The Blue Cruise – Part Two

After cruising around in Fethiye Bay for a few weeks, it was now time to venture out to new areas.

Kalkan, Kaş, and Kekova

Turkey is essentially rectangular in shape, and Fethiye Bay sits at the southwest corner, where the coastline turns east. It is also considered the dividing line between the Aegean Sea and the Mediterranean, with different weather patterns on either side. Our plan was to first head south, then go north, passing Fethiye and continuing ultimately to Bodrum, over 100 miles away.

Leaving Fethiye Bay, we turned left, sailed past a long stretch of rocky coastline, and arrived at our first stop, Kalkan. Further down the coast we visited Kaş and Kekova. This stretch of the Turkish coast is generally less developed and touristy than Fethiye Bay, and it was nice to escape to some quieter places. In these small towns, we felt we caught some glimpses of the old Turkey we had first visited 30 years ago.

After a nice week of cruising around these beautiful bays and coves, we were ready to turn northward.

Fethiye to Bodrum

To the west of Fethiye Bay, you first pass the town of Marmaris. Marmaris was once a popular sailing center, but is now mainly a cruise ship destination. Further west lies the Datça Peninsula, a narrow and deeply indented stretch of land with numerous bays and coves to explore. Passing the tip of the peninsula, you then turn north and cross the Gökova Gulf towards Bodrum, the largest town in the area.

When Greece and Turkey’s borders were drawn after World War I, Turkey essentially got the mainland and Greece got all the islands. As a result, there are numerous Greek islands just off the coast of Turkey throughout this area, some only 2 or 3 miles offshore. Despite this proximity (or maybe because of it), the Turks and Greeks aren’t very friendly with each other. This meant we couldn’t easily cross back and forth between the two countries.

Bodrum and the Gökova Gulf

Bodrum lies at the mouth of the Gökova Gulf, a bay that extends over 50 miles inland. While Bodrum is an international tourist destination, the small towns inside the gulf are visited almost exclusively by locals. The crowds at the beaches in these little towns were a stark contrast to the fancy yachts and jet-setters in Bodrum.

Bodrum was known as Halicarnassus in ancient times. Its Mausoleum was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Nothing remains of the mausoleum today, but crusaders in the 15th century used pieces of it to construct the Bodrum Castle.

The Datça Peninsula

The Datça Peninsula stretches more than 50 miles from the ancient ruins of Knidos at the western tip, to Marmaris at the eastern end. Less than a mile wide in some places, the peninsula has many smaller bays and coves that are each different and worth exploring.

In two smaller bays on the east side are the resort towns of Selimiye and Bozburun. They fall somewhere between Bodrum  and the Gökova Gulf in terms of their level of sophistication and tourist amenities. Visiting all these different towns, we felt like there was something here for every travel style, from budget to 5-star.

History and Archaeology

The entire Turkish coast has been inhabited for thousands of years. It has seen Lycian, Persian, Greek, Roman, Byzantine, and other empires come and go. There are so many historically important archaeological sites in this area that you almost can’t walk 10 minutes without tripping over one.

Of particular interest are the Lycian tombs carved into hillsides everywhere. The Lycian Way, a marked trail that runs over 300miles along the coast, is a popular multi-day hike that passes many of these sites.

In Summary

In total we spent 7 weeks cruising the Turkish coast, covering hundreds of miles and dozens of different towns and anchorages. While each place was different, what they all had in common was the beauty of the landscape, the clarity and color of the waters, and the warm and friendly hospitality of the Turkish people.

Whether by bareboat or crewed charter, a cruise on a traditional Gulet, or even just staying on land, visiting this area should be high on anybody’s list.