Cleopatra's Island

Deep in the Gulf of Gokova lies a small island steeped in legend. It is said that this island was given to Queen Cleopatra by her lover, Mark Antony. The beach here is made of seashells, each grain of sand a perfect sphere. There is only one other place in the world where this sand exists: on the banks of the Nile Delta in Egypt. According to legend the sand was shipped from the Red Sea in North Africa, so that the lovers could bathe on the soft grains in their own private paradise.

For this reason the beach is heavily protected to prevent any sand being removed. In fact, it is completely cordoned off. Towels and shoes are forbidden, and lifeguards have whistles at the ready if anyone gets too close. At night, the island is closed and under 24hour surveillance.

But despite the unusual circumstances (and hoards of tourists), it was a thoroughly enjoyable experience. A wooden boardwalk directs visitors around the beach and straight into the water. Even so, the precious sand is in abundance below the surface, turning the water a beautiful shade of turquoise. It stretches out into the sea for 20-30metres, so we swam out past the imported sand and scooped up a local specimen for comparison - the difference was clear. Cleopatra’s sand is a marvel! Millions of grains of perfectly formed shells, and by far the softest sand we have ever come across. Each piece was like a small uncooked grain of quinoa!

Beyond the beach are the ruins of an ancient city, Kedreai. Today it is known as Sedir Island, although cedar trees can no longer be found here. We wandered the boardwalks of this well-maintained outdoor museum to where an impressive amphitheatre nestles under silvery olive trees. And beyond that, on the far side of this little island, archeologists quietly toil in the shade, meticulously unearthing yet more pieces of history.