Having a magnificent beach, Icmeler is primarily a sun, sea and sand holiday destination, and a wide variety of watersports are on offer at the resort hotels and along the sea front, including sailing, scuba diving, and waterskiing. Those who feel inclined to make excursions, however, will find plenty of interest. Favourites are boat trips to 'Cleopatra's Isle', the waterfalls of Pamukkale with their therapeutic spring waters, and the archaeological site of Ephesus.

Turkish is the official language, but English is widely understood in the main tourist areas.

The official currency is the New Turkish Lira (TRY), which was introduced on 1 January 2005, whereby six zeros were dropped from the TL and the sub-unit New Kurush was created. Currency can be exchanged at banks, exchange booths, post offices, airports and ferry ports; banks have the worst rates and highest commissions, but will exchange lesser known foreign currencies. Banks open mainly Monday to Friday, but some are open daily in tourist areas. ATMs are widely available in major cities and tourist areas, but Turkish ATM keypads usually do not have letters of the alphabet on their keys. Most bank branches have ATMs which accept Cirrus and Plus. Major credit cards are widely accepted; the most popular are Visa or MasterCard, but American Express is accepted in many of the more expensive places. Travellers cheques can be exchanged at some banks and currency exchange offices, but are not as welcome as cash or credit cards. US dollars or Euros are preferred. Some pensions and hotels in the most popular destinations accept US dollars as payment.

The beach in Icemeler is shingle and travellers should be aware of this before booking their holiday.

Icmeler is not a clubbing holiday resort, but there are plenty of pubs, which keep hopping with a lively atmosphere until the wee hours. The nightlife may be low key, but those who want something more frenetic have only to grab a dolmus taxi and ride a short distance to Marmaris, where the pace is hotter. Icmeler's only true nightclub, Abone, provides for those who enjoy a dance, and some of the bars have discos, karaoke and live shows. Like many resorts, the more popular bars are clustered by the beachfront.

Icmeler is well-supplied with restaurants of all sorts, but most holidaymakers particularly enjoy local specialities like Guvec, a clay-pot casserole, or tasty kebabs, washed down with some Turkish wine or raki, the traditional aniseed spirit. Good choice for Turkish cuisine is the Turkish House in Turunc Road where the food is served up to the tune of traditional music. For good steaks a favourite is the Love Boat at the Devamli Hotel. For variety the menu at the Majestic Restaurant is a mix of Chinese, Indian and Italian. On Sundays the Kingsland Chinese Restaurant above the undercover market surprisingly serves up a top British lunch.

Icmeler does have a central shopping mall, which is adequate for acquiring essentials and holidaymakers can have a pleasant browse for souvenirs. For more local flavour, there is a market on Wednesdays where bargain hunters and hagglers can test their skills. Serious shoppers, though, would be better advised to take a short dolmus taxi ride into nearby Marmaris where it is possible to literally shop 'til you drop', especially in the fascinating covered bazaar of the old town.