BODRUM;
Bodrum, formerly known as Halikarnasos, is a town which has been fiercely protected and jealously contested throughout its remarkable history. The magnificent castle presides over the harbour which provides a haven for yachts from all corners of the globe as well as those built locally. Around the harbour and beyond white painted houses decorate the hillside and charmingly narrow streets meander down to the water’s edge. Today Bodrum is renowned as a year round centre of tourism. A favoured destination amongst members of Turkish high society and tourists alike, it provides a comprehensive range of amenities to satisfy the expectations of even the most discerning yachtsman or holidaymaker.
Bodrum can be reached by land, sea and air, via the recently built Bodrum airport.
Climate: Winters are warm and wet, summers hot and dry, however the ‘meltem’ breeze of summer afternoons diminishes the impact of the summer heat.
MARMARİS;
Marmaris is like a painting in blue and gren. Whether summer or winter, the beautly of this place never recedes. The coastline with its innumerable coves, the natural harbour, the proximity to many antique cities, the abundance of natural beautly, the countless possibilities for a Blue Voyage, the modern marina, the watersports possibilities within the Marmaris Gulf, the wide range of facilities-from a 5-star hotel to a simple family run pension-each has contributed to Marmaris being a holiday resort to suit everyone’s taste. In addition to access by road, Marmaris can also easily be reached via Dalaman airport or by taking the ferry from Rhodes. Marmaris’s importance is further increased by its location on the only road to Datça and its proximity to the Muğla-Fethiye trunk road. For yachts sailing the Eastern Mediterranean Marmaris’s natural harbour is a definite must.
Thanks to its gentle mediterranean climate you can go swimming even during the winter months. The gulf of Marmaris is surrounded by high mountains covered with thick pine forests. Here you can find the extremely rare sweetgum ( Liquidamber Orientatlis ), supplier of incense, and the broad-leaved maple tree.
Climate: the climate is mediterranean with hot, dry summers and warm, wet winters.
FETHİYE;
Fethiye, ‘’the untouched virgin of the empire of light’’, is flanked by pine-covered hills and is located at the end of a gulf scattered with islands both large and small open to the north. Descending from the castle and the rock tombs towards the plain, the town stretches out from Karagozler to the coast. On the horizon one perceives the Knights Island ( Şövelye Adası ), Günlükbarı and the facing mountains.
Fethiye is renowned for its remainders from the Persian, Lycian, Carian, and Roman civilisations. Its cultural richness, natural beauty and its geographical location have made Fethiye one of the major centres of Turkish tourism.
Climate: ın Fethiye, the mediterranean climate prevails; hot dry summers and gentle rainy winters. In summer, the average temperature is around 30degrees, in winter generally above 10 degrees. The water temperature never falls below 16 degrees.
ANTALYA;
In reverence to its natural and archeological abundance, the coast surrounding Antalya has been named ‘’the Turkish Riviera’’. In Antalya the sun, sea, nature and history come together to create a magical whole. Here you find Turkey’s longest, cleanest and most beautiful beaches. Along its 630km coastline, there are antique cities, harbours,monuments, a lace-work of bays, sandy beaches, deep gren forests and rivers. With its palm-lined boulevards, the internationally acclaimed Marina, the traditional architecture of Kaleiçi its old town, and its modern amenities, Antalya is undoubtedly the most important centre of turkish tourism. In Antalya we find two types of climate. Along the coast the typical mediterranean climate reigns with hot dry summers and warm wet winters. Upon higher ground the continental climate of iner Anatolia prevails.
GÖCEK
The most important stop on the blue Voyage is at Göcek. It is located midway between Dalyan and Fethiye. The location of this charming fishing and agricultural village, founded in a small valley among the mountains is rather interesting. When you come from Dalyan, Göcek is reached by descending between step inclines.
To g oto Fethiye it is necessary to once again climb the step slopes. The village is at a distance of 32 km from Fethiye and 100 km from Marmaris. Göcek and its outskirts are rich chrome mines. There are mineral and petroleum storage tanks on the western side of the village. These constitute a danger fort he lovely bay.
