For the first time ever, we went back to the same hotel in the same place for the second year running . . . and the Dalyan Garden Pension was just as beautiful, relaxing and welcoming as we remembered it.

Kathy and Ercan are brilliant hosts who make you feel like friends rather than hotel guests. Last year there were baby hedgehogs to amuse us in the garden, this year it was the turn of four unbelievably cute kittens!

The pool is enormous and, if you are not careful, you can spend the whole holiday beside it. The garden is a delight with exotic plants providing a fabulous backdrop to a series of shaded table areas in which to have breakfast, snacks or just chill. A hammock and a Turkish sofa retreat are additional bonuses.

There's usually a weekly bbq where chicken and fresh fish are provided along with a fabulous selection of home-made local dishes (30ytl). Beware Ercan's generous helpings of Raki!

Some people may not like the fact that it is a brisk 20-min walk from town, but to us it was good to be in the middle of a thriving agricultural community with weddings taking place in neighbours' houses. The pension provides free bikes [but check tyres and brakes before you ride off!] and taxis are quickly available and cheap.

I'm not sure we will be able to come back again next year, but we will certainly return at some stage in the future.

Chris & Julie

We had a wonderful 2week stay in The Garden Pension this June.

We were picked up very quickly at the airport via our pre booked taxi and taken straight to the Garden Pension. I booked directly with Cathy who sorted everything out for us, we bought our flights with Thomson a few months earlier for just under 200 pounds.

We were greeted by Ercan who is a fabulous host,(we also met Cathy towards the end who flew out from England, she was lovely)
The rooms are very clean with air con with a walk in wardrobe and excellent bathroom. They are all identical overlooking the garden.

We did miss the television a little but we took our i-book mac with us so it did come in useful at times.


The location is perfect, about 10 minutes from the town.
We used the free bikes a lot during the day and loved sight seeing. The locals are very friendly, not at all pushy.
The atmosphere in Dalyan is very pleasant.
The market on a Saturday is a must see in the centre.


The Garden pension is very private, it has a beautiful garden and fantastic flowers, view of the fields and mountains and a huge pool. The pool and surroundings are always spotless as Ercan is always maintaining the hotel.

The Pension isn't overlooked. The guests respect each other, and the pool is never overcrowded. Sometimes you feel like you are the only ones there. There are only 8 guests at a time, and this was a huge plus point for us. The personal element was wonderful.

I have been to some gorgeous places on holiday in the past (Caribbean/Indian Ocean etc) and i must say this one will be at the top of my list. It's such a pretty place, after seeing our photos some of my family are already booking their flights there!

The breakfast is served by two lovely waitresses who are excellent and work very hard and clean your rooms everyday to an excellent standard. There is a nice variety off fruit, jams/bread, egg, olives etc. The tables are set under trees and palmed canopies. Every morning Ercan would greet you and give you any advice needed for your day.

We did spend some evenings in the Garden Pension itself, which was lovely and we made a lot of friends, but a lot of our evenings were spent in restaurants overlooking the ruins as it was a little more romantic for a yound couple.

Our favourite bar was the 'tin tin bar' they play live guitar music (gypsy kings/amy winehouse etc) Also i can't remember the name of the restaurant but Ercan can name a few favourites. There is one overlooking the ruins near 16 bar which was our favourite, also the tree house is lovely. You can sit up within the tree house after your meal with drinks.
You often find the restaurants off the beaten track our far nicer than the central ones with the home made cooking and fresh bread.

Also it's a must to be rowed across to river to the ruins just to taste a pancake- they are to die for!
The ruins are fantastic, we climbed up to the top..this isn't for the faint hearted but well worth the view. The best time to go is very early morning or 6pm as it's very hot during the day.

There are so many things to do, we prefered the beach via the bus Itizu i think? very cheap and private the beach by boat taxi is worth the trip but gets busy at times with tourists from other destinations who come to see the turtles.

Also Ercan did a BBQ on our last night, and this was wonderful.

I could keep going on and on..if you are thinking of booking then go ahead. I initially went off the trip advisor reviews and didn't regret it, i was compelled to write our own review after our visit and put on some pictures! We hope you enjoy it as much as we did, we would definitely return to the Garden Pension.

Lisa and Harry

Stayed here for the third time & we still love it!! Peaceful garden to relax in & really like the addition of the bar - very tempting!
Large pool is welcome in the Turkish heat! We are always made to feel very welcome & it's just like staying with friends - nothing is too much trouble! Rooms are comfortable & we love having breakfast in the garden! It's about a 15 min walk into Dalyan but a cab is only 8 lira! There is a selection of restaurants to suit all tastes & Cathy & Ercan will advise & organise any day trips that you may be interested in!
Overall a great place to stay -think we'll still be staying here for many years to come!

We visited the 'Garden Pension' after being recommended by a friend. Its a gorgeous place, with tropical gardens to relax in, a beautiful pool, spotless rooms with comfy beds and bathrooms with lots of hot water and a good shower. Its in the perfect location. Not bang in the center, but just a short stroll away, so you can truly get away from it all. All the village amenities are in walking distance and Ercan will lend you his bike if you feel more adventuress! we wanted to keep this place for ourselves but the staff are just too nice not to share! Thank you to Camul for her Turkish lessons over breakfast and to Ercan for his crazy eccentric stories! See you again soon, Lisa and Andrew.