Hidayet Bay

Hidayet Bay sits on the Cukurbag Peninsula, about 2.5 to 3 kilometres from the centre of Kas on Turkey's Mediterranean coast. It is a rocky cove rather than a beach, and what draws people is the water: clear enough that you can watch fish from the platforms without putting your head under.

How the Bay Got Its Name

The cove is named after Hidayet, a local man who lived on this stretch of the peninsula; Turkish signs and locals still call it Hidayet'in Koyu, Hidayet's bay. For years it was a swimming spot known mainly to people from Kas and reached on foot down a track through the scrub. The peninsula road and the beach club that opened at the bottom of it changed that.

The Water and What Lives in It

The seabed here is rock, not sand, so nothing clouds the water when swimmers stir it up. Snorkellers report moray eels, groupers, squid and crabs in the shallows, along with lionfish, an invasive species that has spread through the eastern Mediterranean over the past two decades. Loggerhead turtles turn up from time to time.

The cove is a short run from Kas harbour, and many charter guests anchor here for the afternoon instead of driving out along the peninsula. Arriving by sea also skips the steep walk down to the platforms, which is the one genuinely tiring part of a visit.

Blanca Beach

Blanca Beach opened in 2015 and rearranged the cove around itself. Wooden decks were built out over the rocks and fitted with sunbeds and umbrellas, with a small hotel and restaurant set back behind them. The season runs from roughly mid-May to late October, although the sea stays warm enough to swim well into the autumn. Parking at Blanca Beach is charged; there is free parking a short walk back up the road.

Getting There

• On foot: about 30 minutes from the centre of Kas, out along Beyhan Cenkci Caddesi and onto the peninsula road.
• By dolmus: minibuses for the Cukurbag Peninsula leave from beside the central mosque in Kas every 20 to 30 minutes in season, and the ride takes 10 to 15 minutes.
• By car: five to ten minutes from town, ending in a steep descent to the shore. Parking is limited in high summer.

There is no sand and no shallow paddling area, so families with small children should bring flotation aids. Food, drink and sunbeds are all available at the beach club. The cove is small and fills up in July and August; early mornings and September are the quiet times.