Cleopatra Island is a very exceptional place in Marmaris with its yellow fine sands, turquoise colored sea, and the Kedreai ancient city.  The island is located on the east side of the Gökova Gulf. It is named as 'Sedir Adası' in Turkish, which means 'Cedar (tree) Island’. We have no clue why that name was given, because there's not a single tree of that kind on the island. One of the well known names associated with the island is the "Cleopatra". There is also a story about that name, which roughly says: the Egyptian queen Cleopatra had met with the Roman commander Antonius on this island, they had swam together in the beach, for which they had brought the golden-yellow fine sand from Egypt with ships. This story is only at the level of a touristic fairy tale. As what is known until now, does not support it in any way. But it still sounds good.

 

The settlement on Cleopatra Island has been formed on the eastern side of the neck, that divides the island into two. The theater of the city, sanctuaries, houses, harbor and other buildings are on this area and are surrounded by ramparts.

​

History of Kedreai

The first known settlers of the island are the Dores. Later on, there has been a continuous settlement on the island, during the era of the Greek, Persian, Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine respectively. The settlement on the east of the island was built with regular cut stones, and was surrounded by strong walls which were also supported by a number of towers. In the middle of the hill, there are remains of the Temple of Apollo. Despite being covered with olive trees, the theater on the northern slope is well preserved. This theater can be considered as large, when compared to the population settled in the island. It can be concluded from the epitaphs that, various games and sports competitions had been organised at this theatre. The necropolis of Kedreai city is not located on the island, instead on the mainland opposite. The Spartan commander Lysandros got angry with the people of island, who supported Athens during the Peloponnesian Wars, which had begun in 406 BC. Then he captured the island and had sold everybody on captive markets. From that time on, the city have never returned to its former glory days.

​

Transportation

Cleopatra Island is accessible with boats, that depart from the Çamlı Pier (pier of Çamlı Village). The pier is 18 kilometres (20 min) away from Marmaris. The first section of 12 km of this route is a main asphalt paved road, and the remaining 6 km is a worn-out asphalt, passing through the villages. There is plenty of space for car park around the pier. With the small boats, you can get to the island in 20-25 minutes. That boats depart abiding by a timetable, and a round trip fee is 20₺ per person. Return of the boats from the island to Çamlıca starts at 1pm and scheduled until 7pm with departures in every 30 minutes. Since Celopatra Island is also an official open air museum, there is a separate fee for entrance to the island too. With 'Müzekart' it is possible to freely enter the island twice a year, and with 'Müzekart+' there is no limit. But if you do not have a Müzekart, you have to pay extra 20₺. The island is open from April to October from 8:30 am to 6:30 pm.

​

An alternative way of getting to Cleopatra Island is attending the daily boat tours, which depart from Akyaka. They take about an hour-long break in front of the Cleopatra Beach. Additionally, there are public minibuses (dolmush) to Çamlı Village, which will bring you to Çamlı Pier. 

​

Cleopatra Beach

The legendary Cleopatra Beach is about 50 meters wide, and is located on the north-east coast of the island.  You can walk to the beach on a wooden 160-meter wooden path, starting from the pier where the boats moor. On this path, there is a warning in Turkish and English, saying "The beach sand must not be removed and taken away". Sands of the Cleopatra Beach, which have not been encountered in similar climatic conditions and have been formed in a very long time under the influence of carbonated water, are protected under the law. It is even not allowed to step on the beach with towel and slippers. Actually, people are allowed to step on only a little part of the beach already. And that small section of the beach is marked with a rope (You can see from the photos in the gallery). But the sunloungers are on a plain area, which is very close to the sea. In this area there are plenty of sunloungers and umbrellas, toilets, 6 changing cabins, 4 showers and numerous picnic tables. Fortunately they are all free to use. There is also a small cafe, which is a bit expensive. As of July 2017 0.5 lt of water is 3₺, 1 lt of water: 5₺, orange juice:10₺, hamburger: 17₺, toast:10₺. The best idea would be to bring your food from outside, and buy the cold drinks there.

​

Historical Areas

Just 150 meters behind the beach, there are ruins of the Great Basilica. Other historical places are all located on the east side of the island. There is a wooden walkway which leads you directly to the historical areas. On the way there is an agora, amphitheater, city walls and the Apollon Sanctuary. The amphitheater is in the best condition among the remains. It is roughly 400 meters away from the beach, and has a beautiful view. There is a heart-shaped stone in the Temple of Apollo. It is believed that anybody who sits on the stone gets married in that year ;) 

​

Bonus-1: On the way to Çamlı Pier, there are numerous breakfast restaurants. They all guarantee delicious breakfast with natural local products. We recommend you: ‘Azmakbaşı'

​

Bonus-2: On the same way, you can buy organic food from the villagers such as cheese, eggs and goat milk. You can find the food sellers easily, they put handwritten signs in front of their gardens. 

​

Bonus-3: You can buy a Müzekart (Museum Card) from Marmaris Castle in 5 minutes. All you need is an ID card and a photograph.