Bozburun Peninsula is indeed a place full of untapped hidden gems of scenic corners, marvellous seaviews, and peaceful fishing villages picturesque enough to be the backdrop of any romantic love films. After the amazingly beautiful ruins of Amos and the stunning seas of Hisaronu, Orhaniye and Bozburun, I arrived at another unknown little paradise by the name of Söğüt.
Tucked away right at the very end of the Bozburun Peninsula, Söğüt is just a mere 6km away east of Bozburun, but due to the absence of public transportation between these two villages, those who want to visit these two places on the same day have to do it either with their own car, or use a taxi or even hitch a hike. Otherise, be prepared to head all the way back to Marmaris and change onto another minibus, as the route used by minibuses from Marmaris to Bozburun is completely different from the one used by minibus from Marmaris to Söğüt. Both routes do not intersect with each other at any point at all.
The minibus journey to Söğüt pass by some very mountainous and winding terrains, it takes more than an hour on the bumpy road to reach Söğüt from Marmaris. Yet this mountainous journey also offers some of the most impressive and breath taking views of the incredibly beautiful countryside between Marmaris and Söğüt. As soon as the minibus turns off the main Marmaris - Turunc road and starts heading inlands, on both sides of the narrow winding mountain road one sees some of the most picturesque views of green valleys with dense pine forest, olive trees, wild flowers and the occasional small villages now and then. In between the views of the deep ravines are herds of cows and sheep grazing on the green grass on the roadside. As it was the beginning of spring, it is common to see the entire valley dotted with countless cherry trees in full blossom, a scene that resembles so much the mozaic of white and pink that seems to come straight out of one of Monet's impressionist paintings.
The harbour of Söğüt is about 1km outside of the village centre. At the very first sight I was a bit disappointed because it is not as beautiful as I had anticipated. The place looks a bit messy and untidy, not the meticulously designed setup with an understated elegance which I had come to expect of many harbours and marina in both Greece and Turkey. It seems the harbour of Söğüt also doubles as the place where ship building and other repair works are being carried out throughout the year. Nevertheless, in spite of the not-so-attractive harbour, as soon as I set my eyes on the views of the harbour, I fell head over heels with it.
This is amongst the most carefree and most mind-liberating views of the Aegean I have ever seen. I feel I could have spent hours on end here on this pier, looking at the sea and enjoy the gentle breeze that brushes through my hairs. There is nothing except nature in this part of the Bozburun Peninsula, no man-made structure to obstruct the grandiose views and to come between me and the crystal clear sea sparkling so invitingly under the sun.
That blueness of the sea is so incredible and magical, it brightens up the whole landscape and is capable of turning the mundane into the most extraordinary.
The village of Söğüt, located on a hill with splendid views of the bays at the tip of the Bozburun Peninsula, is a low-key, ordinary-looking Turkish village with a few shops and one tea house where older village men gather in the afternoon to play cards and chat with one another. About 2km up a small, slightly uphill road from the centre of the village is the ruins of ancient city of Saranda (not to be confused with the town of Sarande in present-day Albania, not far away from the Greek island of Corfu), one of the many ancient settlements located on the Bozburun Peninsula. The walk from Söğüt to the ruins of Saranda once more offers more breath-stopping views of the Aegean sea, with the silhouette of the headlands of the Bozburun Peninsula lurking in the distant background.
In the summer months, a few hotels, guesthouses and cafes are open for business down at the little harbour of Söğüt, offering day-trippers and visitors some places to have a drink and take a break from the scorching summer heat. For those looking for a nice and quiet place off the beaten track to spend a few leisurely days on Turkey's Aegean, there are several hotels and family-run guesthouses in Sarande and near Söğüt harbour, offering decent accommodation with some of the best views of the Aegean one could ever hope for. A visit to Söğüt is by all means a very refreshing and positive change for anyone who is fed up of being stuck in the tourist enclaves of Marmaris and Icmeler and yearning for something entirely different.
Transportation: Fortunately there are several direct buses that connect Marmaris with Söğüt; the journey takes about 1.5 hours and costs 8TL one way. You can either get off at Söğüt's harbour and walk your way back to the village centre and up towards Sarande, or first explore the ruins of Sarande before heading down to the harbour and its pebble beach for a swim. Several hotels are available although prices tend to be higher than similar hotels in Marmaris or Icmeler.
Copyrights@2012. All text and photos by YC Cheng. All Rights Reserved.
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