Ninety seconds on Adrasan
Before the big tour boats from Kemer pull in, an early boat out of Adrasan can put you in the clear blue water off Suluada with the island almost to yourself.
Adrasan is a long sandy bay in Kumluca district, ringed by pine-covered mountains. Those mountains close the bay to the open-sea wind, so the water is shallow, still and clear, more like a harbour than an open beach.
Walk to the northern end of the beach to see a freshwater stream come down from the mountains and run into the sea.
Above the bay rises Mount Musa, the mountain between Adrasan and Olympos. It looks different at sunrise and again at sunset, and it has become the symbol of Adrasan.
The other reason to come is offshore. Adrasan beach is the main departure point for boats to Suluada, an uninhabited island of sea caves and turquoise water. Boats also run along the Adrasan coves when the island is out of reach.
Start with the beach in the morning. Leave the car in one of the paid parking areas, then rent a sunbed and straw umbrella from a municipality booth or lay out your own towel.
For a boat day, be on the beach before the boats leave around 10:00. They return by 17:00, and lunch, usually fresh fish, is served on board. At Suluada you swim and walk the island's beaches.
Wind decides the route. In strong wind a boat may run the Adrasan coves instead of Suluada, so keep a spare day if the island matters to you. Finish back on the beach to watch Mount Musa at sunset.
Boats leave from Adrasan beach itself. A Suluada tour heads for the island, while a bays tour stays among the Adrasan coves. You can also hire a private boat that goes only to Suluada.
If Suluada is the point of the trip, ask for a smaller boat leaving around 09:00, ahead of the main departures.
For the walk up to Adrasan Castle, wear closed shoes, not sandals or flip-flops. You can drive as far as the castle sign, and from there it is about 30 minutes up steep ground. Bring water and some fruit or a snack for the top.
The Lycian Way stage to Çıralı takes a full day to walk. Carry all your water: a spring near the trail sometimes runs early in the year, but it cannot be relied on.
Explore the rest of Çıralı
Loggerhead turtles nest along Çıralı's pebble beach, the ruins of Olympos sit in the pines at its southern end, and the flames of the…
A long, narrow island off Cape Gelidonya, named for its freshwater spring and ringed by very clear blue water. Day boats from Adrasan make…
A small working lighthouse on sharp rock above the tip of Cape Gelidonya, inside Beydağları Sahil Milli Parkı. A dirt road from Karaöz runs…