Taşlica & Serçe Limanı

Taşlica

Taşlica is the last village on the Bozburun Peninsula that can be reached by car. Coming from Bayır, when you reach the outskirts of Söğüt, you should take the left turning that leads to Taşlica, rather than follow the road back down to the sea at Söğüt.   The signpost says 5Km but it seems longer.  You are rewarded with breathtaking sea views and pass some pretty impressive private villas including one with heavy security that suggests a very important owner.

Perched at the end of the peninsula, Taşlica enjoys fantastic panoramic views of the ocean that surrounds the village on three sides. The local cash crops are honey and nuts and there is some small scale tourism. The village itself is a mix of somewhat dilapidated buildings and modern private villas.  It's worth a quick walk around: humans and animals seem to live side-by-side - expect to see donkeys ambling down the main street!  Remains of the ancient city of Phoenix are four kilometers away from Taşlica on the Asar Hill.

Serçe Limanı

Serçe Limanı (Serçe Harbour) is a further 8-10Km on. Just before entering Taşlica village, take a fork to the right. The road is gated so if you do have to open the gate - don't forget to close it behind you.  You pass through a fertile valley with olive groves alongside grazing land.  Expect to meet plenty of livestock on your way down to the sea - goats, donkeys and cows.  You are also likely to meet some locals selling honey, almonds, herbs etc. - conveniently, everything seems to cost 10TL! 

Serçe Limanı became (somewhat) famous in the late 1970s, when a team from the Turkish Institute of Nautical Archaeology and Texas A&M University excavated what became known as the "Glass Wreck" which lies on the sea bed just off the coast.  Their full report makes interesting reading.

Today, the harbour at Serçe Limanı is very basic.  There is just one cafe - the improbably named Captain Nemo's!.  You will also find a few fishing boats, maybe some visiting yachts and one or two trip boats.  These can be hired to take you further on along the Bozburun peninsula to bays not accessible by road - such as Bozukkale which is a convenient starting point for visiting the ancient city of Loryma, dating from the 7th century BC.  Bozukkale means "broken castle" and its location, almost directly opposite the ancient Greek city of Rhodes, lends support to a theory that it was built by Rhodian craftsmen trying to deny the harbour to enemy fleets.