Kekova Island and the Kekova Bay area are filled with centuries of old ancient ruins of various civilizations, most easily explored, seen and enjoyed by yacht charter along the southern coast of Turkey. Several days can be spent in the Kekova area, hiking over land through hundreds of ruins, Lycian style sarcophagi, and Byzantine church remains. And for a unique view of ancient ruins, as an earthquake dropped much of the ancient Kekova Bay settled area just under the surface of the water centuries ago, snorkel over the ancient ruins of building foundations, harbor fronts, and mooring areas, littered with tile and other shard remains left on the sandy bottom of the bay, from life in that area so long ago. This pictorial review is a taste of the ancient ruins on Kekova Islands and in the Kekova Island area of that which can be seen and enjoyed on a crewed yacht charter in this fascinating area along the coastline of Turkey.
St. Nicholas, Jolly Old St. Nick, Father Christmas, Kris Kringle, and Santa Claus are all names understood worldwide for the warm legendary spirit believed to give love, help and gifts of all sorts in late December of every year. Today, the legend of this spirit is a conglomeration of old stories, some of which were birthed along the southern coastline of Turkey in the area of Kekova, in ancient Myra, a location well worth visiting on a crewed yacht charter today. To learn more about the history of the original St. Nicholas, when in the Kekova area, along the southern coast of Turkey on your crewed yacht charter, slip into the dredged harbor of old Demre for a van trip to the now silted in, but once coastal town of ancient Myra where the story of Bishop Nicholas of Patara, now St. Nicholas, is believed to now be a part of the legend of Santa Claus.
Yacht Charter, a visit to the ancient sacred city of Letoon, Turkey
Letoon Ruins
Considered a sanctuary city in ancient Lycia, the ruins of Letoon remain today as a testament to the strength of the Lycian civilization and are well worth a visit when on a crewed yacht charter along the southern coast of Turkey. Located near Xanthos and linked together with Xanthos as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Letoon has been under excavation for the last 60 years. A visit today provides an outstanding glimpse into the Lycian culture and the ruins of Letoon can be visited now when on a crewed yacht charter along the southern coast of Turkey.
When sailing along the southern coast of Turkey on a crewed yacht charter, a visit to see the ancient site of Patara should be part of a yacht charter itinerary when cruising in the Kekova area. At one time an important harbor trading city with Lycian roots, the ruins of this city have now silted and drifted into the countryside, leaving a large and lovely beach area between the ruins and the sea. The beach is one of the nicest in the area with miles of sand and dunes, however this beach area no longer offers safe harbor for visiting charter yachts, as the harbor in ancient Patara once did. Now, from a safe harbor along the coast, asking your Captain to organize a van and guide is recommended to bring you to Patara via land to explore this ancient site while on a crewed yacht charter along the southern coast of Turkey.
Yacht Charter, Visit the ancient site of Xanthos Turkey
Xanthos Amphitheater
Visiting the ancient site of the city of Xanthos, one of the largest and most prominent cities of the Lycian Federation, should be included in any yacht charter itinerary while cruising on a yacht charter along the southern coast of Turkey, especially for those with an interest in history, archeology, or just a plain interest in life. Xanthos as an inhabited city dates back to at least the 8th century BC and today is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. If your yacht charter itinerary includes a visit to Kas, Kalkan or the Kekova area, it is just a short drive to visit the ancient site of Xanthos while on a yacht charter cruise in this area.
