The Twin Beaches of Suluada

The bay is light sand, and the water above it returns a flat, strong turquoise — the single feature that earned Suluada the name Turkish Maldives. Behind the sand, pine runs down the slopes to the waterline; beyond the anchorage, the open Mediterranean turns deep blue.

The scale is small. This is not a resort beach with a promenade behind it, and there is nothing built on the sand. That emptiness is the appeal — a few hours of very clear water, a rocky island, and boats at anchor.

The other named feature on the same short stretch of coast is the Love Cave, which you see from the water during the day.

Boats anchor near the island; they do not tie up to it. Where conditions allow, tender boats shuttle guests from the anchorage across to the bay. That is the mechanism, and it is worth understanding before you go.

When the sea does not cooperate, the shuttle does not run, and the swimming break happens off the boat instead. It is not a downgrade — the anchorage is where most of the turquoise is, and the water is the same water. But it does mean nobody can guarantee your feet touch that sand on a given day, and we will not pretend otherwise.

Snorkelling masks and pool floats are included on the Antalya departure. If the swimming is the whole point of your day, our Suluada swimming tour page sets out how the breaks are structured, and the swimming and snorkelling guide goes deeper.

Worth saying twice: there is no shop on the island. No kiosk, no café on the sand, nowhere to buy a bottle of water or forgotten sunscreen. Whatever you want on the beach travels with you from the hotel.

The short list: water, sun protection, a hat, a towel, and something to carry wet things home in. Our packing guide is specific and takes two minutes to read.

Food is handled on board. Lunch is cooked and served on the boat — grilled fish or chicken with pasta or rice, daily Turkish mezes, seasonal salad, then fruit and Turkish tea. Drinks from the bar are paid separately.

Every cruise sails from Adrasan harbour at 09:40 and docks back at 16:00; only the road leg changes with your hotel.

The Side departure runs every day, picks up between 05:30 and 06:00, and takes about ten hours door to door. The minimum age on this departure is 6; younger children sail free but need an adult supervising them on deck. The Antalya departure runs Tuesday and Thursday all year, plus Saturday from April to October, picks up between 08:30 and 09:00 from central Antalya, Kemer and Beldibi, and runs about twelve hours.

The price is flat from every pickup point on the coast: €40 per adult, €30 per child aged 4–10, infants 0–3 free. Book free online, pay on the tour day, cancel free up to 24 hours before departure. If your hotel is outside the standard pickup bands, contact us and we will confirm your pickup individually.