Mazı & Kisebükü

Beach / Bay

On the north of the Gulf of Gökova, an untouched cove where pine forest meets the sea — a hidden blue-cruise stop with Byzantine ruins on its shore.

Reached by descending south from the village of Mazı on the east of the Bodrum peninsula toward the Gulf of Gökova, Kisebükü (also known as Alakışla Bükü) is one of the peninsula’s most untouched corners. The dense pine forest ringing the cove drops straight to the sea; the water is clear, sandy-bottomed and sheltered from the wind. For years, therefore, the cove has been a quiet anchorage for blue-cruise boats and day trips.

What separates Kisebükü from an ordinary cove is the history on its shore: on the flat ground at the cove’s mouth, the remains of an early Byzantine settlement — church walls, cisterns and building foundations — lie scattered among the pines. To swim, then wander among fifteen-hundred-year-old stones, makes this one of the Aegean’s most special experiences. The area is protected. Access by land is via a rough forest road through Mazı; most enjoyably, it is reached by boats from Bodrum or Torba. With the neighbouring Çökertme, Akbük and Alakışla coves it forms Gökova’s classic boat route.