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Charter Itinerary:
TURKEY:
GOCEK TO BODRUM
Lycian Tombs
Fly into the Dalaman Airport and transfer to Gocek. Set at the deepest point of the Gulf of Fethiye, Gocek is nestled at the foot of pine clad mountains and looks out over the '12 islands' of Gocek Bay. The waterfront is lined with bars and restaurants. Inland life revolves around the pretty market square, which is lined with little shops selling antiques and crafts as well as exoticl carpets. Set sail for one of the many secluded anchorages in lovely Gocek Bay, or stay dockside overnight to enjoy Gocek.
Visit the little town of Fethiye in the morning, overlooked by Lycian tombs in the hills. A quick walk through town and up the hills behind brings you right up to these tombs for a very close look. Wander through the bazaar on the way back. Cruise Gocek Bay in the afternoon stopping to see Cleopatra's Baths, ruins alongside the bay. Legends say that Cleopatra used this cove for bathing. Explore and snorkel over the semi-submerged baths. Overnight around the corner in Stone Wall Bay, where most likely your crew wll tie the yacht off to a tree.
Sail across to the Bay of Ekincik.
A tour can be arranged to cruise up the Dalyan River to visit the ruins of Caunos and Dalyan by small riverboat. This tour takes you inland along the reed-lined channels of the Dalyan River Delta, where you need to keep an eye out for turtles, herons and kingfishers. At Caunos wander the remains of a theater, a Byzantine church, a Roman bathhouse and an agora. For the adventurous, there is an acropolis on the hill above the site, which rewards the climber with a magnificent view of the entire area. Head up-river to the town of Dalyan, to pass beneath the impressive Lycian rock tombs. Enjoy a brief stroll through the town before returning to the yacht in Ekincik. Overnight in Kizilkuyruk Harbor, a quiet anchorage with a pebbled beach. Ashore, an uphill track leads to the ruins of ancient Lydae.
After breakfast, leave for Marmaris, a bazaar town full of crafty rug merchants, beach tourists, and waterfront restaurants. Well protected, Marmaris Castle was built during Sultan Suleiman's (the Magnificent) journey to conquer Rhodes. However, although according to Evliya Chelebi the castle had already existed, and all the Sultan did was to change its name. During the Ottoman Empire, Marmaris Castle and harbor were used as a supply point for the Navy. Marmaris is one of Turkey's most beautiful coastal towns and the old city is well worth seeing, with the bazaar in a honeycomb of alleys right behind the main quay. This area has an extraordinary beauty with coves, sandy beaches, and evergreen forests.
Sail to the excellent, land-locked, natural harbor of Serce Limani. Anchor and stay overnight. At a small restaurant ashore, the friendly owner may row out to invite you for dinner or you cuold dine under the stars on the deck of your yacht. Serce Limani was the site of a very interesting wreck excavation, carrying glass, whose cargo remains can be seen today in the Bodrum castle museum. Swim in these well protected waters, as this is a great location for water sports.
 Bodrum Castle Towers
Cruise to the little seaside village of Datca. Nearby is a small freshwater lake with a little waterfall. Datca, is the center of honey productions in Turkey. Visit the many honey shops and pickup some local honey or pistachio nuts drenched in honey to bring home, or enjoy on board. Anchor off of the beach along the south bay, and listen to the pleasant sound of the splashing waterfall.
After breakfast, cruise to the ancient port of Knidos, a name that sounds Greek (Spartan according to Herodotus) but is actually Turkish. Drop anchor in the larger of the two ancient harbors and go ashore to visit the ruins of the city of Knidos. The ruins of this extensive ciy includes city walls, two theatres, terraced streets, and the remains of several temples including the temple of Aphrodite. An amphitheater and stoa grace the water's edge. Be sure to visit the remains of the Temple of Aphrodite (the "round" temple reconstructed during the Roman period), which once housed Praxitele's famous nude statue of Aphrodite, said to strike love in a sailor' heart on first sight. A must do visit along this coast.
