Kuleli Bay

Kuleli Bay is a small bay on the Fethiye peninsula, in the Keciler neighbourhood, reached by following the Karagozler road west out of town and carrying on about three kilometres past the holiday village. What sits on it is not a wild cove but a managed beach club, run on an unusual model: three separate sections, one for families, one for men and one for women, and a prepaid card instead of cash. Knowing that in advance saves a wasted drive if it is not what you are after.

The Beach and the Water

The shoreline is a mix of pebble and sand with sand dominant, and the seabed repeats the same pattern, so it is comfortable underfoot going in. Depth increases gradually rather than dropping away, which suits children and weak swimmers. In the shallows there are algae-covered stones and loose weed that get slippery, so sea shoes are worth packing.

Water temperature reaches about 28°C (82.4°F) at the height of summer, and the swimming season runs from May into October. The water is clear enough for snorkelling over the rocky edges, where the usual Mediterranean inshore species turn up. A recreational jetty runs out into the sea from the beach and is mostly used for jumping off.

How the Card System Works

Instead of paying at each till, guests buy a card on entry and load money onto it. The card then covers everything inside the club, and it can be topped up during the day. Whatever is left on it at closing time is refunded, so you only pay for what you use, and there is no need to carry cash around the beach. Entrance is charged per person and the rate changes season to season, so check it before you go.

Layout and Facilities

The three sections are the defining feature: families, men and women each have their own stretch of beach. It is a conservative arrangement by Turkish coastal standards and it is deliberate, aimed at visitors who would rather not share a beach with mixed crowds.

• Eating and drinking: a snack restaurant, vitamin bars and BBQ units.
• On the beach: sunbeds, hammocks, shaded areas, changing rooms and toilets.
• For children: a dedicated entertainment area, along with the shallow water at the shoreline.
• Events: the site takes bookings for functions, weddings included.

Anchoring Off

The best holding is in the protected water near the swim barrier, on a mixed sand and rock bottom in depths of 4 to 6 metres. The catch is that the swim zone takes up most of the sheltered water, leaving less room than the bay first appears to offer, and the onshore breeze needs watching before you settle in for a long stay. In practice the barrier rather than the shoreline decides where you drop the hook, and crews tend to use Kuleli as one of the anchorages you'll visit on a private gulet charter from Fethiye for a swim and lunch rather than as an overnight stop.