14 Days Marmaris ? Gocek ? Fethiye ? Kas ? Kekova ? Marmaris
DAY 1 Arriving to Marmaris, check-in the private yacht. Dinner and overnight stay will be in Marmaris Harbour. Marmaris is a popular place with its night life, bars and pubs. If you wish, you may enjoy your night here in nightclubs or have a walk in Marmaris Marine. It is located where the Aegean Sea and the Mediterranean Sea join each other. Marmaris is one of the most important touristic city in Turkey and seems like a natural harbour surrounded by pine-clad hills and forests with an elegant palm lined promenade leading to a busy marina, splendid beached and a crystal clear sea which is ideal for swimming ,water sports and sailing. Among Turks it is known as “Green Marmaris” because of its landscape that is covered with a pine forests. The Bay of Marmaris is a very well protected natural post with a pier for ships and several marinas for hundreds of yachts from all over the world. Marmaris Castle was established in 1577 by Ottomans. There are also a Mosque and some antique remains that were built by Ottomans. For shopping lovers, it has a very big bazaar where you can find very nice and cheap clothes, bags, shoes and so on. You may enjoy spending the rest of the night at one of the bars, discos or night clubs located mainly at the Bar Street in Marmaris. There are many bars and restaurants in Marina. Marmaris becomes a centre for yachting business since there are 3 big Harbours therefore Marmaris is very nice choice for luxury yacht chartering in Turkey.
DAY 2 After you have your first breakfast in your private yacht, you will start cruising and your dream vacation will start. Your first route is to Ekincik. Overnight stay will be in Ekincik. Ekincik is a small village which covered with pine trees everywhere, here pine trees grows even in the sea. You will be amazed with the beauty of the nature.If you wish, from Ekincik you attend our extra tour Dalyan where the private gullet yachts are not allowed to get in and the small boats are used as shuttle service to the small city.
DALYAN While you continue sailing with small boat, you will pass through an amazing natural water canal and arrive to one of the “Caria city” named as Dalyan. Set inland on the banks of the Dalyan River, the village of Dalyan is a peaceful holiday backwater unspoilt by mass tourism. The romance of the place is heightened each morning as a fleet of gaily-painted boats chug off down the river carrying holidaymakers to the glorious sandy beaches at the mouth of the river delta. Starting from Dalyan Harbor the voyage through beds of bulrushes and pampas grass takes around 45 enjoyable minutes- the entire Delta is a protected National Conservation area and is home to over 100 species of birds along with no less than three varieties of turtle, including the Loggerhead Caretta Caretta. A popular activity among tourists visiting Dalyan is to take a mud bath on the bank of the river. The mud supposedly contains minerals such as calcium and magnesium which are beneficial for the skin and overall health. There is also hot natural water springs a little distance away from Dalyan but also accessible by boat. The famous beach “Iztuzu” that lasts for 4 km along the sea. The ancient rock tombs of the Kings have become another symbol of Dalyan after the famous Sea Turtles, Caretta Carettas. Although there are many rock tombs around the area, the most famous are those which look direct to the Dalyan town from the opposite side of the river. These tombs are the resting places of the Kings of Caunos. They are carved in the style of Lycian rock tombs. The ruins of the ancient city of Caunos are close by and can by reached by boat or on foot. It was originally on the sea, but its harbor gradually silted up and felt into disuse. It has only been partially excavated but the remains are extensive and include a theatre dating from the 2nd century BC, Roman baths, temple of Apollo and agora or marketplace.