Explore the Gulf of Gokova where there are many beautiful anchorages and protected areas for swimming and sunning, in unspoiled natural settings. Visit Cleopatra's Beach, with the fine white sand. This sand, which is unusual for the area, reportedly was imported from Egypt by Marc Anthony. The bay is home to three small islands offering several anchorage options for overnight.
Lift anchor and head for Bodrum. Bodrum, or ancient Halicarnassus, is situated on a peninsula facing the island of Kos, and is the hometown of Herodotus, known to some as the "Father of History". Guarding the harbor is a virtually intact castle built by the Crusader Knights. This castle now houses an excellent underwater archaeological museum where on display are many of the artifacts that have been excavated from the underwater wrecks along the ancient trading route, part of which you just sailed. Bodrum also has a very nice bazaar and is an attractive town nestled right around the harbor. Overnight in Bodrum
Wake to breakfast and prepare to disembark, perhaps for a day trip to the excavated ruins of the ancient city of Ephesus, once inhabited by over 500,000 people.
Library Façade of Ephesus
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E-Newsletter, February 2010
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Chartering in the Eastern Mediterranean
Gemiler Island
Croatia, Greece, and Turkey, are cruising areas with thousands of islands, and beautiful waters that are chocker block full of the remnants of thousands of years of history, with the remains of numerous civilizations sprinkled about in almost careless abandon. For here you can cruise past an Ottoman fortresse to anchor alongside the ruins of a Greek or Roman city. Or snorkel over the ruins of a ancient Roman harbor, and then wander the streets of a walled medieval city. But chartering in the Eastern Mediterranean is chartering through the waters of different countries, with different maritime laws. Great itineraries are available, if organized within certain maritime restrictions.
Unless you are on a Croatian flag yacht, of which there are very few in the right condition (in our opinion), with a great crew for charter, charter in Croatia should begin and/or end outside of Croatia. Great locations to begin for a charter outside of Croatia are Kotor, Montenegro and Venice, Italy. This same set of laws holds true for Greece, although the Greek Islands are scattered across a huge area making only certain the Greek island chains easily accessible from an international port; which are the Ionian Islands and the Dodecanese Islands. To charter in the Cycladic Islands which include Santorini and Mykonos, the charter must either be on a Greek flag yacht with Greek crew and begin and end in Athens, or the charter must be of sufficient duration, (at least two weeks), to be able to access the Cycladic Islands from an international port. Luckily there are great Greek flag yachts with Greek crew available for charter out of Athens.
Turkish waters are open to every yacht for charter, no matter what the flag, as long as a simple and inexpensive Turkish license is purchased. With this flexibility in law, the largest number of great crewed yachts are available for charter along the southern Turkish Coast, including Turkey's own charter product, the Turkish Gulet.
Here at Northrop and Johnson Yacht Charters we are very familiar with the yachts available in the Eastern Mediterranean for charter and the cruising areas and look forward to helping you with a charter in the various outstanding cruising areas of the Eastern Mediterranean.
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Boatyard Bay, Tersane
Did you know that "Turkey" is the ancient word for Turquoise? As very turquoise in color these waters are along the southern coast of Turkey, and crystal clear as well. Sail the same waters as did ancient civilizations along the southern coast of Turkey; the location of ancient trading routes. Peppered along the shoreline are sites ranging from ancient harbors to be snorkeled over to the ruins of ancient cities to be wandered through, with extensive ruins offering a testament to these once bustling harbor trade cities. Cruise up the Dalyan River to explore the ancient city of Caunos overlooked by Lycian tombs high up in the cliff sides. Anchor in the same harbor as the ancients at the ruins of the city of Knidos once home to the famous statue of Aphrodite that lured sailors in from the sea.
That statue is now lost, existing only in copies, but perhaps still to be uncovered one day in the ongoing excavations at Knidos. Looming over Marmaris are the castle walls from the Ottoman Empire, and in Bodrum the harbor entrance is still guarded by a castle built by Orders of Knights including the Knights Hospitalier and the Knights Templar. And constantly the beautiful turquoise waters beckon for swimming, snorkeling and water sports along this historic coast.
"Ruins In the Wild" at Knidos |
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