Best time to visit Turkey

Heading to Turkey in January or February finds the country hunkering down from rain and cold with eastern and central areas, such as Anatolia, covered in snow and experiencing freezing temperatures.

Cyclists and hikers will be pleased to learn that things are starting to look up weatherwise during March and April, especially on southern coastlines, and there's every chance of spotting dolphins heading northwest towards the Black Sea.

April and May are often the best months to visit Turkey as although you may get a couple of rainy days there's an abundance of wild flowers and blossom turning the countryside into a cornucopia of colour alongside milder temperatures and fewer crowds on walking trails both inland and along the coast.

June is commonly considered the start of the summer in Turkey and as such the resorts along the Mediterranean and Aegean will start to become busier as land and sea temperatures start to rise. The holy month of Ramadan will take place in May and June until 2019 so please take this into consideration when making travel plans throughout Turkey.

As July and August are the hottest months of the Turkish calendar most visitors tend to hit the coast which leaves cities and hiking trails often bereft of crowds and accommodation prices a little lower.

Moving out of summer and into autumn, Turkey still promises plenty of blue skies and warm temperatures although as September turns to October start to expect shorter days and more showers.

As the winter months of November and December come into play it's often down to luck as to what weather conditions you'll find in Turkey and towards the end of the year things will have cooled down considerably which won't necessarily be all bad for cyclists tackling steep ascents.

In general, the best time to visit Turkey is either side of the summer if you're looking to cycle, trek or explore archaeological sites however, heat-loving cultural travellers wishing to combine classical highlights with a few days on the beach will find June through to September absolutely ideal.