Lara Bay Anchorage Guide

The Anchorage

Open sandy bay east of Antalya. Good holding in clean sand. Very open to south, SW, SE and east — fair-weather anchorage only. Day stop and swim destination. Avoid overnight unless forecast is firmly settled and northerly.

Setting Your Anchor

The bottom at Lara Bay is primarily sand with reliable holding when properly set. Use the following approach:

1. Approach slowly and check your depth sounder on the way in. At 4–10m, deploy at minimum 7:1 scope (70m chain at 10m depth).
2. Drop into the wind or current and pay out chain steadily as the boat drifts back — do not allow chain to pile on the anchor.
3. Set firmly in reverse. Apply moderate throttle astern for 30–60 seconds. The chain should tighten without the boat moving backwards.
4. Take a GPS bearing. Note your position once set and compare to the scope calculator to confirm you have adequate chain for the depth.

Recommended anchor types for this bottom: Rocna, Delta. See our guide to anchor types by bottom for detailed comparisons.

Overnight Anchoring & Anchor Alarm

Overnight stays at Lara Bay are feasible but require monitoring. The anchorage is exposed to S and SW and SE and E winds.

Set your GPS anchor alarm to 65m radius before going below for the night.65m in the open sandy bay. Very exposed to south, SE, SW, and east — this is a fair-weather daytime anchorage. The sand gives good holding when set, but the wide exposure makes overnight stays risky except in the most settled summer conditions. Use Antalya Harbour or Kemer Marina for reliable overnight shelter.

June–September for daytime stops. Overnight only in perfectly settled summer conditions. A transit waypoint rather than a destination.

Navigation Hazards

• Very open bay — exposed to S, SW, SE, and E; only suitable in firmly settled northerly conditions
• Resort water sports, jet skis, and tour boats throughout the day in season
• Poyraz (NE) can develop quickly in the Antalya Gulf — monitor NE sector carefully
• Commercial shipping lane for Antalya port traffic passes close to the bay

Rules & Regulations

• Permit: Not required
• Anchoring fee: Free
• Restrictions: Fair-weather anchorage only. No anchoring within 150m of the swimming beach zones (marked by buoys). Give resort water sports areas wide clearance.

For a full overview of Turkish anchoring rules, see our overnight anchoring rules by region guide.

Facilities

• Fresh water: Not available on site
• Fuel: Not available — nearest: Antalya city (8nm)
• Restaurant: Resort hotels along the beach have restaurants — accessible by dinghy or tender
• Provisions: None on site — Antalya city (8nm)

Skipper's Tips

1. Use as a lunchtime stop on the passage between Antalya and further east — not a destination anchorage
2. The beach is long and sandy — good swimming if the resort water sports give you space
3. Monitor weather carefully — if anything other than N/NW is forecast, use Antalya harbour
4. Best in July–August when the northerly meltemi pattern is most stable