Welcome to your Blue Voyage Experience with Guletix.
Our team will meet you and your group at this spot upon your arrival to the harbor.
Depending on your time of arrival, we will directly take you to your Gulet and hold a short welcome meeting or alternatively give free time to sit back, relax and dust off your travel-heaviness. You may also take your time to explore the city and the harbor before you start off your holiday at the seas.
Crystal clear swimming waters, surrounded by sweet gum and pine trees and perfumed by the sea, giving its distinct Turkish feel. The town is crowned by a castle and lined with wood-hulled yachts.
Located on Turkey’s south-western coast, this seaside pearl was once a fishing and sponge diving village that transformed into a modern-day touristic destination over the last 40 years, and today Marmaris draws visitors from all over the world.
The visitors of this trendy town are captivated by its natural beauty, warm and friendly locals, and hospitable culture. They keep coming back year after year, and they pass their passion for this town on to the next generations.
While some of the visitors are enjoying the sunshine on small yet charming beaches with warm shallow waters or a daily excursion exploring the region and visiting the ancient sites, the other half are on a treasure hunt and drawn to the local bazaar which is brimming with souvenirs, "genuine fake" designer duds, bags and shoes perfect for gifts, experiencing the soft buzzing sound of haggling on the streets as they walk by.
Marmaris has a lot more to offer as it is also possible to see a different lifestyle. By taking a stroll along the harbor and you can admire the million-dollar yachts that undulate in their moorings.
Having the biggest harbor in the region makes Marmaris also famous for its yacht marinas, which is a major center for blue cruise and gulet holidays, as well as luxury yacht charters. As the town has a perfect location for the yachts to access easily to secluded coves, bays, and beaches, which makes it a starting point for weekly Blue Cruise Holidays.
Paradise Island
Paradise island, also known as Heaven Island is located opposite of Marmaris city center, by the entrance of Marmaris Bay and acts as a breakwater. The island is connected with the mainland by a neck known as the Fake Strait (Turkish: Yalancı Boğaz) and in a distance of 3 sea miles from Marmaris harbor or 20 km from the land.
Yalanci Boğaz (Fake Strait)
The island is connected to Marmaris by a natural earthbank and when viewed from Marmaris, the set does not appear, giving it a look of a strait. Therefore called by the locals as ‘The fake or false Strait’.
Nimara Cave
Nimara Cave, situated on the island, has become a popular tourist attraction over the years when the archeologists discovered artifacts dating back to the Paleolithic Age and the Bronze Age. They also found remnants of city walls, watchtower and ancient houses. Scientists have discovered new evidence proving that the Paradise island was inhabited by early hunter gatherer humans at least 12000 years ago.
The remnants are located at the highest point of the island. The island also has a wide variety of endemic plants and wild life as Nimara Cave is home to ‘Trogloxene Butterflies’, similar to those found in Fethiye's Butterfly Valley.
Kumlubuk Bay
Kumlubük also known as Amos is a crescent moon shaped large bay on south of Asarcik Point, named after its sandy beach, meaning ‘Sandy Bay’ in Turkish. The bay is surrounded by thickly wooded mountains and features one of the longest shores of the peninsula with golden sand bank. The beach scarcely looks crowded even during the high seasons with its widely stretching shore.
Amos Cove
Hidden between the resorts of Turunc and Kumlubuk, Amos is a small cove tucked between two headlands. It's a bit rough and ready and the pebbles are scattered with ancient wooden loungers, but there is an unspoilt beauty that makes a stark contrast to the bling and bright lights of Marmaris, which lies across the bay. Amos was once a sizeable Roman settlement and there are some remains, including a small amphitheatre with breathtaking views.
Kumlubük and Amos Cove are the most visited spots of daily boat trips from Marmaris as they drop anchor for a swimming break.
There are several restaurants with piers along the coast and some of these restaurants offer exclusive services and watersport activities.
Amos Ancient City
Amos means "temple of mother goddess" in Hellenic language and most of the present-day remains of the ancient city dates back to the 5th and 2nd Centuries BC, the Hellenistic era. Amos is located on Asarcik Hill, 25 km away from Marmaris center, above the Kumlubük Bay to the northwest.
Although very little remained from the ancient city and not famous as its equivalents, it was one of the most important port cities of its time.
The remnants of the ancient city are comprised of an amphitheater, a temple, and statue pedestals and surrounded by ramparts. The amphitheater is in good shape, with its seating area, sidewalls, and stage with three chambers. The necropolis of the ancient city is located uphill outside of the city.
Inscriptions found on-site during the excavations revealed three rental contracts and they are considered to date back to 200BC.
