Insider guide: Turkey's best beaches.

Owing to its starring role as Turkey’s pin-up beach, you’ve probably already seen pictures of the Blue Lagoon’s vibrant blue waters contrasting against its blinding white sands. The wide, sheltered bay is a protected natural park, with calm waters that attract families who swim off the long sandy spit. Inside the bay are a number of popular beach bars and restaurants. For the more active guests on board, the Babadag Mountains in the background also provide the perfect launch pad for paragliding.

Remote and largely undeveloped, Kelebekler Vadisi is a back to nature experience. A hippy hot spot near Ölüdeniz, the beach is so called because of the hundreds of species of butterfly that make their home here every year. Access to the designated nature reserve is by water or a long hike, and because of this remoteness, it remains unspoiled – a picture perfect cove of turquoise water and white sand.

The longest beach in all of Turkey at 11 miles, Patara Beach is named after the nearby Lycian city, Patara. The remains of the ruined temples here are the perfect backdrop to the picturesque stretch of sand lapped by warm, shallow waters. Part of a national park, the sand dunes are again another protected breeding ground for loggerhead turtles, and because of this there are no buildings aside from a small café. The beach is also closed to the public after sunset to protect the nesting turtles.

One of the most prominent nesting spots for loggerhead turtles in all of Turkey,  Iztuzu Beach is another beautiful stretch of sand that benefits from being a protected nature reserve. Stretching for almost three miles, the soft, golden sands are surrounded by a freshwater river delta on one side and the Mediterranean Sea on the other. Like Patara Beach, Iztuzu is closed to the public after sunset to protect the nesting turtles.

The glistening Mediterranean Sea laps the long stretch of sand that is Konyaalti Beach. Located just outside Antalya’s city centre, the popular beach attracts both well-heeled locals and visitors who come for the upmarket food court and vast choice of activities on offer.