7 Days Around Gocek

Gocek is an ideal charter starting point, and with six marina’s stretched along the water front promenade there are a great range of yachts on offer. The town caters perfectly to sailors with numerous restaurants, bars, markets and supermarkets that will deliver the provisions back to your yacht. Along the shorefront you will have the choice of trendy café’s and tavernas ideal for enjoying a cold drink and having relief from the hot sun. For those that want to get into the holiday spirt there are a number of late night bars!

Sarsala Bay is the largest bay on the north side of Boz Burun, and makes an ideal start to a Lycian Coast yacht charter, a large bay recognised by the distinctive white house’s of the hamlet around the south side. Sarsala Bay is full of small coves and three main bays, the largest of which has large a pebble beach with an active water sports centre. In the middle cove there is a good taverna with a large jetty with lazy lines that you can moor to. Alternatively you can anchor in any of the small coves and take a line to shore. This is a great spot for enjoying swimming in the crystal clear water, and taking part in some water activities.

Fethiye is the largest town on the Turquoise coast, a lively market town with a population of 70,000, the town is built back from the large waterfront promenade where the striving gulet industry takes prominence. There are streets of markets making it ideal for bargain hunters, and a number of restaurants, the fish market is a must visit, where you purchase your fresh seafood and then take it to one of the surrounding restaurants to cook and serve. Scooters make a great mode of transport and are readily available, which make it possible to journey into the mountains behind Fethiye, making a spectacular view over the Gulf of Fethiye. If you venture further you will come to the Ghost town of Kayaköy, the deserted ruins of a once-bustling town nestled against the Taurus Mountains. Kayaköy is a modern ruin being abandoned in the 1920’s for political reasons. The Yacht Classic Hotel and Marina is the perfect mooring spot for a night in Fethiye, it gives you full use of the resort facility’s (Pools, spa, restaurant, bar) and is conveniently located just a 10 minute walk to the main Bazar

After sailing outside the protection of the Gulf of Fethiye, you will be impressed by the rise of the mountainous Lycian coast. Gemiler Island is an ideal lunch spot, known as St Nicholas Island as it is the final resting place of St Nicholas (Santa Claus). The Island is scattered with ruins including four churches, related religious buildings Byzantine dwellings, stone tombs, graveyard and ceremonial passageway. The Shoreline that you will anchor along is also scattered with ruins making it a unique anchorage. Known as Coldwater Bay, Bestas Limani get’s its name due to the number of cold springs that feed into the bay causing the water temperature to be significantly cooler then outside the bay, making it a great place to swim in the height of the summer. A gorgeous bay surrounded by the foothills of the Taurus mountains, there are two main anchorages, the eastern anchorage is ideal in calmer weather and is often less frequented, being completely untouched it allows you to make the most of the beauty. The Second anchorage is a cove on the western side which has a nice pebble beach which leads up to a Taverna on the hill, offering great views and friendly service.

Situated in a valley of the foothills of Babadag, Butterfly Valley is a stunning bay, with a wide beach and trails leading up through the valley which is home to a recoded 147 different butterfly species. As the valley is only accessible by boat it won’t be overcrowded, and you will be able to enjoy swimming in the turquoise waters. While some would argue that due to tourism Ölüdeniz has lost it’s charm, it is undeniable that it is still one of the most amazing beaches in Turkey! The large blue lagoon is not accessible to yachts anymore so you will have to moor under the headland. Ölüdeniz offers a lively tourist town with bars/ restaurants, and most importantly access to Mount Baba Dag one of the best locations in the world for paragliding! There are a number of operators that will drive you up the mountain, then you paraglide back down and land just above the beach, on the way down the views of the coast and blue lagoon are incredible! This is the same mountain that Daniel Craig jumped off in the James Bond film Skyfall! The height of the mountain is 1960m and the decent back down takes around 40 minutes so plenty of time to enjoy the views!

Back to the protection of the Gulf of Fethiye, Kapi Creek is an Idyllic and sheltered cove surronded by olive and pine trees. You can moor on both sides of the bay taking a line ashore, or on the large jetty provided by the restaurant. The family run tavana here is one of the best in the area, and also has a big screen TV where you can catch up on sports over an Efes pilsner. There are the ruins of two dwellings in the bay to explore, and you can walk up the hill and enjoy the views of the Peninsula.

The same waters that Cleopatra used to bathe in, this pristine bay is an ideal way to finish a Gocek yacht charter! Cleopatra’s Bay is surrounded by thick pine trees and with the turquoise waters makes for a beautiful setting. Known as Ruin bay due to the Monastery ruins that are half submerged making for interesting snorkelling and exploring. For the active hikers a 60 minute trek off the beaten track take you to Ancient Lydae where you will find ruins of ancient buildings, agora foundations, statue remains, Corinthian column sections and inscribed pedestals from the Roman and Byzantine periods.