Marmaris has one of the world's largest natural harbours, a sweeping bay that has attracted everyone from Mark Anthony to the Crusaders and the gin palaces of today's international yachting fraternity. Behind the harbour, the town has always existed as a resort and market, a lively town with a buzzing bazaar and noisy bar scene, sandwiched between the sea and steep pine-clad mountains. Many of the larger hotels are actually in Icmeler, a few kilometres from the centre in the next bay or in nearby Turunc.

The yachting crowd, slightly older people who like wild parties, and families in search of sun and sand all crowd in together.

Marmaris lies on the southwest coast of Turkey, just beyond the point where the Aegean meets the Mediterranean, roughly halfway as the crow flies between Bodrum and Dalaman (although a lot further by road). The resort lies on a sweeping bay backed by steep mountains.

The weather in Marmaris is mild year round. The best time to visit is between the months of May and October when the average temperature is 25°C (77°F). In the months of July and August the temperature often exceeds 30°C (86°F).

Marmaris beach is more popular than it perhaps deserves. The view is fabulous, but the stretch of sand is fairly small and very overcrowded while the sand itself is a dirty grey and gritty. Icmeler is still a mix of sand and shingle, but is far longer, yellower and less crowded. For a truly beautiful local beach, head offshore to Cleopatra Island. This was given to Cleopatra as a wedding present by Mark Anthony and legend says that he imported the fine white shell sand for her. There's a wide range of watersports available off Icmeler beach, from pedalos and banana boats to power boats and parasailing.

Marmaris is one of the oldest and most sophisticated of Turkey's resorts, and offers a great place for a laid back holiday with a wide range of activities on, off and under the water. This is at the heart of the Turquoise Coast and there are numerous boat trips along the coast, to outlying islands to snorkel, dive and bask on deserted beaches, visit the phosphorus caves and even moonlight boat trips. On shore there are wonderful walks up through the heavily forested mountains and a huge range of sports and activities including horse riding, mountain and quad biking, jeep safaris and village tours. The only historic monument in town is the Ottoman fort, heavily rebuilt in recent years and now home to an archaeology museum.

Turkey is generally very child-friendly and Icmeler Beach in particular is pleasant for children with its broad, gently sloping sand. Most of the larger hotels have good facilities for children, including kids' clubs, and the Atlantis Waterpark (Siteler Mah, 212 Sok, no 3 Uzunyali) (www.marmarisinfo.com/waterpark), with its slides and rides, offers a change from the natural waves and there are a few thrill rides such as the revers. The bazaar is always entertaining and there is plenty of space for running around, although the midday heat may knock children flat.

Marmaris has a wonderful covered bazaar, a little way back from the seafront, which is a fascinating place to wander even if not shopping, although the persistence of some shopkeepers can be wearing. As well as smaller souvenirs, you will be offered an amazing range of opportunities to spank the credit cards on carpets, leather and jewellery. For designer outlets, head down to the area near the marina while for pure theatre, the Thursday weekly market is hard to beat. There is also a smaller weekly market in Icmeler on Wednesdays.

Marmaris is big enough to absorb every sort of nightlife you may be looking for, however quiet or however wild. There are two main bar and club areas, Uzunyali (Long Beach), the waterfront area along the beach and the Bar Street, where bars and clubs are packed in cheek by jowl, competing decibels and crowds spilling out into the night. Clubs worth searching out include Bar X and Salt N Peper on the seafront, and Club Areena and the Crazy Daisy Bar (dress code as little as possible, to cope with water and foam shows) in Bar Street. Many of the larger resort hotels also run cabaret and Turkish nights.

There are plenty of places of eat in Marmaris, but most of them are fairly ordinary, with lots of international cuisine, pizza places, and traditional kebab shops. There are fish restaurants on the seafront, but if you want something a little more special, head for the area around the old town and the marina, where the waterfront promenade has a good selection of more upmarket restaurants.

There are plenty of ways to get along the coast between Marmaris town centre and Icmeler, with a roadtrain, water taxis, dolmus (shared taxis), buses and private taxis. Some resorts will also run their own shuttle buses. Once in town, the only way to get around the narrow streets of the old town is on foot. To explore further, there are boat trips and sightseeing tours, dolmus, and car hire. It is not prohibitive to hire a car with a driver for the day if you are worried about driving.

Marmaris isn't as close to the great historic sites as some of the other resorts, but you can't move along the Turkish coast without falling over some history and there is still some around here. Take a trip along the Datça Peninsula to ancient Knidos or back towards Dalaman to visit Kaunos. Inland are the lovely regional capital, Mugla, with its Ottoman houses and excellent Thursday market, and Milas, home to the local carpet industry. About four hours drive from the coast are Hierapolis and the ‘frozen' waterfall of Pamukkale, its limestone pools cascading spectacularly down the mountain. Or take your passport and a boat and head across to the Greek island of Rhodes with its great Crusader castles for the day.

Surprisingly, Marmaris doesn't have any totally standout places for a really special night out, although there are some very good restaurants. Try Mr Zek, near the castle, or Dede or Uno Momento near the harbour. Five minutes' drive east of Datça, on the peninsula south of Marmaris, an American couple have set up the Mountain of Roses olive farm (www.olivefarm.net), where you can tour the mill, taste and buy the finest olive oil and, on Fridays, taste their very moreish olive bread. It may still be noisy and laden with alcohol, but for a magical night dancing under the stars, try a moonlight cruise from the jetty in front of the Crazy Daisy Bar.

Dalaman Airport (DLM)