Sedir Island

Sedir - also called Cleopatra Island - lies in the Gökova gulf and holds the ruins of ancient Kedreai: a city wall, a theatre, an agora and a temple among the pines and olives, worth an hour on their own. What made it famous is the beach. The sand is oolitic, formed of tiny near-spherical grains of calcium carbonate produced by a biological and chemical process that occurs in very few places, and it is geologically distinct from anything else on this coast. The legend that Mark Antony had it shipped from Egypt for Cleopatra is charming and false. Because the grains are irreversibly lost when carried away on skin, towels and swimsuits, the beach is now fenced and roped: visitors may swim from a platform but not walk on or lie on the sand, showers and mats are provided at the entry point, and rangers enforce it. Taking sand carries a fine. The rules disappoint people who arrive expecting a beach day.

What you actually see

• The oolitic sand - the rare spherical grains, viewed from the rope.
• The Kedreai ruins - walls, theatre and agora among the pines.
• The swimming platform - the permitted way into the water.
• The gulf - Gökova's pine shores around the island.

When to go

May to June and September to October. Mornings before the day boats converge; the island is small and a few boats fill it.

Honest expectations

You cannot walk or sunbathe on the famous beach - swimming is from a platform only, and rangers enforce it. Removing sand is an offence. Boat fare and site fee are separate. Facilities are minimal.

Nearby

Akyaka is at the head of the gulf; Çamlı and the Gökova anchorages are on the mainland shore.