IF you have ever taken the Number 6 Dolmus to Mavisehir, you will have passed through Sağtur, one of the more undiscovered places around Didim.

It’s best known for the Büyük Anadolu Resort on the beachfront. Still, there’s so much more to what is a sleepy village in the winter before transforming into a busy area filled with people from around Turkiye visiting their summer homes in the warmer months.

The Gümüşkoy – Sağtur – Kokina area is a long beach along the Huzur Site, Büyük Anadolu Hotel and Sağtur Site. While this beach is one of the biggest in Didim, it is also one of the 11 Blue Flag beaches.

Sagtur’s main beach lies to the side of the hotel and is a great place to spend a day. It has plenty of things to keep the most energetic entertained, with an array of watersports, a volleyball net, and a new basketball court.

The sea is also incredibly shallow for a long way out, making it one of the safest places to play in the water you’re likely to find.

There are currently four cafes around the bay, Oz Cafe and Seyir Cafe being the ones you’re most likely to find. The owners of Oz Cafe also have a shop for all those little beach essentials we all forget. The prices are also significantly lower than Altinkum and Mavisehir. There’s even a campsite on the right of the bay stretching out onto a spit of land in the distance.

If you’re looking for somewhere a little quieter, it’s easy to find. You only need to wander over the hill to the left, and you’ll be moments from another beautiful beach very few know about. Thanks to the sterling efforts of the Didim plogging community, it is also very clean.

Away from the beach is really where Sağtur excels thanks to the shop and cafe, Gocmen Market, run by brother and sister Mehmet and Emel. It is the beating heart of the community, especially during the quiet winter months. During the pandemic, it was the place you’d always find someone to help. The sitesi office is also here, and the staff is quick to help whenever possible.

It’s not the only place you can stop for a Cay and to pick up essentials. At the top of 2991 Sokak is Toprak Market, another welcoming shop with owners entering their second summer. They are amazingly friendly and, as an added bonus, also speak English.

There’s such a sense of community it isn’t uncommon for a car to stop and offer a lift into Didim or Mavisehir. It helps bring smiles and a sense of belonging so lacking in many other parts of the world.

Sağtur’s genuine wonder, though, is its sunsets. Watching the sun drop into the sea with a backdrop of the wonderful landscape is stunning, especially in the winter with slightly greying skies.

Sağtur has another claim to fame. It’s the setting for the award-winning children’s books by Maximilian Sam. There are also best-selling Turkish authors who base themselves here for the summer. You only need to look for the conversation being conducted using a translation app to spot the group of authors from different nationalities.

Is Sağtur perfect? Of course not. Nowhere is, but it’s difficult not to fall for a place moments from the beach with a strong sense of community. The heart of Sağtur lies undiscovered by many. It’s well worth scratching under the surface and finding a hidden gem.