DAY 3 Today you will start your day earlier than other days since on the way to Tersane/Shipyard Island, it may get wavy afternoons. Our private yacht will sail to “Ship Yard Island” which is the biggest island in “Gocek Bay”.A deep channel provides easy entry to the inlet of Tersane and the eastern side of the bay provides a protected anchorage for charter private yachts. According to ancient sources the island, named Telandria, was used as a ship dockyard during the Ottoman period. The island was inhabited in the past as is evidenced by the many ruined houses, fruit trees and goat herds. However, islanders migrated to Rhodes in 1922 after Greece and Turkey agreed to exchange the foreign populations in the
Right after enjoying time in Tersane/Shipyard Island, you will sail to ancient sunken Turkish Bath and enjoy swimming in such a nice nature. You will also be amazed by the beauty of the view of towns and villages while you drink your tea or coffee. This perfect bay is known as the place where Cleopatra took her bath. The half of the Turkish bath has sunk under the water and the other half still stays over the water. Diner and overnight stay will be in another beautiful bay nearby.
DAY 4 On the 4th sailing day of your blue cruise, you will visit K?z?l Ada/Red Island since its rocks and sea turns red during the sunset. There is not any structure but the light house. Since its sides can block the waves, here is very nice to swimming.
After a day with a beautiful view, you will go to Fethiye for the night. Fethiye is located on the site of the ancient city of Telmessos, the ruins of which can be seen in the city, e.g. the Hellenistic theatre by the main quay. A Lycian legend explains the source of the name Telmessos as follows. The god Apollo falls in love with the youngest daughter of the King of Phoenicia, Agenor. He disguises himself as a small dog and thus gains the love of the shy, withdrawn daughter. After he reappears as a handsome man, they have a son, whom they name ‘Telmessos’ (the land of lights). The city became part of the Persian Empire after the invasion of the Persian general Harpagos in 547 BC, along with other Lycian and Carian cities. Telmessos then joined the Attic-Delos Union established in mid-5th century BC. Fethiye is also home to the Tomb of Amyntas, a large and beautiful tomb built in 350 BC by the Lycians. What makes this tomb very unique is its massive size and beautiful carvings. Fethiye is one of Turkey’s well-known tourist centers in Turkey. If you wish, you can shop and have fun in bars at your last night in your yacht. The overnight stay will be in Fethiye Harbor.
SAKLIKENT if you wish, you can attend to our optional Land Tour- “Hidden City” (Sakl?kent) tour which requires additional cost.Sakl?kent is the biggest and the deepest canyon of Turkey which formed with the snow waters. After passing through the 100 meters of wooden bridge, you may cool yourself with the waterfall. The Canyon is 300 meters deep and 18 km long, one of the deepest in the world, resulting from the abrasion of the rocks by flowing waters over thousands of years. As the level of water rises during winter months, visitors can enter the canyon only in the summer.
DAY 5 Early in the morning, you will start your day with sailing toward Bayindir Harbor which is difficult to reach by motor way. On the east side of the island the mountain rises precipitously from the coast and there are lots of Lycia graves and tombs which are carved into the rocks. There is a stream in this 60 meters long cave. There is also a church right in the middle of the cave that belongs early period of Christianity. The beach has the reward of European blue flag.
Thereafter, your yacht will sail to Kas Harbor. You can have a wonderful night with the nature and the historical ambiance of Kas; you can also do some shopping and enjoy your night in some pubs or bars. Kas is a small fishing, diving, yachting and tourist town. Yachting Kas can be done As a tourist town it is relatively unspoiled. Ka? is on a hill running down to the sea and has a typical Mediterranean climate of hot, dry summers and warm, wet winters, which allows the growth of oranges, lemons and bananas. The hillsides produce honey, and almonds since at high altitudes there are extensive pine forests. It seems that Ka? was founded by the Lycians, and its name in Lycian language was Habesos or Habesa. It was a member of the Lycian League, and its importance during this time is confirmed by the presence of one of the richest Lycian necropolis. The ancient Greeks later gave it the name of Antiphéllos or Antíphilos, since it was the harbor in front of the city of Phellos. During the Roman period, Antiphéllos was famous for exporting sponges and timber. Pliny the Elder refers to the town in the fifth book of his Naturalis Historia. After 395 the town became part of the Eastern Roman Empire (Byzantine). Than it was annexed (under the name of Andifli) to the Anatolian Sultanate of Rüm, led by the Seljuks. After the demise of the Seljuks, it came under the Ottomans. In 1923, because of the Exchange of populations between Greece and Turkey after the Greco-Turkish War, the majority of the population left the town. Abandoned Greek houses can still be seen at Ka?.
