Akyaka Travel Guide: the Azmak, beaches and the Gulf of Gökova

Akyaka at a glance

• Location: about 25 km from Muğla city, about 30 km from Marmaris and about 14 km from Ula.
• Nature: Akyaka lies inside the Gökova Special Environmental Protection Area, declared in 1988.
• Recognition: Cittaslow member since 2011; UN Tourism Best Tourism Village 2025; Blue Flag town beach.
• Highlights: the Azmak river, kitesurfing, boat trips to Sedir Island, hiking the Idyma Way, fish restaurants along the Azmak.

Sources: Ministry of Environment Akyaka report (2023) · Gökova SEPA brochure · Cittaslow · UN Tourism 2025 · Blue Flag

How to get to Akyaka

By public transport

MUTTAŞ, Muğla Metropolitan Municipality's transport company, runs line 12-5 Menteşe–Akyaka from Muğla bus station to the town centre; current timetables are on the line page. Lines 12-12 Ula–Akyaka and 12-6 Akyaka–Marmaris connect the town with Ula and Marmaris. Timetables change, so check the line page before you travel. Long-distance minibuses on the Fethiye–Muğla road can drop you at the Akyaka junction on the main road, about a 15-minute walk downhill into town.

By car

The Akyaka road leaves the Muğla–Marmaris highway and reaches the town centre after about 1.5 km. Coming from Muğla, the descent from the Sakar Pass gives a view over the whole bay.

Verde Suites arranges transfers from Dalaman and Milas-Bodrum airports for an additional fee.

Sources: Ministry of Environment Akyaka report · MUTTAŞ line 12-5 Menteşe–Akyaka · MUTTAŞ line 12-12 Ula–Akyaka · MUTTAŞ line 12-6 Akyaka–Marmaris

The Azmak river (Kadın Azmağı)

Akyaka's landmark is the Azmak, officially Kadın Azmağı, a stream that runs through the town into the Gulf of Gökova. Fed by karst springs, it is short (around 2 km) but deep and fast-flowing. The water is crystal clear and noticeably cold: university measurements found an annual average of about 16 °C. The name, meaning "women's stream", is said to come from local women washing laundry in its cold water.

Azmak boat tours

Boat tours run on about 1.5 km of the river. A rule in force since 2016 caps the number of boats at 23 and required them to switch to solar or electric power; by 2024 every boat had converted. A trip takes about 30 minutes. From these quiet boats you can see water plants and freshwater turtles, and otters live in the area.

Can you swim in the Azmak? No. In 2021 Ula Municipality banned entering the water because of low water levels and to protect wildlife, and signs along the banks warn against it. Enjoy the Azmak from the riverside path or on a boat tour. All fishing in the Azmak is also prohibited.

The fish restaurants lining the Azmak are one of the town's most popular stops, for overnight guests and day visitors alike.

Sources: Ministry of Environment Akyaka report · Kadın Azmağı water-quality study (2019) · Entry ban (CNN Türk, 2021)

Beaches in and around Akyaka

Akyaka public beach (Blue Flag)

The town's own beach is the Blue Flag Akyaka Halk Plajı, run by Ula Municipality. It is a sandy beach with a long shallow stretch, lined with restaurants and cafés.

Kite Beach (Akçapınar)

Just east of Akyaka, the kite beach at Akçapınar is dedicated to kitesurfing. Its shallow, flat water suits beginners.

Çınar Beach

About 3 km west of Akyaka along the coast road, and walkable from town. It is one of the busiest beaches in high summer.

Akbük Bay and coves reached by boat

Akbük Bay, on the road to Ören, is about 30 minutes (about 25 km) by car, and one of our top recommendations for a swim. Coves that cannot be reached by land are visited on daily boat trips from Akyaka in summer (see Boat trips).

The swimming season runs roughly May to October. According to the ministry report, the sea averages about 26 °C in August and about 15 °C in February.

Sources: Blue Flag: Akyaka public beach · Ministry of Environment Akyaka report · GoTürkiye: Akyaka

Boat trips and Sedir Island

In summer, daily boat trips leave Akyaka for coves around the Gulf of Gökova, and some of them stop at Sedir Island. Routes vary by operator and weather.

