Lake Köyceğiz & Sultaniye

Natural Park

A great lake ringed by sweetgum forest, linked to the sea by the Dalyan channel — famed for the sulphurous Sultaniye hot springs and mud baths.

Muğla’s largest lake, Köyceğiz is an extraordinary wetland ringed by mountains and by forests of the sweetgum (liquidambar) tree, which grows naturally only in this region of the world. What makes the lake special is its link to the Mediterranean through the Dalyan Channel: thanks to this connection the lake holds a rich ecosystem where fresh and salt water mix; species such as grey mullet and eel migrate between lake and sea, forming the basis of the region’s centuries-old weir fishing.

On the lake’s southwest shore, the Sultaniye hot springs have drawn seekers of healing since antiquity with their high-temperature sulphurous water and mud baths; caking yourself in mud, drying in the sun and then stepping into the lake is the region’s classic ritual. The Köyceğiz waterfront, with tea gardens under plane trees and a calm small-town fabric, makes a restful break. The lake is also rich for birdwatching. The trip by boat from here to the Dalyan rock tombs, Kaunos and İztuzu Beach is one of the region’s best-loved day routes.