Hello...

In this third part, I would like to introduce you to the northern side of Hisarönü Gulf, in other words, the southern coast of Datça Peninsula. As a general warning for these coasts, I would say bees. Some years they can be so intense that they can be disruptive. There are periods when they do not allow food preparation on the boat before it gets dark.

When we shove off Martı Marina and exit the bay to the north, we see Hisarönü Village, which gives its name to the bay, on our starboard side. The prevailing west-northwest winds, which blows throughout the summer, pours its waves on this coast, forming a beach along the shore. It is a village where vacationers coming by road are dense. Although it is possible to stay at anchor on the beach, the waves do not leave you alone. A huge hotel on the northern part of the shore does not match our expectations from nature tourism. However, the lush wooded area remaining from the old forest camp right next to it caresses our eyes.

Just west of the old forest camp, we find the first berth on the Datça Peninsula. İnbükü. From a distance, a small piece of the Datça road is visible. İnbükü is just below it. When you anchor, the marina is in sight from a distance. There are many regulars in the bay where the trees go down to the water. The berth population does not fall below 15-20 boats during the summer. Even though the bay's indentation in the direction of the northwest is very shallow, it is worth a visit by swimming or boating.

When we continue west and round a wide promontory, we find the second berth. Çamurlu Bay. Çamurlu Bay is wider. The wind always blows sweeping the pine trees descending down to the shore and carries their delicious scent to the boat. Since it blows from the shore, you don't need to be afraid that our boat will go deep and our anchor will be dragged as the scope of cable is short. Since the bottom is hard mud, it holds the anchor firmly and it deepens with a very slight slope and moves away from the shore. Of course, it is also possible to moor to the shore with a little long rope.
When leaving Çamurlu Bay, sheer off the headland, there is debris. The shore moves in the southwest direction in this part. After a mile or so, we reach Sucağız Bays as if there are three small brackets inside one big bracket that has entered the north. The first of these faces west, the second south and the third east. This bay facing east is also called Emel Sayın Bay in the region. On the shore of the middle bay facing south, the very rare sweetgum trees from which sweetgum oil is extracted are so beautiful that the locals call it Günlüklü Bay. And if you are lucky you can watch wild horses roaming the hillsides.

Unfortunately, the misfortune of Sucağız Bays was the luxurious and big hotel just west of it. The luxury motor yachts that come to the hotel, which has turned the pool-like bay formed by the Kara Cape and the small Tavşan Island just east of it on the map into its own beach, are so many that the front of the hotel and Tavşan Island are not enough, they invade the Sucağız Bays and even the entire land area up to Çamurlu Bay. They stern to side by side like a marina. The gigantic ones also stay at anchor in that area. I used to love Sucağız Bays before this trend that started with the Covid pandemic. Now it is a different world...

When you sheer off Tavşan Island and Kara Cape, you will see a buoy on your heading "pass south of me". Actually, it would have been more correct to put "danger below me" where it is located and move it to where the debris of Kara Cape ends, but they saved on buoy. You can pass north of that buoy,as long as you do not get too close to the cape.

Now, when you read these lines, you may think that I am suggesting something unsafe, but when you go there and see the distance between the debris of the cape and the buoy and watch the boats sailing very comfortably in the area I have mentioned, your opinion will change. In fact, even those with whom we have sailed together once know how much I care about the concept of "safety" in seamanship and how meticulously I apply it. For example, until we reach the last berth of the day; I would not allow anyone to drink alcohol, not even a beer, during the cruise and breaks...

After abreasting Kara Cape, we see Dişlice Island on our starboard bow. It is really a tooth-tooth island with a very interesting natural structure. The east coast is a good berth, but only if you moor. Why is it necessary to moor; because the bottom deepens very fast and when the boat on anchor slips off, it lifts the anchor. So how are we going to anchor in such deep water? Anchoring on Dişlice Island has a very interesting feature that has no other example in the region. It is like this;

See the island as a coffee mug that you put on the edge of the table. Then hold a book that slopes down the edge of the table 45-60 degrees to the ground. Here is the bottom structure to the east of the island. And that book, even though it is slightly mossy, holds the anchor very well. So even if we anchor close, we achieve the purpose of ease, which is that the angle of the chain pulling the anchor is narrow. Of course, if we tie the stern and keep the boat steady. If the boat wanders and moves away from the edge of the table and drifts offshore, the chain steepens and the anchor lifts.
Dişlice Island is very interesting. The sea is amazingly beautiful, snorkeling around it is insatiable. You can cross through the natural tunnel inside the island. And more interestingly, a species of swallow special to this island flies only at sunset and sunrise and sings songs that we are not used to. It is really a great pleasure and a great privilege to watch this. That's why I used to love staying overnight on the island, but unfortunately we human beings have turned the island into a nest of rats and they have been breeding a lot in recent years. Since they come out at night, no matter what precautions I take, I cannot overcome the fear that they will enter the boat.

Heading north from Kara Cape, the land reaches a long, thin bay like a fjord, unique in Turkey. Bencik. It is as if Dişlice Island is the plug blocking the entrance to Bencik and it is waiting stepping back respectfully as if saying "come, visit, see the paradise, add life to your life". Another structure similar to Bencik is Hamsilos in Sinop, but it is only one third the size of Bencik.