Sedir Island (Kedreai)

The largest of a group of three islands in the Gulf of Gökova, Sedir Island is famous for the fine sand of the so-called Cleopatra Beach. It also holds the ruins of ancient Kedreai: a theatre for about 2,500 people, a sanctuary of Apollo, a basilica and an agora. You can reach it on daily excursion boats from Akyaka, or on boats from Çamlı village in the Marmaris district.

The island is a ticketed archaeological site run by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. The sand is strictly protected: no shoes or towels on the beach, and no sand may be taken. Check the official page for current fees and opening hours.

Sources: Turkish Museums: Sedir Island · GoTürkiye: Muğla · Gökova SEPA brochure

Kitesurfing, hiking and outdoor sports

Kitesurfing and windsurfing

Most days a thermal wind builds over Gökova towards midday and fills the bay through the afternoon. The windiest and most reliable months are roughly May to September. The first 150 m or so at Kite Beach are shallow, which makes it a good place to learn. Kite schools operate in Akyaka.

The Idyma Way

The Idyma Way is a walking route of about 150 km in 10 sections, through villages, canyons, olive groves and pine forest around Akyaka and Gökova. Akyaka is its hub: section 1 runs from Akyaka to Turnalı (18 km), and section 10 is a 20 km loop from Akyaka to the Sakar summit (990 m), Idyma, Gökova and back. The route meets the Carian Trail at several points.

Other outdoor sports

According to the ministry report, outdoor sports in Akyaka also include sea and river canoeing, sailing, rock climbing, paragliding and cycling tours.

Sources: IKSURFMAG Gökova · GoTürkiye: Idyma Way · Culture Routes Society: Idyma Way · Ministry of Environment Akyaka report

History and Akyaka's wooden houses

Nail Çakırhan and Akyaka's wooden houses

Akyaka's wooden houses, with their timber balconies and wide eaves, take their cue from one man's home. Journalist and poet Nail Çakırhan (1910–2008) had no architectural training, yet he built his house, completed in 1971, with two local master carpenters, drawing on the traditional building forms of Ula and Muğla. It won the Aga Khan Award for Architecture in the 1981–1983 cycle and became the model for the town's style, which a building regulation still protects today.

Ancient Idyma

The remains of the Carian city of Idyma lie in the north-east corner of the Gulf of Gökova, between Akyaka and Gökova village. Its acropolis and rock tombs date from the 4th–3rd centuries BC; the best-preserved monumental rock tomb is at İnişdibi on the Akyaka–Gökova road. A Byzantine castle stands on a low hill near the Azmak.

Sources: Aga Khan Award: Nail Çakırhan Residence · GoTürkiye: Muğla · Ministry of Environment Akyaka report

When to visit Akyaka

Akyaka has a Mediterranean climate: hot, dry summers and mild, rainy winters, with most rain falling between November and April. Sakartepe, the roughly 1,000 m mountain behind the town, shelters it from northerly winds.

Verde Suites' outdoor pool is open all year round.

Source: Ministry of Environment Akyaka report (climate and sea-temperature table)

Food, drink and nightlife

The fish restaurants along the Azmak are Akyaka's best-known food stop. Fish caught in Gökova include grey mullet, gilt-head bream, sea bass and red mullet.

• Muğla köftesi: grilled meatballs seasoned only with salt, a registered geographical indication.
• Gökova sesame: grown around Akyaka and Akçapınar; registered as a geographical indication in 2026.
• Local produce: pine honey, olives and olive oil, olive-oil soap, thyme and sage, and wild greens.
• From Muğla cuisine: sündürme (meat stew), ekşili balık (sour fish stew), oğlak güveç (kid goat stew) and Muğla halkası (ring pastry).

Our picks

• Fish restaurants along the Azmak: fish in the evening, and a Turkish spread breakfast (serpme kahvaltı) in the morning.
• West Cafe: breakfast and meals with an international menu.
• Mosso: a café-bistro on the beach serving Mediterranean dishes and sushi.
• Azmak Pide Kebap (Sahil Sokak): pide, kebabs and soup until late at night.
• Febiha: carefully prepared home-style cooking.
• Sohra (Akçapınar): Aegean cuisine, reimagined.

Nightlife

• No:22 Riders Inn: live music with good cocktails.
• Poison Pub: the kitesurfers' hangout, and the place to meet fellow kite fans.
• Rahat Meyhane: a traditional meyhane for a long evening with friends.

