Sazak Bay

Sazak Bay sits within the western section of Beydağları Coastal National Park, part of Parlak village in the Kumluca district of Antalya province, wedged between the hiking hub of Adrasan and the ruins of Olympos, with the mass of Musa Dağı rising directly behind it. Its Turkish name comes from the "Sazak" tree, a wild blueberry that grows along the streams feeding into the bay, and local boat crews have long nicknamed the cove the "Honeymoon Bay" for its quiet, sheltered feel.

The Setting

The national park that contains the bay was declared in 1972 and covers roughly 31,000 hectares, running from Sarısu on the edge of Antalya along the coastal ranges as far as Cape Gelidonya in Kumluca. Inside those boundaries stand the Lycian cities of Olympos and Phaselis and the perpetual flames of Yanartaş, the Chimaera, so a stop at Sazak falls within one of the densest concentrations of ancient sites anywhere on the Turkish coast. Olympos, a short distance north, was one of the six leading members of the Lycian League, and the long-distance Lycian Way footpath runs through Adrasan just over the ridge.

The bay itself is a short curve of shoreline beneath forested slopes, with small pebbles at the water's edge giving way to sand, and water that stays clear and deep blue even in the middle of the day. Pine forest comes almost down to the beach, and supplies the only shade. Sea turtles and shoals of fish are commonly seen in the shallows, and the cove is a regular swimming stop on the day-boat circuit that also takes in Ceneviz (Genoese) Cove and the island of Suluada.

Getting There

Most visitors arrive by sea. Sazak lies roughly 10 to 14 kilometres from Adrasan and the boat trip takes about 30 to 40 minutes, or around an hour from Çıralı further north. Land access exists but is deliberately difficult: a rough forest track of some nine to ten kilometres drops down from Adrasan, passable only in a high-clearance four-wheel-drive, and walkers can cover a similar distance on foot through the woods. Boat traffic is lighter in the early morning, before the day-charter fleets from Adrasan and Kemer arrive for their lunchtime anchorage.

What It Is Like on Shore

There is no electricity at Sazak, no mains water, no shop, restaurant or toilet block, and mobile coverage is unreliable at best. The handful of campers who stay overnight each summer pitch on the flat ground behind the beach and bring their own food, water and equipment; a few pumps exist in the forest but are not something to rely on. Nights are genuinely dark and quiet, with foxes and owls audible from the tree line.

That same isolation is what keeps gulet captains coming back. In high summer several boats will usually share the anchorage by early afternoon, but with clean water, forest views and none of the beach-club crowds found further along the coast, Sazak Bay has remained a classic stop on a Turkey blue cruise itinerary for decades.