As every city in ancient Greece the city is built on a hilltop as it was easier to defend high ground than it was low ground. They could see the enemy coming and take shelter in the buildings built high above the city. Taking a hike to Amos can be rewarding with its spectacular scenery and impressive view of the bay as it is approximately half an hour trip uphill on foot.
Kadırga Bay is one of the favored spots of daily boat trips from Marmaris for their swimming breaks and anchorage point of Blue Voyage Gulets. The bay is surrounded by small cliff like rock formations which provides shelter from sea breeze and southwest winds and crowned by a lighthouse at the tip of the cliff.
Kadırga Bay has three small inlets and the coast is covered with bushes and scattered olive groves. The beach features a shingle beach and there are no habitations apart from the house of the lighthouse keeper. The water is very clean and clear as many Scuba Diving Schools anchor for their teaching sessions in the shallow waters.
The history of the bay remains unknown but it is considered to be a small fishing port and also an ideal hideout location for pirate ships in the 17th Century just as any other bays and coves along the southern coast of Turkey.
Gerbekse Bay
Gerbekse Bay is the most popular mooring area and a sanctuary for Blue Cruise Yachts and Gulets.
The name of ‘Gerbekse’ derives from the Byzantine church wreck that is located on the hill and translated into Turkish from ‘Pregnant Chuch’ in English.
The ruins of the church is located inner side of the bay and ruins of ramparts can easily be spotted. The bay is surrounded by pine and olive trees and features a small shore of pebbles and sandstones beach. The cove is formed like a pool and features partly white sands underwater.
Swimming in this beautiful waters is an exclusive experience and absolutely magical as if you were in a swimming pool of champagne with bubbles sparkling in your every stroke.
Going ashore feels like being on one of the classic ‘Robinson Beaches’ as it is only accessible by water and there is no buildings or settlements.
Small number of daily trip boats from Marmaris also pay a short visit as they drop anchor for a swimming break.
Ciftlik Bay
Çiftlik is a small village located on a beautiful bay and it is a popular first-day stay for Yachts and Gulets. Sea is crystal clear and gleaming on sunny days and the beach is very convenient for long and pleasant sunbaths. Nature is amazing with pine-covered forests and the blend of blue and green worth seeing. Çiftlik draws visitors for its famous thick sandy beach as it differentiates from the region’s natural form and unlikely to see this type of sand in nearby coves and bays of Marmaris.
Çiftlik is crowned by a small and uninhabited island in the bay and features cafes and restaurants on the beach that offer water sports activities. Accessible also by land, it is one of the most visited spots of daily boat trips from Marmaris as they drop anchor for a short swimming break.
Arap Island
Arap Island is a small uninhabited and Turkish territory islet that lies on the north of Cape Çömlek and located very close to the mainland, between the village of Taşlıca and Greek Island Rhodes. Arap Island is among the most popular anchoring spots for Yachts and Gulets during Blue Voyages as the rays of sunshine gleam on the crystal clear and clean sea. Arap Island and its surroundings offer an astonishing view and the cove provides shelter from prevailing winds for its visitors.
Arap Island Cove
More of a cove than a beach, backed by cliffs and dense woods, with pebbles and clear blue waters – is Arap Island Cove on the borderline of the Aegean Sea and the Mediterranean Sea (mainland Turkey), below Taşlıca village. It’s a rough and steep pathway going up from the beach and leading to the village of Taşlıca around 3.5 km away but it’s the sort of place that, apart from in July and August, you may well have it to yourself. It has a completely rural feel that you can experience if you go ashore and start hiking. You can also observe cows and goats grazing by the beachside and feel the countryside lifestyle.
The villagers tie up their small fishing boats on the east of the beach in the cove and often paddle the oars to the visiting yachts and gulets, offering their newly caught fish and freshly picked or dried figs and almonds.
Port Serce
Serce means ‘Sparrow’ in the Turkish language and the harbor takes its name after the small, plump, brown and grey birds with short tails and stubby, powerful beaks that nestle around.
Port Serçe features a large bay hidden behind the steep cliffs with the blend of large pebbles and immature sands that lies along the peninsula and located 40 km west of Marmaris and a rough path in the valley around 9 km leads to the village of Taşlıca.
Serçe Limanı is a stunning, get-away-from-it-all bay with no road, no cars no electric but just the nature and an attractive anchorage spot for Blue Cruise Yachts and Gulets. The bay is extremely popular among the sailors community as well with its cool and clean waters with wild and romantic charm. The slopes are covered with olive trees and often you can spot goats climbing those steep slopes surrounding the bay or cows lying down on the beach.
Villagers often boat around the visiting yachts and gulets, trying to sell fish, octopus, fruits, olive oil and fresh bread. There is also a restaurant on the shore as well.