DAY 6 After a very satisfying and rich breakfast in your yacht as every day, you will sail to Three Mouth Bay which is 34 km away than Kas and the oldest Lycian town.
Right after some relaxing time and swimming break, you will sail to “Kekova Island”. It is a small Turkish island near Demre. Kekova has an area of 4.5 km² and is uninhabited. After the Italian occupation of Kastelorizo, Kekova — which was at that time temporarily inhabited during summer because of wood harvest — was disputed between Italy and Turkey. The1932 Convention between Italy and Turkey assigned it to Turkey. On its northern side there are the partly sunken ruins of Dolchiste/Dolikisthe, an ancient town which was destroyed by an earthquake during the 2nd century. Rebuilt and still flourishing during the Byzantine Empire period, it was finally abandoned because of Arab incursions. The Kekova antique remain part was declared a specially protected area on 18 January 1990 by Turkish Republic Ministry of Environment and Urbanization. All kinds of diving and swimming were prohibited and subject to special permits from governmental offices.
We have to keep sailing because we are not allowed to stop in this place. However, you will be able to see the sunken antique city. Subsequently, you will go to Kale village (ancient Simena) which is a Lycian site as well. It is a small village with the partly sunken ruins of Aperlae and a castle. Access to the village is possible only by sea. Here, you will see the antique theatre remains and if you climb this theatre you will see an amazing view. You can also see the antique sunken ruins inside the sea. You will have your lunch with this perfect view. Thereafter, you will sail to another Kekova’s bay and have your diner and overnight stay there.
DAY 7 After your breakfast with fresh eggs, olives, cheese, marmalade and many others, you will sail to Finike Island. You will enjoy the sun and beautiful view along the way. Finike is popular with its oranges, nature and history. Here attracts many people with Limyra city remains and Arykanda antique city remains.
DAY 8 Today your captain will take you to Demre for breakfast.
From here if you wish, you can attend our extra land tour Myra which you may like a lot. The tour lasts nearly 3 hours.
MYRA Although some scholars equate Myra with the town Mira in Arzawa, there is no proof for the connection. There is no substantiated written reference for Myra before it was listed as a member of the Lycian alliance (168 BC – AD 43). The Greek citizens worshipped Artemis Eleutheria, who was the protective goddess of the town. Zeus, Athena and Tyche were venerated as well. The ruins of the Lycian and Roman town are mostly covered by alluvial silts. The Acropolis on the Demre-plateau, the Roman theatre and the Roman baths have been partly excavated. The semi-circular theater was destroyed in an earthquake in 141, but rebuilt afterwards. There are two necropoli of Lycian rock-cut tombs in the form of temple fronts carved into the vertical faces of cliffs at Myra: the river necropolis and the ocean necropolis. The ocean necropolis is just northwest of the theater. The best known tomb in the river necropolis is the “Lion’s tomb” also called the “Painted Tomb.” In early Christian times, Myra was the metropolis of Lycia. The town is traditionally associated with Saint Paul, who changed ships in its harbor. Saint Nicholas of Myra was the bishop of Myra in the 4th century, is said to have been an ardent opponent of Arianism at the First Council of Nicaea in 325, although his name does not appear among the signatories of that council. Myra became the capital of the Byzantine Eparchy of Lycia under Theodosius II, who reigned from 408 to 450. After a siege in 809, Myra fell to Abbasid troops under Caliph Harun al-Rashid. Early in the reign of Alexius I Comnenus (ruled between 1081 and 1118), Myra was again overtaken by Islamic invaders, this time the Seljuk Turks. In the confusion, sailors from Bari in Italy seized the relics of Saint Nicholas, over the objections of the monks caring for them, and spirited the remains away to Bari, where they arrived on May 9, 1087, and soon brought that city visitors making pilgrimage to Saint Nicholas.
