Turkey’s Turquoise Coast from Gocek

This exciting trip begins in the picturesque village of Gocek where your yacht awaits. You’ll fly into Dalaman Airport where our driver will meet you for transfer to the port. Gocek sits in a vast bay with islands and coves that create spectacular settings to spend time on and off the water, so if you arrive early, you might want to take advantage of them. There are cafes, restaurants, and boutiques, many along the waterfront, to enjoy too. Or simply relax onboard – your captain and crew will be there to greet you and you can enjoy the time to settle in.

Sailing early to Aga Liman Bay and ancient Lydae, here you can hike to the Lycian city’s Byzantine ruins that aren’t well-known outside of the region. Discover defensive walls, cisterns, tombs, a basilica, and Corinthian columns among other remains along with a breathtaking view. Once you’ve descended, enjoy time on the sand, with two beaches to relax. One is a great place for sunbathing while the other offers shady areas to relax in. This area also has an interesting history – when Cleopatra was a young woman in 46 BC traveling to Rome, she and her oarsmen stopped to rest here.

Cruising to Ekincik Bay, anchor near the fishing village of Dalyan on the Calbis River. There’s a long, narrow beach called “Turtle’s Beach” between the sea and inland marsh that serves as one of the few remaining spots in the Mediterranean where giant loggerhead turtles nest. If you’re interested, take a boat excursion through scenery that was featured in the film “The African Queen” and visit Kaunos, an important Carian city in 400 BC that lies just west of modern Dalyan. It includes many ruins, such as the medieval walls on the acropolis, Carian and Lycian tombs, and a 2nd-century BC theater.

Sailing early this morning, explore Byzantine ruins in Serce Bay, which offers an incredibly photogenic natural setting. From there, depart for Bozukkale Bay – Bozukkale means broken castle, named as such for the castle guarding the entrance as the side is missing. This was a Greek naval port and it was here that a fleet was assembled, ultimately defeating the invading Antigonus in the early 4th-century. Bozburun is a picturesque fishing village that was once famous as the center for sponge diving along the Turquoise Coast. Today, some locals still make their living this way, although fishing and tourism play a bigger role now.

Continue cruising, this time into what’s considered to be the Gulf of Hisaronu’s safest natural harbors, the Bay of Selimiye. Selimiye village provides a fascinating look at an authentic, rural village from 50 to 100 years ago as if it was frozen in time during the first half of the 20th-century. Continue to the resort town of Datca with its enchanting natural beauty and mild climate. You might want to just unwind here, enjoying the scenery with the mountains covered in forest spilling down to an idyllic beach and two harbors. From here, you’ll head to Mesudiye Bay, mooring here in the early afternoon.

Sail north to the end of the Datca peninsula this morning to witness the excavations of Knidos. This ancient site is said to be where the cult of Aphrodite was birthed and it was once famous as a hub for art and culture, at its peak in the 4th-century BC. You can take an optional tour of Dorian city which was built on terraces that rise to the acropolis. Excavated in the mid-19th-century, it straddled the peninsula and had harbors on both sides. This evening, you’ll spend the night in Mersincik which sits in the Gulf of Gokova and is enveloped by soaring mountains.

Crossing the Gulf of Gokova this morning to the Bay of Kisebuku with pine trees dotted along the shore, you can choose to visit Orak Island. This is a great place to stop for diving with calm waters, excellent visibility, an underwater cave, and a huge vertical wall that reaches a depth of 262 feet. You might think you’re swimming in an aquarium as the water is so clear. From here you can cruise into Bodrum Harbor or spend the evening in pretty Ada Bogazi Bay. As your final night of the cruise, you might delve into the world-class dining and nightlife scene.

With the eighth day of your trip here, it’s time to get ready to depart. There will be time for one last breakfast on board before disembarking and taking a transfer to Bodrum Airport or a local hotel if you’d like to extend your time in Bodrum. Those who plan to return home typically fly to Istanbul and take a connecting flight home from there. Of course, if you have a different request, feel free to reach out to our travel experts. We wish you a safe journey wherever you go, with lots of photos and memories to take along with you.