Comcalik Bay

Comcalik Bay is one of the coves on the sheltered water below Bozburun, on the western side of the Bozburun peninsula, and it appears on almost every day-boat and blue cruise route that works this stretch of coast. What it offers is straightforward: flat water, a clean bottom to swim over, and a shoreline of rock and scrub with nothing built on it.

Where it is

The bay lies north of Sogut Adasi, with Bozburun harbour a short run up the coast and the smaller islands of Zeytin and Degirmen strung out to the south. At the water's edge the shore is stony, but a few steps out it turns to soft sand, which is why families with children end up here. Depths along this part of the coast run from about 3 to 12 metres over sand and mud, so the holding is good.

Shelter is reliable from most directions but not from the west, and crews check the forecast before committing to a night here rather than an afternoon. Comcalik also fills up: it is close enough to Bozburun for the day boats to reach it early in the morning. It is one of the anchorages you'll visit on a private gulet charter from Marmaris, usually towards the end of the week when the route turns back north through Ada Bogazi, and boats that want a corner to themselves get in before lunch.

In the water

Snorkelling is the main thing to do. The rocks and the islets around the bay hold fish and shellfish, and early in the morning, before the traffic stirs up the sand, you can see the bottom from the deck. Loggerhead turtles range along this coast and are occasionally seen from boats, although their nesting beaches are well to the east, around Dalyan and Fethiye, not here.

Season and weather

The dry season runs from June to August. Average highs in the district reach roughly 34-35 C (94-95 F) in high summer, rain is effectively absent between May and October, and the sea warms to about 28 C. Mornings are usually calm, with the breeze filling in during the afternoon.

Marmaris, the usual starting point

Most boats that call at Comcalik set out from Marmaris, around the headland to the east. The town has the largest marina complex on this part of the coast and a harbour that holds everything from wooden gulets to modern sailing yachts. Gulet building is still a family trade in the villages of the Hisaronu gulf, and Bozburun itself has working yards.

The castle above the harbour was rebuilt by Suleiman the Magnificent as a base for his 1522 campaign against Rhodes; it has housed the town museum since 1991, and its walls give the widest view over the bay. Below it, the old quarter keeps its narrow lanes and low whitewashed houses. Ferries cross to Rhodes from the same harbour.