Thereafter, you will sail to Gokkaya Bay to have your lunch in this beautiful bay. It will be so hard to leave the beauty of Gokkaya after 3 or 4 hours relaxing time. The overnight stay will be in another beautiful bay around.
DAY 9 Today, you will have the chance to see the places that you may not forget in your life. First stop is Ölü Deniz/ Dead Sea which frequently rated among the top 5 beaches in the world by travelers and tourism journals alike. Since it is forbidden for gullets to anchor in Dead Sea, your crew will take you there by small boat of your private yacht. The reason why it is called Dead Sea due to its calm water even during storms. Dead Sea remains one of the most photographed beaches on the Mediterranean. It has a secluded sandy bay at the mouth of Deadsea on a blue lagoon. The beach itself is a pebble beach. The lagoon is a national nature reserve and construction is strictly prohibited. The seawater of Deadsea is famous for its shades of turquoise and aquamarine, while its beach is an official Blue Flag beach, frequently rated among the top 5 beaches in the world by travelers and tourism journals alike. It is also one of most popular place for paragliding lovers.
After enjoying your time in Dead Sea, your next route will be Gemiler Island. Modern archaeologists ebelieve that the island may be the location of St. Nicholas’ original tomb. The Byzantine ruins of five churches built between the fourth and sixth centuries AD remain. The most interesting remain is the 500 metres tünel which connects two church to each other. Other remains from the same period include around forty other ecclesiastical buildings and over fifty Christian tombs. One of the churches was cut directly from the rock at the island’s highest point, and is located directly at the western end of the processional walkway
DAY 10 Today you will sail to Sarsala Bay. It is another preferred bay by sailors that is ideal for swimming. It attracts tourists with its long stony beach, a wooded valley that runs inland, surrounded by pine Forestry Mountain. Dinner and overnight stay will be here.
DAY 11 On the 11th day of your private yacht cruise, you will reach to “Gobun Bay” which is covered by pine trees and olive trees after passing through the South narrow entrance of the “Pig Island”. Here, you will see some remains of “Kaunos” rock graves.
Then we will anchor to the “Monastery Bay”. Diner and overnight stay will be in this green-blue bay and you will enjoy your time by swimming and sunbathing.
DAY 12 After your breakfast in your luxury yacht, you will visit Yass?calar Islands. These islands are so small that they don’t have different names. They all have been named as “Yassicalar”. There are no structures or buildings on the islands. There is a small natural pool in the edge of the considerably biggest island. This small natural pool seems like a pool for children. You may swim between these islands. If you can swim for 30 minutes, you can see 4 different islands. If you would like to climb and get on the small islands, please don’t forget to wear some sea shoes as the ground can be very stony.
Thereafter, you will sail to “Bedri Rahmi Eyuboglu Bay” (a famous turkish painter). The Bay has this name because of the fish paint that “Bedri Rahmi Eyuboglu has painted on a rock.
DAY 13 After a delicious and satisfying breakfast in Kadirga, you will sail to Kumlubük which is a small fisher town and cute beaches. You will enjoy swimming in its crystal clear water.
DAY 14 On the last sailing day of your private yacht tour, your fist visit will be Turunc which is a little cozy town with the population of 3.500. It also has a very nice beach that you may enjoy swimming and lying on. This little town is the first place which received European blue flag reward.
Right after Turunc, your captain will take you to Cennet/ Paradise Island. It will be very nice to swim and sunbath with the view of Marmaris in this bay.
After your lunch and relaxing time, you will go back to Marmaris. If you wish, you may do some shopping, have a walk in Marmaris Marine or enjoy the popular night life of Marmaris. Dinner and overnight stay will be in Marmaris harbor.
DAY 15 After your last breakfast on your yacht, your crew will help you with checking out with hoping to see you again.
Extra Tours (upon request with additional cost): Dalyan Caunos, Tlos / Saklikent, Saint Nicolas / Myra, Turkish Bath