Markets

The Akyaka market is held on Wednesdays and the Gökova market on Saturdays: a good chance to buy pine honey, olive oil, local herbs and seasonal produce.

Sources: Ministry of Environment Akyaka report · Muğla köftesi GI certificate · Gökova sesame (TRT Haber) · GoTürkiye: Taste Muğla

Day trips from Akyaka: Ula, Muğla, Köyceğiz, Dalyan

• Gökova village and Idyma: just east of Akyaka; acropolis and rock tombs.
• Akçapınar: the Akçapınar stream, Kite Beach and a eucalyptus-lined avenue.
• Ula: about 14 km; home town of Nail Çakırhan and of film director Yüksel Aksu. Aksu's 2006 film Dondurmam Gaymak (Ice Cream, I Scream) was shot in and around Ula, and the ice-cream shop of the same name in Ula is well known. His 2025 film Bak Postacı Geliyor, inspired by the story of his postman father and his mother, is also set and filmed in Ula.
• Muğla: about 25 km; the Saburhane quarter with about 400 listed houses and distinctive chimneys, and the historic Konakaltı Han.
• Marmaris: about 30 km.
• Köyceğiz: about 30 minutes by car. Lake Köyceğiz and the Yuvarlakçay stream with its sweetgum forest; part of the Köyceğiz–Dalyan Special Environmental Protection Area.
• Dalyan: about an hour by car. Boat trips on the Dalyan river, the 4th-century BC rock-cut "King's Tombs" of ancient Kaunos, and İztuzu Beach, one of the last beaches where loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) are found.

The furthest of these places is about an hour from Akyaka by car, so each makes an easy day trip.

Sources: GoTürkiye: Muğla · Ministry of Environment Akyaka report · Köyceğiz–Dalyan SEPA brochure · Turkish Museums: Kaunos · Ice Cream, I Scream (Wikipedia) · Bak Postacı Geliyor (Beyazperde)

Tips from your hosts

What we recommend most to our guests:

• An Azmak boat trip: our top recommendation is the roughly 30-minute trip along the Azmak on quiet, eco-friendly electric boats.
• Swim at Akbük Bay: do not miss Akbük Bay on the road to Ören for a swim; about 30 minutes by car.
• An early walk by the Azmak: walk the riverside path early in the morning, before the crowds.
• Breakfast by the Azmak: set aside one morning for a Turkish spread breakfast at one of the riverside restaurants.
• Afternoon at Kite Beach: once the wind picks up, head to Kite Beach to watch the kitesurfers, or book a lesson.
• Sunset from the viewing terrace: watch the sun set over the bay from the Gökova Bay viewing terrace on the Sakar road.
• Cycle the Lovers' Lane: ride the eucalyptus-lined Aşıklar Yolu (Lovers' Lane) to Akçapınar.
• Wednesday market: pick up pine honey, olive oil and local herbs at the Akyaka market.
• Sedir Island, early: choose a boat that leaves early in the morning to arrive before the crowds.
• A short trip to Idyma: walk or cycle to the Idyma rock tombs on the Akyaka–Gökova road.

Where to stay in Akyaka

Akyaka has everything from guesthouses to boutique hotels and holiday apartments. For larger families and longer stays, an apartment with a kitchen and several bedrooms is usually the more comfortable choice.

Frequently asked questions

Can you swim in the Azmak?

No. Ula Municipality banned entering the water in 2021 and there are warning signs along the banks. Explore the Azmak on a boat tour or from the riverside path.

Can I get to Akyaka without a car?

Yes. MUTTAŞ municipal bus line 12-5 runs from Muğla bus station to Akyaka, and lines 12-12 (Ula) and 12-6 (Marmaris) also serve Akyaka. The town is small, so the centre, the beach and the Azmak are all within walking distance.

How do I get to Sedir Island?

In season, on a daily boat trip from Akyaka or on a boat from Çamlı village. The island is a ticketed archaeological site and its sand is protected.

When is the best time for kitesurfing?

Roughly May to September. The thermal wind usually builds around midday and lasts through the afternoon, but it is not guaranteed every day.

Which day is market day in Akyaka?

The Akyaka market is on Wednesdays, and the nearby Gökova market is on Saturdays.

What is Akyaka like in winter?

Quiet. Most rain falls between November and April. It is a good time for hiking and rest, and Verde Suites' pool is open all year round.