Yacht Charter; Outstanding Cuisine on 185’ Charter Sailing Yacht Regina
Regina Chef Cracks Open Salt Encrusted Baked Fish
Recently, Northrop and Johnson Yacht Charters was on board Regina, a newly launched 185’ sailing yacht built by Pruva in Bodrum, Turkey and now available for crewed yacht charter along the southern coast of Turkey for a total of 12 guests. We can personally attest to the outstanding on board cuisine to be enjoyed by all charter guests when on board sailing yacht Regina for a crewed yacht charter. Chef Sezgin Topkara under Captain Yusuf Kalmaz, is a terrific Chef, especially for his specialty, fresh Turkish food, which is a must try for every one as part of the charter experience while on a crewed yacht charter along the ancient trading route in Turkey. On boarding, we were delighted to be heralded by the Chef with a special Turkish dish, fresh grouper baked in a salt casing which is not only an outstanding presentation, but is also a wonderful way to cook fresh fish and one of our favorites. When the fish is baked encased in the thick salt crust, the fish is steamed within the casing, becoming beautifully moist, very flavorful, and hard to beat.
Yacht Charter, Demre Turkey, see cliff sides filled with Lycian Tombs
Demre Lycian Tombs
Demre, once known to the ancient world as Myra, was an important Lycian, Greek and Roman city, remains of which can be seen today when visiting on a crewed yacht charter along the southern coast of Turkey. While the ancient area now stretches out away from the silted harbor, the harbor remaining today allows for at least the ship’s tenders to come in for land transportation to the ancient areas. At the mouth of the Demre River, the harbor area drifts back along the river with ancient ruins evident as you drive along the riverside including the remains of a large Roman grainary. However for anyone interested in a show stopping display of Lycian cliff tombs reflecting the ancient art and spiritual world of the Lycian culture, there are several extraordinary areas of hand carved and built tombs left in the cliff sides in the Demre area of ancient Myra that should be visited while on a crewed yacht charter on the southern coast of Turkey.
Located just a stone’s throw off of the mainland along the southern Turkish coast between Olu Deniz and Gocek Bay, Gemiler Island is a must do stop on a charter yacht itinerary along the Turquoise Coast of Turkey. With a protected anchorage between Gemiler Island and the mainland, Gemiler Island is also a natural stop on a charter yacht cruise along the Turquoise Coast of Turkey. On a crewed charter yacht itinerary, stop and anchor at Gemiler Island either for an afternoon or an overnight for a snorkel over ancient sunken ruins in the anchorage or a hike ashore through the plethora of ancient ruins littered across the landscape.
Yacht Charter; 184’ S/Y Regina launched for crewed yacht charter in Turkey
The launching of 184’ charter sailing yacht Regina in Bodrum, Turkey, video credit Contact Turkey
At 184’, the crewed charter yacht Regina was just launched in February of this year, 2011 in Bodrum, Turkey in time for the summer charter season along the southern coast of Turkey. Built by Pruva in Bodrum, as of this fall, Regina has already completed over ten weeks of crewed yacht charter, sailing along the ancient trading routes of the Aegean and Mediterranean Seas. The crewed sailing charter yacht Regina is now available for charter out of Bodrum and Marmaris for up to 12 guests in 6 guest staterooms, for true performance sailing through the lovely crystal clear waters of southern Turkey from April through November each year.
Gulet Yacht Charter Queen of Datca, Northrop and Johnson Yacht Charter’s Review
Queen of Datca
Just launched, Queen of Datca, a luxury Gulet available for crewed yacht charter, was premiered at the Marmaris Yacht Charter Festival in May 2010, and Northrop and Johnson Yacht Charters was on board and thrilled with both the Gulet for luxury crewed yacht charter, and of course, the crew. Queen of Datca a 115’ charter Gulet, has 5 very comfortable guest staterooms for a total of 10 guests, all with ensuite bath. Queen of Datca, is one of the latest launches of the new luxury level Gulets available for crewed yacht charter, now being built along the Turkish coast. Built out of mahogany, the interior gleams with beautiful varnished woodwork throughout and is extremely spacious inside. The exterior living area correspondingly is extremely spacious as well, with outdoor dining and the lovely large sun pad area on the stern for relaxing that is part of every crewed charter Gulet experience. Here at Northrop and Johnson Yacht Charters, we highly recommend this luxury crewed Gulet available for charter with the crew ably lead by Captain Hakan, for your next crewed yacht charter along the Turkish coast. Read the rest of this entry »
