Honest Picks
Photographers should book the departure with a confirmed morning sailing, and that is the daily Suluada boat tour from Side. The boat leaves Adrasan harbour at 09:40, so the crossing and your first sight of the island fall in morning light, long before the midday sun flattens everything out.
What you are shooting is a small rocky island with a pale sandy bay. The light sand throws the colour back up through the water — the reason people call it the Turkish Maldives. Add pine-clad cliffs, the twin beaches and the Love Cave, plus the sheltered water of Domuz Bay on the route. The boat anchors near the island and, where conditions allow, tender boats shuttle guests into the bay — so plan for water between you and the sand.
The trade-off is the alarm clock. Pickup runs from 05:30 to 06:00 and the day is about ten hours door to door. If that is impossible, the Antalya departure collects later on selected days. Our Suluada photography guide covers kit and timing, and the flat fare is on the price page.
Our pick for photography, on two counts. It sails from Adrasan at 09:40, so you approach the island while the morning light is still soft, and it runs every day — which means you can choose the calm, clear day instead of taking whatever the schedule hands you. Ten hours door to door, lunch cooked on board, minimum age 6.
Worth taking if your dates or your base point that way. Pickup is 08:30–09:00 from central Antalya, Kemer and Beldibi, the whole day runs to about twelve hours, and snorkelling masks and pool floats come with the ticket — useful if your camera goes into the water with you. It sails Tuesday and Thursday all year, plus Saturday from April to October, so the weather is less of a choice.
The daily departure from Side. It sails from Adrasan at 09:40, which puts the crossing and your first view of the island in morning light, and because it runs every day you can pick the calm, clear day rather than accept whatever the schedule offers. The boat docks back at 16:00.
On the way out. The boat leaves Adrasan at 09:40 and the approach to the island is the picture most people come for — a pale sandy bay under turquoise water, backed by pine-clad cliffs. Later in the day the swimming stops give you people-in-the-water shots instead, and the boat is back in the harbour by 16:00.
Usually both. The boat anchors near Suluada and, where the sea allows, tender boats shuttle guests across to the bay, so you shoot from the deck and from the sand. Bring what you need — there is no shop on the island — and keep a dry bag for the tender ride.
Your own camera costs nothing. The fare is a flat €40 per adult, €30 per child aged 4–10 and free for infants 0–3, and it covers the cruise, guidance, the swimming breaks, lunch on board and your transfer where we operate one — we confirm pickup individually outside our standard areas. Drinks at the bar and photos are not included.