Is the sea clean near hotels in Kemer Turkey — plastic pollution or sewage issues?

A late-August report described a band of trash between the shore and the buoys, while the water farther out appeared clean and clear.

In early September, a report described very murky nearshore water by the stream between Annabella and an abandoned hotel, with a whitish suspension flowing from the outlet. Staff attributed it to rain, but the reporter questioned that explanation; the water’s contents were not confirmed.

A recent report says that most pebbles have been washed away from the beach to the left of the pier, while the beach by Building A has accumulated even more stones and is described as being in very poor condition. This concerns beach conditions rather than water pollution.

A protective barrier/net has been installed near the pier to catch debris, but the water right by the pier is still dirty — better to swim further away from it.

A fresh check at 5:57 PM found no trash in the sea at all — the water just looked less clear due to waves, contrary to reports of pollution.

The small beach has a noticeable urine smell because there's no toilet there, and some people use the area instead. It's recommended to go to the big beach, which doesn't have this issue.

After the pollution issue got attention online, the situation improved quickly — there's no more large-scale plastic pollution on the coast. Occasionally in the afternoon some trash drifts in from boats, but overall the water is clean, and it's nearly crystal clear in the mornings.

One explanation shared in the discussion is that floating trash near Kemer beaches may come from excursion boats, and that offshore pipes at many hotels are sometimes used for beach sand replenishment rather than sewage discharge.

Near one of the hotel piers, a pipe discharging foul-smelling waste into the sea is located to the left when facing the water. It is normally covered by pebbles but surfaces during rough weather. Swimming to the right of the pier is recommended to avoid the contamination.

In mid-June, the sea near the Limak Limra and Svandor hotels was heavily polluted with small plastic debris and trash floating right at the shoreline — swimmers had to push it aside by hand. The problem persisted for several days in a row.

Guests at Svandor hotel reported that the neighboring Limak Limra hotel area was also affected by floating microplastics near the shore for several consecutive days. Travelers checking out the following day were concerned about whether conditions would improve.