you don't like intense heat and large crowds, this is definitely the wrong time of year to visit. However, if you do, you are in for an unforgettable seaside holiday as the number of water-related activities is huge.
Where to stay
Yuvam Hotel is a three-star hotel located about a kilometre from the city centre. It has 42 rooms, each offering a great sea view. Amenities include a restaurants, bar and swimming pool.
More high-class is the five-star Hotel Aqua in Icmeler. It has an unbeatable beachfront location, with the surrounding mountains providing a beautiful background. It has an impressive number of facilities, including indoor and outdoor pools, buffet restaurant with terrace, three à la carte restaurants, a spa, evening stage shows and live music, a bowling alley, garden bars and a private beach.
The Hotel Grand Azur is another luxury hotel, located a few steps from the resort's beach. It has three restaurants serving Italian, Turkish, and international cuisine. You can enjoy small snacks at the café or a cocktail at the bar. Dinner at the main restaurant is accompanied by live music, while the lobby's pianist creates a unique atmosphere when you walk in. Additional amenities include a tennis court, gymnasium, spa, beach bar and nightclub.
Hit the beach
Uzunyali Beach and Folk Beach are the two beaches in the resort. The former is the largest one it is also known as Long Beach and stretches from about ten kilometres to Icmeler, covering pretty much the entire coastline of Marmaris. This sandy beach is filled with sun beds and umbrellas. Behind it lies a wonderful pedestrian promenade lined with cafés, bars, shops and restaurants.
The very best beaches are found a short distance from the city center. Icmeler, for example, has wonderful beaches that are generally quieter this is also where you should go for water sports. The beachfronts of Marmaris and Icmeler are connected by a stunning pedestrian walkway, making it possible to walk from one to the other. It's a truly beautiful walk. Other great beaches can be found in Turunc and on Sedir Island. These two places can be accessed with a boat cruise.
Where to eat and drink
Marmaris has a vast selection of places to eat, drink and be merry. Because it is the high season, all places are open and the place is bustling with people. Young people visit to party the night away and spend their days relaxing on the beach, while families enjoy themselves in restaurants, on the waterfront or in the waterparks. Being such a popular summer destination, the resort's large selection of food and drinks suits anyone's taste.
Club Mistral Restaurant and Bar is located next to Marmaris Marina and serves Mediterranean and Far Eastern food. They have an impressive variety of dishes and are well-known for their fresh fish and Thai-style curries. The restaurant is set between pine trees and in between a pool and the Aegean Sea. The views are absolutely wonderful. You can go there for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
A fun place to go for food and drinks is the Sweet Corner Restaurant & Fun Pub. They serve all kinds of pub fare, such as T-bone steaks, burgers, fish and chips, pizzas, kebabs and full English breakfasts. You can also enjoy cocktails and other drinks until late at night.
Things to do
Atlantis Waterpark is one of two great waterparks in the resort. Open from mid-May until the end of September, from 10.00 am to 5.30 pm, this large waterpark offers lots of fun all day every day in the high season and is a fantastic place to cool off from the intense heat. The price for a ticket is £11.50 for adults and £7.10 for children between six and twelve years old. If you buy your tickets online you get a 30% discount. Atlantis Waterpark is located smack-bang in the centre of the resort, at the seafront on Marmaris Long Beach. It can be reached by public transport (minibus) from Armutalan, Icmeler and Siteler. These littlest buses essentially stop anywhere; you can flag it down when you see one and tell the driver that you want to go to Atlantis Waterpark. If you're staying in one of the resort's hotels, the park provides a free shuttle service to and from your accommodation.
Atlantis Waterpark even has its own private beach, where you can use the free sun beds and umbrellas. There's a snack bar selling all kinds of refreshments, from little snacks to ice-cold beers. Other free facilities include lockers, car park, showers and toilets. The park has enough fun stuff to keep you busy for days, including no less than nine waterslides. From the Space Bowl and Black Hole to the Super Slide and Free Fall, you are guaranteed to have a blast. There is something to do for all ages. Smaller kids can enjoy themselves in Kids Land, while the Wave Pool is popular among adults. Dry activities in Atlantis Waterpark are mini golfing and bowling. After all that fun, you can have a meal in one of three restaurants or enjoy a drink at the Wavepool bar.
On the way from the centre of the resort to Icmeler, the area's water sports hub, you can find facilities offering water sports, such as sea kayaking, canoeing, windsurfing, sea cycling, parasailing, jet skiing, and, of course, the banana boat being the all-time favourite. The whole area is also excellent for swimming and scuba diving. Additionally, the resort is also home to a semi-Olympic indoor swimming pool. Boating can be included in the water sport category as well and is one of the most popular things to do in Marmaris in July. This is Turkey's premier boating and yachting destination after all.
