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SAMPLE TURKEY YACHT ITINERARY - MARMARIS TO GÖCEK / FETHIYE
This is an ideal route for those people on a 7 days charter. Marmaris is now a large and busy resort with a large harbour, private marinas and a labyrinth of covered streets for shopping. Once you leave the harbour you will find yourselves in beautiful mountainous scenery very quickly.
The first stop travelling towards Fethiye is Ekincik. This can be a busy area due to the village cooperative which runs an excellent water taxi service to the wonderful Dalyan delta with its famous sandbar (a protected nesting area for loggerhead turtles). Once you reach the sandbar, your boat will follow a circuitous route through a vast expanse of reed beds to the ancient ruins of Caunus. This is an impressive site with a well excavated Roman bath complex, theatre, agora, Byzantine Church and many more recent excavations. But it is the Lycian Temple-tombs carved into the cliffs overlooking modern Dalyan which make this excursion worthwhile.
From Ekincik, your cruise will take you to the Fethiye Gulf and the numerous coves and bays where you can while away the remainder of your week, snorkelling, swimming and enjoying the many water sports available. From two locations it is possible to walk up a steep path to explore the ruins of Lydae. At Ruin Bay (known locally as Hamam) you will find ruins on the edge of the sea from the Roman period.
Gocek, is a very attractive village and marina which is very popular with people chartering boats as it is only 30 minutes from Dalaman airport. There are many good local craft shops, restaurants and supermarkets for provisioning. You could choose to end your cruise here or just make a short visit and then move on to Fethiye.
Fethiye is well worth a visit, even if you don't end your cruise here. Known as Telmessus in ancient times, there is little of the old city except a number of rock tombs cut into the cliffs and the recently excavated theatre very close to the harbour. There is an excellent traditional market quarter for shopping with everything from pots and pans, fruit and vegetables to fabrics, towels and spices. Closer to the harbour is the modern centre full of carpet shops, restaurants and souvenir shops .
From Fethiye, you might also want to consider a day on land visiting the wonderful Lycian city of Pinara with its hundreds of rock tombs in the rock face of a high mountain. This is about an hour's drive from Fethiye in the mountainous region of ancient Lycia. From Pinara you can drive across to the Saklikent gorge and walk up the spectacular canyon created by centuries of springs and rivers. Evidence has been found, that prehistoric man sheltered in caves here. Wading through the icy waters guarantees a refreshing diversion from the heat. On the way back to Fethiye, a stop off at another Lycian city, Tlos is recommended. There are marvellous views from the Roman bath complex down through the Xantos valley to the ancient capital. (For more information on Lycia. This itinerary can also be followed in reverse - Fethiye to Marmaris.
7 DAY BLUE CRUISE BODRUM - GÖCEK with ÖLÜDENIZ
All sailing times are approximate and depend upon weather conditions.
Day 1: Embarkation in Bodrum harbor around 4 pm with welcome meeting and introduction to the crew. If you come early, we can store your luggage and then you can visit the various sites in Bodrum including in particular the Museum of Underwater Archaeology located in the Castle of Saint Peter. Cruise to a nearby bay for swimming, snorkeling and overnight.
Day 2: Cruise to Ancient Knidos. Swimming and lunch. Wander amongst the ruins of Knidos Town, the only surviving city of the Dorian Hexapolis and a famous port and medical center in antiquity. Cruise towards the lovely town of Datca for overnight stay either in the harbor or a bay close by.
Day 3: Cruise to Serce Bay for swimming and relaxing in one of the bays. This area has beautiful clear water and is great for snorkelling. Late afternoon 2 hours cruising to the large town of Marmaris with its cosmopolitan atmosphere and ample shopping. Spend the night in the harbor or in a nearby bay at anchor.
Day 4: Cruise to Ekincik for a not to be missed engaging tour* of ancient Lycia, one of the highlights of a Blue Cruise. Embark upon a flat bottomed, local riverboat to visit the environmentally protected Dalyan Delta wetlands, with their beautiful tall reeds and diverse wildlife (www.dalyaninfo.com). Continue on to the ruins of Caunos, including the extravagant Lycian tombs carved directly into the cliff sides. Continue up the river and indulge in the famous mineral mud baths reputed to bring a rosy glow to the skin. On the return, visit Iztuzu beach, home to the Caretta Caretta loggerhead turtles. Evening in Ekincik Bay.
Day 5: Early start for Ölüdeniz. Cruising time 5 hours. Have breakfast on the way or the gulet will stop for breakfast in Aga Limani. Visit the famous Lagoon in Ölüdeniz and enjoy the beach which has all kinds of water sport facilities. In the late afternoon cruise to Gemiler Island. Fifteen miles from Wall Bay, once home to Lycian and Byzantine pirates, the remains of an entire village are there to be explored; mosaics uncovered in 1999 and basilica. A wonderful place to swim and snorkel. Evening at anchor.
Day 6: Cruising to the Fethiye Gulf anchoring in its famous bays surrounded by pine forests for swimming and relaxing. In the afternoon enter Fethiye harbor for exploring and shopping. Spend the night either in the harbor or in a bay near by.
Day 7: Leave Fethiye to enter the Göcek Gulf with yet more crystal clear bays for swimming and leisuring. In the late afternoon or evening after dinner in a nearby bay, proceed to Göcek harbor.
Day 8: Breakfast, followed by disembarkation in Göcek at 10:00 am.