Ovabükü

Ovabükü is a bay about 16 km from Datça, near the village of Mesudiye. Turn off the main road towards Mesudiye and head down to the coast, and you'll find two coves side by side: Ovabükü and its neighbour Hayıtbükü. Ovabükü has a fairly long shoreline, so the beach feels roomy even in summer. Instead of big developments, small hotels, guesthouses and restaurants line the shore.

Calm is Ovabükü's defining quality. Clear water and small-scale businesses make for a day well away from the pace of the big beach clubs. Mornings often bring glassy water; sitting out the midday heat in the shade and swimming again in the late afternoon is the natural rhythm here. It's the kind of place where you bring a book and happily spend the whole day in the same patch of shade. For dinner, nearby Hayıtbükü is another option.

Mesudiye itself lies a little inland, and the Datça sections of the Carian Trail pass through it. For walkers, Ovabükü is a welcome place to cool off at the end of a day on the trail. If you're driving, return through the village to see the contrast between holiday life on the coast and village life inland. Palamutbükü is just a few kilometres further west.