Gemile Bay, Gemile Beach and Gemile Island opposite them lie within the Uzunyurt (Faralya) quarter of the Fethiye district of Muğla, and are a first-degree natural conservation site.
The island was formerly called Aya Nikola. On it are the remains of churches of the early Christian and Byzantine periods, dating between the fifth and eleventh centuries; the frescoes of the large church are in good condition. There are also the remains of cisterns by the shore. Earthquakes in the years 240 and 241 left part of the remains along the shore under water, and the submerged ruins can be seen at a depth of two metres.
The bay and beach are sheltered, with a good sand beach ringed by pine and olive, and they draw not only excursion boats but, in the summer months in particular, picnickers coming by road from Fethiye through Hisarönü and Kayaköy. Kayaköy is only six kilometres away, so it is possible to walk here, and the route has been laid out as a stop on a trekking path.
The Gemile valley runs inland from the beach, steep and sheer, fed by the Aladere stream and its waterfall. Because the water of the waterfall is being carried off to the nearby Uzunyurt quarter, the natural balance here has begun to break down, and the matter remains on the environmental agenda.
There are other places to visit around Gemile: Beştaşlar, Soğuksu with its freshwater spring, Kısık Bay and the Kısık cave, and Afkule to the west of them.
When to go
- Climate
- Across Muğla as a whole, monthly mean temperatures run from 10.8 °C in January to 27.6 °C in August; the mean stays between 15 and 25 °C in April, May, June, September, October and November; rainfall is heaviest in December (207 mm) and lightest in August (4 mm). Long-term means for 2001-2025 from the Turkish State Meteorological Service (MGM).
Visiting hours
- Hours
- 09:00 - 20:00
Getting there
- Access
- The island lies about 9 kilometres south of Fethiye and is reached by sea from Gemile Bay at Kayaköy.
