Muğla's Sedir Island captivates visitors

MUĞLA - Anadolu Agency

As its sand is under special protection, visitors are forbidden from entering Sedir Island’s beach with shoes or towels. AA photo

Sedir Island, which is home to golden yellow sand and different tones of blue as well as historic artifacts, is being rushed to by visitors from around the world after recent improvement works.

The island, also known as Kleopatra Island, is around 25 kilometers from Marmaris and receives more than 120,000 visitors a year. As its sand is under special protection, visitors are forbidden from entering the island’s beach with shoes or towels.

Signboards placed on the road to the beach warn people: “It is strictly forbidden to take sand from the beach.” Visitors are also not permitted to enter the beach with towels or shoes, in order to prevent the sand from moving from the beach. Everyone is obliged to take a shower to rid themselves of the sand on their body before leaving the beach.

The local name “Kleopatra Island” comes from the legend that the island’s sand was brought from Egypt by vessels for the queen Cleopatra and her lover, the Roman commander Antonius, in order for them to meet on the island. Experts say the sand in the northern part of the island is made up of limestone droplets that are especially formed. Such sand is only seen elsewhere in Crete Island in the Aegean and Mediterranean area besides the Sedir Island.

The Provincial Tourism Director Kamil Özer said Sedir Island could be reached by boats from Marmaris and Akyaka on the Gulf of Gökova and that they had made improvement works on the island to serve visitors in a better environment.

“This place serves tourism both with its history, sea and sun,” Özer said, adding that following the improvement works, the island has been visited by 90,494 people in eight months and received 426,360 Turkish Liras in revenue.

He said that with more than 120,000 visitors a year, everything from toilets to sunbeds had been renewed on the Sedir Island. “In the region, Sedir Island is the second most visited place after the Bodrum Underwater Archaeology Museum. The golden yellow sand, which appeared on the Kleopatra Beach with geological formations, has been protected with a series of safety measures in recent years. Officials, who guard the entrance of the beach, do not let visitors enter the beach with shoes or towel. We make an effort to protect the beach and historic remains on the island. It is also a frequent place for daily excursion boats from the Gulf of Gökova, and receives more visitors every year,” Özer said.

How to get to Sedir Island

To reach Sedir Island, visitors should travel to the mainland village of Çamlı’s pier, a five kilometer walk from the village, off the Marmaris-Gökova highway. To get to the island it costs 15 liras per person by boat.

Following a 20 minute boat trip, visitors reach the island and pay 10 more liras there. Those with a “Müzekart” do not pay the entrance fee. The entrance fee allows for use of the islands umbrellas and sunbeds, while toilet, shower, and food services are also all provided.

From Akyaka, visitors who join excursion boats by paying 25 liras are able to reach Sedir Island after six coves.