Adrasan - Sleepy village with a beautiful bathing bay

Thursday, 08 September 2022 09:22
Written by Portal Editor

We accepted the invitation to participate in the event "Human Landscapes - Six Author Portraits of Turkey" at Akdeniz University (AKVAM) in cooperation with the Goethe Institute Izmir, which included the seminar on the presentation of 6 well-known writers (Nazim Hikmet, Yasar Kemal, Orhan Pamuk , Elif Safak, Murathan Mungan, Asli Erdogan) by the documentary filmmaker Osman Okkan in his own facility in Adrasan.

A few years ago we had also come to Adrasan on the trip from Olympos and so we were curious whether it was still the sleepy insider tip for bathers looking for peace and quiet without the tourist hype usual for the Riviera.

First we went to Akdeniz University in Antalya, where we were supposed to pick up two passengers, including the moderator and author of the films, Mr. Osman Okkan. Then we went on the D 400 past Kemer through beautiful pine forests in the direction of Kumluca, partly with a wonderful panoramic view of the sea, past a few inviting restaurants that offered shade under high plane trees, along the massif of the Tahtali to the traffic island with the junction direction Adrasan. Only now did it really become clear that we had been driving steadily uphill on the D 400, because now it went down in serpentines to Adrasan; from the main road it is about 12 kilometres to the seminar buildings of Akdeniz University.

Sleepy beach overlooking Tahtali

Now, at the end of March, both the place and the beach were almost deserted, as we noticed the next morning during a small tour. Despite the wonderful sunshine, a cold wind swept down from the mountains of the Taurus Mountains, which made us shiver at times. No wonder, because the view of the summit region of Tahtali showed the heights in the area covered in snow. It was only a few minutes' walk to the sea, which, with its fine sand and pebble beach and the deep blue sea, invited you to swim. Deserted and shimmering in the spring sun, the sea and the bay lay before us, which is rammed in on both sides by high rocks. There are no big hotels and restaurants, no promenade to stroll along, actually there is only original beach with a single row of buildings along the embankment, under which there are a few small shops, small pensions and restaurants. Of course, the beach here is freely accessible and we know from hearsay that this is precisely why many tourists are looking for this simplicity from June to September. Away from the hustle and bustle of the all-inclusive business. Families with children come here, who particularly want to use the gently sloping beach for safe bathing.

Fire of the Chimera and Limyra

How sleepy the place and the beach really are is shown by the offer to sell a boat lying on the way, which we had already found in the same place 6 years ago. The inscription "For sale" with a mobile phone number is still clearly visible on the boat, which has long since rotted away to a wreck. Will a buyer be found for this property?

Some workers can be heard making repairs from boats stranded on dry land, but otherwise the beach is actually deserted and perhaps that is why the beach is free of flotsam and other remnants of human encroachment on nature. The water also seems to be of great purity, because despite the slight waves you can clearly see the bottom of the sea. One more reason to come to Adrasan for a swim later in the year.

Right next to the beach there is an extensive reed area along a creek, which clearly refers to original alluvial land. The reeds reach up to 3.5 meters high into the sky. A paradise for birds and small animals. Despite the shortness of the visit, which was limited from the outset by the beginning of the seminar event, we were able to enjoy the charm of this wonderfully quiet bathing bay. We'll see if there will always be the opportunity to swim here in the summer.

Please read as well:

Mountainbike trails at ancient town of Olympos

Mario Lenzen - Enduro all-mountain bikers in Antalya