Küçük Boncuklu Bay: Fethiye's Clear-Water Cove Next Door

Some of Fethiye's best swimming is hiding in plain sight. Küçük Boncuklu — 'Little Boncuklu' — is a small, pine-shaded cove on the western shore of Fethiye Bay, close enough to town that locals nip out for a swim after work. Together with its twin, Büyük Boncuklu, it forms a pair of quiet coves that most package tourists never find.

Here's the short guide: where the cove is, how to reach it by road and by water, and how to build it into a good day on the bay.

Where is Küçük Boncuklu?

On the western shore of Fethiye Bay, in Muğla's Fethiye district. From the town centre the road passes the Karagözler quarter and follows the shore for a few kilometres to the cove. Aksazlar and Samanlık lie on the same stretch, and Şövalye Island sits a short hop offshore — the whole shoreline is one string of swimming stops.

Getting there

By road it's a 10–15 minute drive or scooter ride from central Fethiye, and in season the beach operation provides sunbeds and a café. By water, the Boncuklu coves are a standard stop for Fethiye bay tours — or come on your own keel: with a private boat from Fethiye you enter the cove from its best side and skip the busy hours entirely.

The water and the setting

A pebble-and-sand shoreline, pines leaning over the water, and a sea that goes glassy on calm afternoons — snorkelling along the rocky edges is genuinely good. The cove's size keeps crowds small, and late afternoon light on the far side of the bay is quietly spectacular.

Making a day of it

Boncuklu works best as part of a loop: a morning swim off Şövalye Island, lunch at anchor in Boncuklu, then Aksazlar or Samanlık as the day cools. Heading further south brings you to Ölüdeniz and Kabak Bay; for more anchor-and-swim ideas, our guide to the best swimming spots has the full list.

Tips

Weekend middays are busiest — go on a weekday or before noon. Water shoes help on the pebbly entry, and the pines double as natural parasols. Like every cove on this bay, Boncuklu stays clear because visitors leave nothing behind.