Part of Datça's appeal is that you never have to leave, and many visitors happily do not. But the peninsula also sits within easy reach of some of the loveliest corners of Turkey's southwest, and a day or two of gentle exploring adds real variety to a longer stay without ever feeling like hard work.
The best day trips are by boat. Gület and small-boat tours leave Datça harbour for the coves along the coast and out to Knidos, with swimming stops in water you cannot reach any other way and lunch served on deck. If you do one organised thing all week, make it this — the peninsula is at its most beautiful seen from the sea.
By road, the neighbouring Bozburun peninsula rewards a slow drive: even quieter than Datça, all pine-covered hills, tiny harbours and boat-builders, ideal for a lazy lunch somewhere you will struggle to find again. Further afield, the resort towns of Marmaris and Bodrum are within reach if you fancy a busier day, though most Datça regulars go once, remember why they left, and hurry back. Lonely Planet's guide to the wider Turkish coast is handy for planning how far to roam.
There is even a foot in Greece. In season, a ferry runs from Datça across to the Greek island of Symi, its harbour ringed with neoclassical mansions in ice-cream colours — a genuinely different world, and an easy, memorable day out with your passport. Check the timetable in advance, as sailings are seasonal and weather-dependent.
The trick, as ever in Datça, is not to overdo it. One boat day, one drive, one island — spaced through a relaxed week — is plenty. The peninsula is somewhere to settle into, and the best escapes are the ones that send you back to your own quiet cove feeling you have seen just enough.