Bencik, which enters like a snake, is a masterpiece of nature. It ends at the narrowest part of the Datça Peninsula. It is said that a fish caught in Hisarönü Bay is carried to Gökova Bay before it dies. Based on this, there are also those who call this isthmus the isthmus Balıkaşıran (Fish Stealer). You can either stay at anchor or stern to. During the season, the seller's boat goes around, the needs can be supplied. The fishermen on the shore can even cook fish for you on their boats.

The history of Bencik is also very interesting. At the very tip of the Datça Peninsula is Knidos. It is a very advanced civilization. For example, the first known and original Aphrodite statue was produced here. The ruins are worth a visit. The Knidosians were very advanced in art, science and trade, but they were weak in military. For this reason, they were always attacked. They developed a project like this: Let's dig the bottom of Bencik and open a passage to Gökova. If the enemy chases us from the south, we pass through the passage to the north, and in the meantime, we close the passage by rolling the rocks we stacked around. The enemy cannot come after us. If we are chased from the north, we can pass to Hisarönü in the same way and escape. They started digging at the bottom of Bencik with this zeal. However, they lost so many lives and limbs that they gave up, saying, "The gods don't want us to make Datça an island." Archaeologists have identified traces of these excavations.

One last thing; Dişlice Island, right across the entrance from the bottom of Bencik, gives such a magnificent photo at sunset that if I didn't know this image by heart, I would have believed the Greek tourism magazine and started traveling to the Greek islands because I would find it...

We took the boat out of Bencik even though our minds stayed inside. As we head west, just northwest of Dişlice Island, a lovely indentation protects you from the breeze and promises a peaceful night...

From this point onwards, please sheer off all the headlands and ledges to the west. There's debris almost all over it. May be because there were so many earthquakes in the area...

As soon as you turn the first wide ledge, a wide wooded beach comes to your starboard side. As we mentioned before, the beach means waves. This place is also open to the prevailing wind and waves. But an early morning swim and breakfast break can be very pleasant.

A mile or a mile and a half to the west, this time the name of paradise is Hurmalı Bük. You will be surprised by the dates in Hurmalı Bük, of course, but I suggest you disembark and walk a little to the east. Just over the low ridge on the shore, you will come across a huge and flat field. What a labor to cultivate this field where there is no road... When the weather is harsh in the North Aegean, its wave descends to Hisarönü. It adds to the wave of the breeze. In weather like this, the eastern side of Hurmalı Bük gets swell. Should prefer the west.

Just to the west of Hurmalı Bük, Cape Dil is a very beautiful place. When you look at it from the bay, you can't compare it to anything, but when you go around it, what box of tricks... Indeed, there are many beauties and berths hidden to the north of Cape Dil. It is called Gönlücekbükü Bay on the navigational chart. I think you should travel and enjoy it by paying attention to the debris and shallows...

If you have discovered the back of Cape Dil, you can head west along the coast. You will find three more small shelters until Kurucabük. Inlets for 2-3 boats are especially loved and preferred by gulets.

Maximum two miles west of Cape Dil, we reach the famous Kurucabük. It is the eastern one of the two bays of Aktur holiday village, which is one of the first ones that come to mind when Datça is mentioned. Aktur is the embodiment of the concept of respect for nature in a holiday village. It is also important for boatsman that the bus companies have ticket sales offices and the vehicles stop at Aktur. This address is given to the guests to be welcomed so that transportation is easy and so that they can buy necessities from the market and the pharmacy in the holiday village. Many sailors I know say that they enjoy staying in Kurucabük for days. Yes, the anchor gets the least load because of staying at anchor, but since the bottom is already noodle-like, the hold is not very strong. I won't be comfortable if I don't mention something that bothered me in Kurucabük. When I described İnbükü at the beginning of this chapter, I said that a part of the Datça road can be seen right above it. A part of the road can also be seen from Kurucabük. However, I think due to the nature of the area, while there is no road noise in İnbükü, it can be disturbing here, especially at night.

Aktur's coast is two bays like the number 3. Kurucabük is the small one to the east but sheltered from the breeze. Çiftlik Bay (not to be confused with Çiftlik Bay in Marmaris), located to the west of Adatepe Cape, which is like a small peninsula in between, is larger but open to wind and waves. It has a very nice sandy beach. The main settlement of the holiday village is on this side. There is a camping area and playgrounds on the Kurucabük side. I ignore the concrete pile on the east side of Kurucabük called "Yeni Aktur"...

Draw a line south from Cape Adatepe, in the middle of Kurucabük and Çiftlik Bays, across the border with Symi and down to Cape Ekmek (Cape Ala). It becomes a line bordering Hisarönü and Yeşilova gulfs. Let's take this as the border of Hisarönü Gulf so that we don't make this third part too long. Let's leave Datça Harbor and the area up to Knidos for another article.

May all your cruises and ports bring you joy, peace and joy of life; wishing you well-being...

turgut ilhan