Sailing into Antiquity on the Deep Turquoise Sea
Chartering a boat on a sailing holiday along the Lycian Coast, one is constantly reminded just why the Mediterranean is and always has been best explored from seaward. In fact these days a tour by boat is often the only way. Getting away to enjoy all the region's natural splendour, to experience its rich history and culture, reflecting at day's end in the comfort of your own floating hotel for as long as it takes.
Typically sailing out of Gocek or Fethiye, your eastward journey takes you past a rugged land dotted by small coastal towns and fringed by white sandy beaches, with ample opportunities to stop over and explore the local attractions along the way. A full seven days is had by sailing as far as Kas and return, while more treasures await further east if time allows. Sail away from the crowds and the cycles of modern life, to explore this beautiful and unspoilt part of the Mediterranean by charter boat. It's all yours.
Lycia: Ancient Place of Mystery in a Stunning Scenic Setting
Lycia has numerous coastal attractions, and they are easiest to experience when travelling by boat. That's how it always has been. It wasn't until the 1970s that a proper Lycian Coast road was formed. More recently the upsurge in the visitor industry has opened up the region to long-distance walking tours, along the Lycian Way. It's by sailboat however that this ancient land is most conveniently traversed and best appreciated. The inviting waters are a beautiful hue: it's here that the whole Turquoise Coast justifiably got its name.
Eastwards along the Rugged Lycian Shore
Eastwards from the large bay that is home to Gocek and Fethiye, Ölüdeniz looms large as a convenient stop-off point. Just 14km from Fethiye by road, this is a well-established holiday destination surrounded by a national park, with several anchorage options in the large bay to the settlement's west. Travelling on, the next best place to stop over is Kalkan, a fishing village that has grown with tourism and offers all facilities. It's a small harbour though, and an anchorage 2 km to the west (Yesilköy) may be prefered.
Kalkan is the best port from which to visit the ancient sites of Xanthos and Patara and Saklikent National Park, all major attractions in the region. Just beyond is the beautiful Kaputas Beach, a great spot for an early lunch before sailing on to Kas.
Nature and Artifacts that Development has left Unspoiled.
Kas is one of the larger settlements along the Lycian Coast, yet still with a population under 10,000. That swells in the tourist season, the benefits of development being the convenience for provisioning, marina facilities and dining ashore in an attractive setting. More ancient ruins lie nearby, and Kas is also the main Lycian Coast destination for scuba diving enthusiasts.
A short sail further east lies the island of Kekova, famous for its sunken city that was destroyed by an earthquake some 2000 years ago. There are plenty of anchorage options in the bay created by the island's proximity to the mainland.
Sailing Beyond Kekova
There's more to the Lycian Coast further east as far as the major city of Antalya. That makes for an ideal two-week charter destination if keen on going further into this part of Turkey. Antalya itself offers some charter boat options, and can be considered as an alternative base to those in the west.
Our client reviews about charter sailing in Turkey
Rating: 5 / 5The boat was excellent. We were the 2nd charters so it was effectively new. The Jeauneau 41 is a great boat for3 couples in a family. Easy to handle, enough performance to get where you want to each day, good facilities, good size cockpit etc.
SK Yachting were excellent at checkin and checkout. Friendly service, helpful and knowledgable. The checkout process on our arrival back was a well oiled machine. We sailed to the West of the base in Marmaris and the coast and villages were not as good as a previous charter out of Gocek. Perhaps if we had gone east it would have been better.
Bruce, Australia, Jul 21st, 2023
Browse our yachts for charter in Turkey
For a personal proposal structured to meet your needs, with advice on all aspects of your sailing charter ...
Related Blog Posts
-
.jpg)
The value of after-charter destination and boat reviews
At Sail Connections we offer a personal service based on long experience in the business and close attention to what's happening in the destinations we offer. We have also sailed a large number of those places, and can often speak from personal experience. But we can't be everywhere.
-
Five Alternative 2020 Mediterranean Sailing Holiday Destinations
There’s more to the Mediterranean than the high-profile destinations. In 2020, why not expand your horizons, get a little off the beaten tourist path and discover some understated gems. Here are this year's five best lesser-known Mediterranean sailing holiday destinations, all well worth considering for your next voyage.
-
The Sun Loft 47 Monocat: a Game Changer for Yacht Chartering
A peak season cabin-share sailing holiday with skipper in glorious Croatia in August. Chartering a 2020-model 47 foot sailboat for just 175€ per person per day! This is the reality aboard the Sun Loft Monocat 47: a whole new concept in group charter with friends or extended family.
-
Charter a Gulet: Luxury Cruising in Classical Style
For your next sailing holiday, particularly in the eastern Mediterranean but in some other surprising places as well, consider chartering a gulet. Today's gulet is now a modern charter boat built for a unique vacation experience enjoyed in complete passenger comfort and luxury living aboard.
-
A Charter Boat Holiday along the Turkish Coast
The Turkish coastline is longer than that of any other Mediterranean country. On southwestern Turkey, the “Turquoise Coast”, is a popular and safe bareboat charter destination.
The Sail Connections Guarantee
One contact - every option - advice you can trust.
- Matching any competitive offer
- Sourcing boats with discounts available
- Personalising our proposal just for you
- Qualifying the operator as well as the boat
- Advising without bias based on 25+ years of experience
- We do more than just book yachts!
We will match any discount website offer on charter boat price, and still provide our customary high level of service.
Get in Touch