Binlik Bay

Binlik Bay, also known as Kuyrucak Bay after the cape just north of it, lies among the string of anchorages that make up the Gulf of Göcek on Turkey's Lycian coast. Its name comes from a local story that a family once planted a thousand olive trees around the shore — "bin" being the Turkish word for a thousand — and the pine and olive cover on the surrounding hills still gives the bay a notably green backdrop against the water.

There is no road into Binlik Bay; it can only be reached by boat, which keeps it quieter than anchorages closer to Göcek's marinas, and it is best reached during a Gocek gulet cruise taken in stages with several other bays across the gulf. A steady, gentle breeze keeps the summer heat bearable without ever turning the water rough, making it popular for swimming and snorkeling.

Traces of the Lycian period are scattered around the bay, including the remains of bath structures that now lie partly submerged just off the shore, visible to anyone snorkeling near the water's edge.