You should find June is likely to be more comfortable than the height of summer regarding the heat, although it can still get very hot. If the beach is very important to you then you may be interested in Dalyan, the beach is protected due to the fact that it is a nesting ground for turtles, hence nothing can be built on it so it is completely unspoilt and very beautiful. If you google "Dalyan Turtle beach" you'll find some images. The resort is actually on the river in a spectacular setting overlooked by ancient rock tombs which are lit up at night. You have to get a boat down to the beach.

Icmeler is very popular with many posters on this forum, and has a reasonable beach and many restaurants.

Another possible for you may be Akyaka which has an excellent beach.

Turunc is also a very picturesque resort with a sand/shingle beach backed by many bars and restaurants, some of which provide a waiter service on the beach.

All of these resorts are in an area where you'll find the coastline and countryside breathtakingly beautiful.
From all of the above resorts you can go on trips to Ephesus which will usually include an overnight stay.

Flight prices are pretty good at the moment (from Gatwick and Stansted anyway), so now is probably quite a good time to book.

Wherever you choose I'm sure you won't be disappointed. Good luck!

You are certainly right that the resorts you visited have changed a huge amount! I first visited Gumbet aaround the same time as you when it was small and quiet, it is now a lot bigger and very lively.

You could always try the next resort to Gumbet, which is Bitez. It is similar to Gumbet was all those years ago, the beach is nice and there are plenty of good self catering apartments there and a good selection of restaurants plus a few bars and some shops. If you or your sons fancy a livelier night out then Gumbet is just 5 minutes away by taxi or you could jump on a bus and go into Bodrum, it tales about 15 minutes.

From Bodrum you can explore all over the Bodrum Peninsula and beyond.

It takes about 45 minutes from Bodrum airport by car, around 1 hour by coach transfer.

I hope this helps

Kusadasi is only a dolmus ride away from Ephesus. Pammukale is also within easy reach of this resort. Although it doesn't have a beach, Kalkan is somewhere else to consider as there are some interesting historical sites which include the Lycean Way and Myra(St. Nicholas,(Santa Claus) was Bishop here). There is a Truck Safari which takes you to a lot of these sites. The closest beach to Kalkan is at Patara(St. Nicholas(Santa Claus) was born here) which is a short dolmus ride away. Scroll back to January 14th, 2010 to find the Discussion on Kalkan for more info.

Les

Hi Peapod.
We are a couple of wrinklies and have been all over Turkey. Now we like to relax and go each year to Side. Book a small B & B hotel in antic Side and you are close to beautiful sandy beaches and amongst the ancient ruins. There are many good restaurants in the area at reasonable prices. Trips can be taken to ancient Perge and Aspendos for culture or white water rafting for fun. A good hotel you could look at is the Beach House Hotel. Just make sure the hotel is in old Side.

I'm always plugging Datca on here - so here I go again. It is well worth a visit if you want somewhere off the beaten tourist track. There are no mass UK tourist companies there and is primarily Turkish families and visiting yachtsmen/women. Others who visit are a few europeans, some who drive there from Italy and Germany. Then there are a handful of Brits who like me stumbled upon it. However you can walk around all day and not hear an English voice. There are quite a few small hotels and getting a room in June would be easy. A private transfer from Dalaman takes just over 2 hours and costs around 75 pounds each way. The journey is spectacular and the last half is mountainous. It is an easy drive if you fancy car hire from Dalaman. The peninsula is spectacular and much of it protected. If you enjoy ancient sites there is a large one - Knidos. I am always happy to give advice on how to get there and where to stay.
Just noticed you have sons and mine love it there, they first went when they were 5 and 7 and still accompany us there now they are early 20's. The Turkish youngsters are very friendly, keen to meet English speakers and they all meet up on the beach in the evenings

Thanks for your replies, sounds like there are some good places to visit. Unfortunately I have had my holiday dates changed and I have to go in July. I know its only a month difference but I think it will just be too hot for me then.

So its back to the drawing board......

Well then you have to choose the right place. Datca is a windy place with low humidity (usually) and July is usually hot but breezy and that makes it very pleasant. Hope you have a lovely time wherever you go.

Ever thought of the Black Sea coast? Amasra is lovely laid back and quiet Weather not as hot as the south

Thanks for all your suggestions but I have decided it will be too hot for me in July so I will wait for Turkey when I dont have to go in the school holidays. I have a lot of good recommendations for the future, particularly like the sound of Bitez.

For history and beach Antalya or Marmaris would be good for you.