Activities start at Göcek after sunrise. The yachts that have berthed at the Göcek Harbour from the previous day make their preparations for new voyages. The aim is to discover new paradises among the never ending beauties of nature in the Fethiye Bay. Many beautiful coves where blue and gren are merged are waiting for visitors in the bay. Wiht this excitement, the yachtsmen are complate their preparations early in the morning and set out to see new beauties of nature.
Hundreds of yachts come to the Göcek Harbour. A majrity of the yachtsmen have been at sea for days and their ties with the world are very nearly cut off. At Göcek there is a charming bookstore called ‘’Gönül’’ which prove the yachtsmen with links to the world. There are all kinds of publications in every language at this bookstore. Zeki Kebir, the owner of the Gönül Bookstore, entertains all the yachtsmen and tourists corning to the village. He asist them with every subject. The bookstore provides services from the early morning until late at night.
THE SARSALA WHARF
The Sarsala Wharf is close to Tersane Island. The wharf has been used for a long time. In the Otoman Empire period it was a cove where large cargo ships would anchor. The wharf remaining from these times has gone to bed for a long sleep under the waters of the shore.
GÖCEK HARBOUR
The Göcek harbour is located in the northmost area of the Fethiye Bay and is in the from of a half-crescent. The harbour is one of the most secure anchoring places at the bay. The harbor can be entered both during daytime and at night.
A view of the Göcek Harbour from above. The harbour and Göcek Island can be seen together.
THE ALTIN BOYNUZ
The Altın Boynuz is four sea miles to the southwest of the Göcek Harbour. The cove is entered through a narrow gate. As you advance, the gate broadens and you attain a full assuagement from the fragrance of the cense trees. It is said that this causes all the cells in your body to be renewed and become younger.
At the cove the yachts can anchor with ease, 8-10 meters from the shore. It is very suitable for swimming. My advise to you is to definitely go on land after you swim in the coves you enter. Take a tour among the aromas of the pine and incense trees. If you walk straight towards the summit of the mountain at Altın Boynuz, you will see Kille on the right. From the peak you can photograph the marvelous views of both Kille and the Altın Boynuz.
THE KILLE WHARF
Kille is a larger cove in comparison with Altın Boynuz. Yachts can anchor day and night in comfort. At the cove you can see a historical monastery. There is also a spring whose water is exellent. After a short walk you easily reach the villages in the environs of Kille.
A road has been opened by land to Kille the people living in GÖCEK g oto Kille for picnics or sometimes they will set up their tents for a few days here. However, the number of campers is few. Just opposite the cove is the Yassıca Island.
TAŞKAYA(BEDRİ RAHMİ COVE)
Taşkaya is one of the most exquisite coves at Fethiye Bay. A rock with a painting of a fish is draws attention at the entrance to the cove. The painting on the Stone was made by the famous Turkish artists BEDRİ RAHMİ EYÜBOĞLU and this is why the cove is called the Bedri Rahmi Cove.
Taşkaya is very suitable fort he layover of yachts and for meeting the needs of the yachters. In the mountains that encompass the surroundings of the cove, there are tombs and ruins remaining from the Lycian period. The ruins extend into the water. These tombs were chiseled into the mountains, just like pigeon’s nests. As excavations have not been made in the region, there is not much in formation concerning the ruins. However, it has been determined that the remains of the city of Cyra are located here.
You can imagine yourself to be in Venice when you pass the walter canals at Dalyan. However, it is not possible to find in venice the enigmatic mystery belongs only to Dalyan.
DALYAN
The most interesting stop after Sarıgerme is Dalyan. Here the Köyceğiz Lake joins the Mediterrenean with a narrow canal. The ruins of Kounos, one of the most important cities of the Lycian period, are located at Dalyan. The sea is entered at iztuzu, which is seen in the photograph below. You can g oto Kaunos with the caiques waiting here. Iztuzu, is the egg laying location of the Ceratta-Caretta ( large turtles ).
