Mersin · TR

Yapraklı Koy Plajı

Tucked into a narrow rocky cove on Turkey's Mediterranean coast near Silifke, Yapraklı Koy Beach is a public swimming spot unlike any other. Locals call it "the pool in the sea" — a nickname earned because cold freshwater springs surging up from the Taurus Mountains meet the warm, salty Mediterranean right here, creating a shimmering turquoise basin framed by natural rock walls. At roughly 200 metres long and 50 metres wide, the cove is intimate and atmospheric, with a mix of sandy shallows and rocky edges where tiny fish dart between the stones. The beach is free to enter, managed by Mersin Metropolitan Municipality's tourism arm, and stocked with sun loungers, showers, changing cabins, and food stalls. Summer weekends can draw crowds, but early-season visits or autumn afternoons reward you with a near-private natural swimming pool.