Published on 30 November 2007 - Updated on 31 January 2010
by Freddy Riffont

Charts			Forecast area
Distances
Approach
by Day			by Night	Not advised.
Dangers	Take care to the reef situated at + -350/400m West from Castle island (N 36° 59’ 55" - E 28° 11’ 85"). Marked by a cardinal buoy. Take care also to the low draught between the antique harbour and the main anchorage of Castle island.		Lights	Unique light on Snake island FI.10s9M
Access	No problem from the NW (the GPS point of this record) or from the South (N 36° 59’ 38" - E 28° 12’ 68")		Draught	<2-6m
The Site
Vue des 3 îles du NE ©Freddy Riffont Ile du chateau ©bluecruise.org		Vue du Sud Port antique ©Freddy Riffont Vue passage Sud ©Freddy Riffont
Description
A very nice place that those harbour ruins. The 3 islands deserve that one visit it. It not without reason that many civilisations did decide to establish here.
General informations
Castle Island The incoming from the South allows to discover remains of the walls that bordered the island; then, you access to the antique harbour, of which one see very well the old breakwaters. The anchorage here is more quiet and well protected from the main winds. Small handicap, in the afternoon, the W-NW wind reinforces, passing then by the NW and S access, and shaking the anchorage. The best place is the back turned to the NW beneath the submerged N breakwater. Being transverse, the holding is excellent and without swell. The anchorage in the main creek face to the pontoon. During the season, there is a great concentration of gulets, with a maximum during the day. The visit is presently paying, and one access to the famous beach on a plank way. The beach is, to my humble advice, a touristic hell, and it has nothing extraordinary safe its denaturation by planks, barriers, small houses, and many tourists bathing. The SE anchorage, near the beach with an abandonned hotel. This anchorage is definitely not good by W-NW wind, because the swell enters in force, mainly in the East angle. Protection available by NE-E to SE wind. But it is not a nice place. Snake island In this protected anchorage, there is a nervous swell and much wind, but without danger, in the afternoon. Sunbathing on the Cleopatra beach, located on Sedir Island, has been prohibited with a decision aiming to preserve the sands, which are believed to have healing properties. “Tourists who sunbathed in the Cleopatra beach used to carry the sands on their swimsuits. We banned sunbathing on the beach in order to prevent this situation," Muola’s Provincial Culture and Tourism director Osman Murat Süslü said. "People can sunbathe in the lounges located at the back. The beach can now only be used for swimming.” He said the area sand was formed through a long geological process. “Since the water contains carbonate in the region, rock formations here turned into sand, which is believed to have a relieving effect. We want to preserve the sand. We will also put some warning signs.” It is said that Cleopatra would have brought sand from North Africa with galleys (this version is evidently assumed by greats specialists, like the Dr Folamour).
the Place
Tourism	Except Cleopatra Beach, the two other islands are Snake island and Sarcophagus island. The first presents in the South, it seems, an easy place to moor that seems to be cut in the rock, with some ruins and the possibility to make good pictures, and in the East curious geological formations in cristal shape (due to beach sand??). Sarcophagus island: if there are no snakes on Snakes island, there is a very old sarcophagus on this island.	Est île du Serpent ©Freddy Riffont Accostage île du Serpent ©Freddy Riffont Cleopatra beach