The Yassıca Islands: Göcek's Shallow Turquoise Playground

Ask anyone stepping off a boat in Göcek what they remember, and one name keeps coming up: the Yassıca Islands. This scatter of flat islets in the middle of Göcek Bay is the poster child of the Twelve Islands — a place where the water between the islands is so shallow, so sandy-bottomed and so absurdly turquoise that boats seem to hover rather than float. If you've seen one postcard of Göcek, it was probably shot here.

We've anchored at Yassıca more times than we can count. Here's what's worth knowing: where the islands are, how to visit, and the timing tricks that turn a good stop into a perfect one.

Where are the Yassıca Islands?

The islands sit in the middle of Göcek Bay, within the Twelve Islands group — just off Göcek, in the Fethiye district of Muğla. A boat leaving Göcek's marinas reaches them after a short, easy cruise. The group consists of a handful of low, flat islets (hence the name — yassıca roughly means 'flattish'), with sheltered sandy channels running between them like a natural swimming pool.

How do you get there?

By sea only — there is no land access. Most visitors come either on a Göcek day-tour boat, which calls here around midday, or on a private charter that can pick its own hour. Gulet, motor yacht, sailing boat or catamaran: every route through the bay passes Yassıca. For the full map of neighbouring anchorages, see our guide to Göcek's bays and islands.

Why is it so famous?

The shallows. Between the islets the water is waist-deep in places over pure sand, and the colour in sunlight is the kind of turquoise people assume is photoshopped. Families love it because children can swim between islets in calm, shallow water; photographers love it for obvious reasons; and everyone ends up climbing the highest islet for the view across the bay. Few anchorages anywhere pack this much into such a small circle of sea.

Anchoring and the best time of day

Boats usually anchor on either side of the shallow channel; the sandy bottom holds well, but the approaches need care — that's your captain's job. Timing changes everything here: midday belongs to the tour boats, while early morning and late afternoon leave the islands nearly to yourself, with the best light thrown in for free.

Nearby bays and a route that works

Yassıca sits in rich company: Zeytinli Island next door, Göbün and Boynuzbükü to the north, Tersane Island and Bedri Rahmi Bay with its famous fish rock to the west. A day that flows well: swim at Yassıca in the morning, lunch at Tersane or Bedri Rahmi, and a quiet late-afternoon anchorage at Boynuzbükü. With a private boat charter in Göcek you can run that route at your own pace — we'll match the boat to your group and plan the day. For longer itineraries, our blue cruise routes guide is the place to start.

Tips for your visit

Pack water shoes — the shallows are stony in patches — and a snorkel: visibility is superb. The sun in shallow water burns faster than you expect, so cover up at midday. And remember the whole area is a protected zone: nothing goes overboard, and anchoring rules exist so that Yassıca's turquoise stays exactly as you found it.