Kabak Bay

Kabak is the last cove on the road south from Ölüdeniz before it gives up, a pebble-and-sand beach at the bottom of a steep valley walled in pine, with the Lycian Way passing over the ridge above. It was for years a hippie destination reached only on foot, and the character survives in the form of the camps: terraced wooden cabins, bell tents and treehouses strung up the slope, most with communal meals, hammocks and no television. Getting down from the road is a steep twenty-to-thirty-minute walk or a shuttle in a tractor-like vehicle that most camps run. Building has increased and it is not the secret it was, but the valley remains low-rise and quiet by the standards of the coast. Walking is the other reason to come: the Lycian Way runs both directions along the ridge, and paths lead to a waterfall inland and along the cliffs toward Butterfly Valley.

What you actually see

• The pine valley - the cove walled by forested slopes.
• The terraced camps - cabins and tents up the hillside.
• The Lycian Way - the trail crossing the ridge above.
• The pebble beach - the shore at the bottom of the valley.

When to go

May to June and September to October. August is full and hot; winter closes most camps entirely.

Honest expectations

The descent to the beach is steep and not for anyone with mobility or luggage problems - shuttles cost extra. Camps are rustic: intermittent power, cold showers in places, and food on a set schedule. Card payment is not always possible.

Nearby

Butterfly Valley is along the coast; Faralya, Ölüdeniz and Babadağ are north.