THE GARTEN HOTEL
The Garten Otel is the third largest hotel at Sarıgerme. It has modern erchitecture. There are reedbeds right next to the hotel and the small caiques lied in the reedbeds form a unique image, like an oil painting. These reedbeds and the sea can be see easily from the hotel rooms. All these unique images, awake the desire in people to not only take photographs but also to make paintings.
The sand on the shore at the Garten Hotel is quite fine and beautiful. Especially in the mornings, in your walks on the sandy beach, prints from your feet are left in the sand which look as though they will not be erased. It gives magnificent pleasure tos ip wine and watch the sea from the Garten Hotel’s pool area.
Facilities have been made at the hotel for all kinds of sports. These sports are taught by the teachers at the hotel.
All the men who saw the girl fell in love with her. This love was a fatal love. The lovers who were not able to feach the girl would commit suicide. To deal with this, the king had a tunel built from the palace to the sea. The king’s daughter would descend to the sea and return again to the palace through this tunnel without anyone seeing her. According to some sources pirates were living on the island and it is rumored that they established the cities on the northern part of the island to protect themselves against danger. There are several mooring places in the vicinity of Gemiler Island and hundreds of yachts can anchored at this island, the reason being that now permission is no longer given for yachts to anchor at the Dead Sea.
THE FETHİYE HARBOUR
You proceed for a long time, remote from people and civilization. You miss the civilized world, even if slightly. Furthermore, you want to do some shopping and to eat something different.
When the architectural style of the ruins are examined, you think that they remain from the Byzantine and Roman periods. Among the remains are a church, a palace and water cistern. The sea can be seen easily from the region where the remains are found. We believe that in the archaic period the ships passing in the Mediterranean were inspected from here.
KAPIDAĞ
It is filled with ruins remaining from the archaic era or this peninsula located at the Fethiye Bay. It is not known to whom these ruins belonged as an archeological excavation has not been undertaken in the area. Even the yacht captains who organize daily yacht tours do not know from what period the ruins have remained.
THE KURTOĞLU POİNT
the Kurtoğlu Point is located in the section where the Fethiye Bay ends. When you go from the right side of the point, you come to the A and B wharves. The ruins found in the vicinity of the wharf are reached with a short walk. If you walk for 1-2 hours and follow the historical ruins, you will be able to arrive at Manastır Cove.
THE GÖBEN WARF
The Göben Warf is appropriate for the berthing of yachts. On the shore is a small and charming restaurant where you will be able to find all varieties of food. It is possible to reach the open sea from a Canal located between the Göben and Çam Coves. The open sea makes people feel the infinity of the universe and the irresistible beauty of freedom. At sea there is only you and these emotions which you feel, and above all the many mysteries of the universe that are not solved.
THE MERDİVENLİ COVE
at the Merdivenli (Stairs) cove, stairs have been carved in the the rocks in the form of a step wall. Because of this, the vilagers gave the name of ‘’Merdivenli Cove’’ to the cove. the cove is of a size where two boats at the most are able to aproach. A goat path descends from the mountain to the cove. It is possible to walk directly to the summit from the trail ascending from the shore and to look at the surroundings.
THE ÇAM COVE
a cove given the name of ÇAM cove is located on the left side when entering the Manastır Come. At this cove an abandoned restaurant and historical remains that descend into the depths of water are present.
Everything needed is present at Manastır to make people feel as though they are in paradise. To swim at the ruins in the shade of the olive trees gives an insatiable pleasure. Due to the offsshore breeze that blows daily in summer you feel the wind blowing from all directions.
Historical ruins are also fount on Domuz Island. These ruins all the way into the sea. The sea here is so crystal clear that when you look from the yachts the ruins under the sea can be seen. Generally swimming is not permitted in this area because the island is rented.
Furthermore, among the ruins the remains of many houses are encourtered. A restaurant that can take care of the needs of yachtsmen is on the island. On the shore are a few palm trees and olive trees and a large number of goats. It is necessary to be careful of the rocks in the entire eastern and northeastern portions of Tersane Island. Only the northeastern part of island is suitable for anchoring. The people who anchor their yachts at Tersane Island at night wake up in the morning to the sparkling appearance of the sea and the pleasantly blowing breeze.
