Suluada Island (Adrasan)

Suluada is a small, uninhabited island off Adrasan, 95 km by road south-west of Antalya, known for its pale beach and shallow turquoise water, which have earned it the nickname "Turkish Maldives". There is no road, no village and nowhere to stay: you arrive on a day boat from Adrasan harbour, swim off the beach and in the coves nearby, and sail back in the afternoon. The name means "watery island", after the freshwater spring that once made it a landmark for sailors. Our Suluada boat tour from Antalya includes the drive to Adrasan, the boat and lunch on board.

Key details at a glance

Why it is called the Turkish Maldives

It is all about the water. Around the beach the sea is shallow and very clear, and it turns a bright turquoise over white sand and light-coloured rock, a colour closer to the Indian Ocean than to the usual deep blue of the Mediterranean. The island's two beaches are small, about 50 m and 120 m long, according to a 2024 report by the DHA news agency, so the boats line up nose to the shore, as in the photo above.

The wildlife is part of the appeal. GoTürkiye notes that, with no settlement on the island, the waters hold all kinds of Mediterranean fish, and that underwater caves around it shelter Mediterranean monk seals and dusky groupers. Wikipedia records the caves on the southern coast as a monk seal habitat.

A short history

In antiquity the island was called Krambusa. Its spring gave passing ships fresh water, and the coast around Adrasan has been a sea route since Lycian times; fires and signal lights were kept in the area to guide ships, and a lighthouse still stands at what locals call Lighthouse Bay. GoTürkiye places the Gelidonya lighthouse on Taşlıkburnu, the cape about 7 km south-west of the island.

Adrasan itself, also called Çavuşköy, lives from tourism today. A more recent story explains one local place name: in the 1960s and 1970s, United States Navy ships anchored in a bay about 2 nautical miles from Adrasan beach while their crews rested and swam, and it is still known as Amerikan Koyu, "American Bay". The island is a protected area where camping and accommodation are not permitted.

A day on the boat

On our tour a vehicle collects you from selected hotels in and around Antalya for the 2 to 2.5 hour drive to Adrasan. Boarding takes about 30 minutes; on our package timetable the boat leaves at 10:00 and reaches the swimming stop at Suluada at 11:00.

• The main beach. About an hour of swimming and free time in the clear, shallow water.
• The Blue Cave. The boat passes close to the cave, known for its deep blue water, for 15 to 30 minutes of photos.
• Lunch on board. Cooked fresh, with chicken or fish, salad, pasta or rice and seasonal sides, depending on the day.
• Shallow bays. Another hour of swimming around Suluada before the cruise back; the package timetable also stops at Aquarium Bay.

You are back at Adrasan harbour at about 16:00 and at your hotel two hours or more later, depending on where you are staying.

How to get there

From Antalya. Adrasan is 95 km from central Antalya by road, about 1 hour 25 minutes without stops; with hotel pick-ups our transfer allows 2 to 2.5 hours each way.

From Kemer, Olympos or Çıralı. Adrasan is 50 km from Kemer (about 50 minutes), 15 km from Olympos (25 minutes) and 30 km from Çıralı (about 45 minutes).

The boat. There is no road to the island, so the only way to land is by boat; day boats leave from Adrasan, and the crossing to the first stop takes about an hour on our package timetable.

When to go and how busy it gets

Boats run through the warm season, from late spring until autumn. The water is warmest in July and August, when the boats are also busiest; June and September are quieter and still warm enough for long swims. Antalya's long-term average high is 30.8 °C in June, 34.2 °C in July and 31.2 °C in September, with around 11.7 hours of sun a day in July.

Expect company in high summer. In August 2024 the DHA news agency reported up to 6,000 visitors a day on nearly 200 tour boats, and at Adrasan beach, where the boats moor, hotel guests complained that there was no room left to swim. If you can, go in June or September.

Combining Suluada with nearby places

• Olympos and the Chimaera. Olympos is 15 km north of Adrasan, with ruins and a beach (€10 entry for non-Turkish visitors, Ministry e-ticket list), and the Chimaera flames above Çıralı are best after dark.
• Porto Ceneviz and the Adrasan bays. Our Porto Ceneviz and Adrasan bays boat trip, from $60 per person, sails from the same harbour to Akseki, Sazak, Porto Ceneviz and Pirate bays, a different stretch of coast, so the two trips suit two beach days.
• Antalya. Between boat days, Kaleiçi old town and the Düden waterfalls make an easy day in the city.

Practical tips

• Pack swimwear, a towel, high-SPF sun cream, sunglasses, a hat and water shoes for the rocky spots where you get in.
• Bring a waterproof pouch for your phone, your own snorkelling mask if you want one, and cash for drinks, which are not included.
• Keep away from the caves on the southern coast: Wikipedia notes that swimming near them is not permitted because of strong currents.
• Children love the shallow water, but pack swim aids for small ones.
• Take your rubbish back to the boat; the DHA report described litter and pollution in the busy season.

Tours that visit Suluada

• Suluada Island Boat Tour from Antalya: from $50 per person, a full day with transfers from selected Antalya areas, the boat from Adrasan, several swim stops, the Blue Cave, a lunch cooked on board, crew and insurance; drinks and snorkelling gear are extra.
• Istanbul and Antalya Tour Package: 8 Days: from $1,980 per person. Day 6 is a full day by boat from Adrasan to Suluada with lunch and swimming stops, after three nights in Istanbul and a tour of Antalya's old town and waterfalls.

Our Antalya day trips and things to do in Antalya guides, the Antalya tours list and the Antalya destination guide cover the other boat days on this coast.

Frequently Asked Questions