Gemiler Island, the Pilgrim Harbour Without a Village

The short crossing from Ölüdeniz runs past cliffs and pine forest into a sheltered bay, and the island lies just off the beach like a lid. In calm weather the water between island and shore is almost glassy, clear enough to count the stones on the bottom. The ridge has a hump in the middle, and the hump explains the name. Gemile comes from the Greek word for camel.

Nobody lives here now. Yet this was once a town of several churches joined by a covered way, built for people who arrived by sea and expected to be looked after.

Where the pilgrims anchored

Gemiler lies across the bay from the mainland beach that shares its name, with the mountains behind Ölüdeniz closing the view to the east. The channel between island and shore stays calm, and that sheltered anchorage is why ships put in here in the early Christian centuries. The island has no spring. The people who lived on it caught rain in cisterns, which tells you how much they wanted to stay.

On medieval sea charts it appears as St Nicholas Island, after a faded inscription in one of the churches. One tradition holds that his remains lay on the island until Arab raids in the seventh century, when they were carried east to Myra. Whether the saint was ever buried here is still debated by scholars. The place mattered regardless, and the stones are still strong.

Climb first, swim after

The ruins sit on the ridge, reached by a rough path that climbs from the landing to the highest church. The path is loose stone, so it belongs in the cool hours. The mainland beach is empty early and fills with boats around noon, and by two the day boats arrive in numbers.

The island carries the remains of a Byzantine religious complex: several churches, traces of buildings that once housed monks or pilgrims, and a covered processional way. The covered way is the piece that stops people. A roofed passage linking the buildings is rare, and few Byzantine sites have anything like it. From the highest church the view runs across the bay and out to open sea.

The island offers stones, sky and sea and very little else. There is no shop, no café and almost no shade, so bring water and a hat.

Water deeper than the lagoon

Swimming here is a pleasure. The water is deeper than at Ölüdeniz, a little cooler and unusually clear. Snorkellers will find fish around the rocks near the island, and the best light is in the morning, when the sun is low. The beach on the mainland side is a modest strip of pebbles and sand, backed by pines and a couple of small restaurants. It does the job for lunch, and the better swimming is elsewhere.

Editor's picks

• Take an early boat from Ölüdeniz.The water is flat, the air is cooler and you land before the day boats do.
• Climb the island before the heat.The path to the highest church is rough, so wear shoes with grip.
• Walk the covered way.It is the reason to come, and it is worth the time to look properly.
• Swim off the island afterwards.The anchorage is sheltered and clear, and the rocks hold fish.
• Have lunch under the pines.The restaurants are simple, and a light picnic keeps the plan flexible.
• Follow the coast path east of the beach.It leads to rocky ledges where you can slip into the water with nobody else in sight, with pines above for shade.
• Come back in the evening if you are staying nearby.The light softens and the water turns a deep, even blue.

Insider notes

Landing from a small boat often means wading the last few metres, so keep a dry bag for your phone and keys. A small entrance fee is collected at the landing stage, so carry some lira. Ask the captain for a firm return time before you land, not when you are already at the summit. The coast path is worth an hour of walking even if you arrive by boat.

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How to get to Gemiler

Dalaman is the closest airport, about an hour by road to Ölüdeniz, where the water taxis and day boats to the island leave. Smaller boats also cross from Gemiler Bay itself, and day tours leave from Fethiye. Flights from Europe and Istanbul are covered in Getting there.

Gemiler is stones, sky and sea, and very little between them.