There are two abandoned villages close by, Kirkkuyular and Sindilli where stone houses are evidence of the ancient times.
Saline water is of little use for both animals and agriculture so houses needed wells for their domestic water and to grow their crops.
‘The Glass Shipwreck’
For almost a millennium, a modest wooden merchant ship laid underwater off the coast of Serçe Port, filled with evidence of trade and objects of daily life.
It was here that George Bass discovered a 15 meters shipwreck at a 32-meter depth during the summers of 1977-79 and excavated the artifacts made of glass from the shipwreck. Today those artifacts are displayed at the Museum of Underwater Archaeology in Bodrum Castle.
The ship is referred to as "The Glass Wreck" because its cargo included three tons of glass cullet, including broken Islamic vessels, and eighty pieces of intact glassware. Besides, it held glazed Islamic bowls, red-ware cooking vessels, copper cauldrons and buckets, wine amphoras, and personal possessions of the crew as weapons, tools, jewelry, fishing gear, coins, scales, and weights, and more.
Legend has it that an 11th Century Byzantine merchant ship made her way westward along the southern coast of Anatolia with cargoes she had taken on board somewhere along the coast of present-day southern Lebanon or northern Israel, believed to be from an Islamic glass factory on the Fatimid Syrian coast back then. Seeking shelter, she sailed before easterly winds into Port Serçe. When the ship reached a protected anchorage within the harbor close to the weather shore, the crew cast an anchor, but before a second anchor could be set, The ship was driven onto the rocks and sank.
Korsan means ‘Pirate’ in the Turkish language and it is rumored that the bay takes its name after a legend that the merchant ships and smugglers were dragged into the bay and fell into the hands of pirates due to a reverse current in the Gelidonya Cape.
Korsan Cove lies on the north of Çatal Island and features a very small bay remotely hidden behind an islet. The surroundings are backed by cliffs and dense woods and the underwater is clean sand. Due to the size of the cove, only one or suitably two yachts or gulets can be harbored at the same time.
Bozukkale
Bozukkale means ‘Remnant Castle’ in the Turkish language and it is properly named as there is no evidence of an existing Harbor Fortress apart from a few remnants of ramparts of 120 meters.
The bay of Bozukkale, also known as Loryma in ancient times is located near the southern tip of the Bozburun Peninsula that lies nearly 40 km southwest of Marmaris. It is also located 22 km away from the Greek Island of Rhodes and the houses and harbor of the city can be seen in the distance with the naked eye.
The bay is surrounded by sparsely wooded hills and mountains and has the clearest blue waters.
In the north, steep pathway goes up from the shore and only at the north-west end of the bay with densed woods.
The bay is extremely popular among the sailing community with its secluded position that provides shelter against the wind, blending with the ruins and rural countryside feel. It is one of the main destinations as well as a station for Yachts and Gulets on Blue Voyages.
Loryma Ancient City - Historical Overview
The gulf due to its sheltered nature, had a strategic importance throughout history.
Loryma was an ancient town and episcopal see of ancient Caria, in Anatolia.
Loryma was a fortified place with a port, on the westernmost point of the Rhodian Chersonesus(Peninsula), in Caria. Its harbour was about 20 miles distant from Rhodes and belonged to the Rhodians.
Geographer Strabo describes Loryma as a rocky district in his works, without mentioning the town.
The ruins of the ancient Loryma are located by the entrance of the cove and on the hill that overlooks the gulf.
Being a port town in ancient time meant one thing; Always open for invaders. Therefore the castle was built in the order to protect the entrance of the gulf and it was fortified in time.
The oldest traces of human presence in the bay of Loryma date back to Chalcolithic times (5,500–3,500 B.C.). From the Geometric Period (900–700 B.C.) onwards, a permanent population developed slowly in the surroundings of the bay. In the 4th Century BC, The bay of Loryma is one of the few large bays of the Bozburun Peninsula which was known as the Carian Chersonese (Peninsula).
Being related to Rhodes, the bay of Loryma and the whole peninsula experienced an economic prosperity, confirmed by the ancient farmsteads and archaeological findings as numerous inscriptions, ceramics and stamped amphora handles.
During this time, the bay was home to a Rhodian naval base, most likely used as an armory.
It is also considered as Loryma had a certain importance for the Rhodians and their expansion to the mainland.
From the 1st Century BC until the end of 4th Century AD, the Loryma Peninsula appears almost uninhabited.
Only in the Early Byzantine period, that temporary settlement takes place, as can be seen in the ruins in the bay as well as in its surroundings spread around.
In the Late Middle Ages, according to contemporary Portolan charts, there must have been a port of the naval power Amalfi in the bay since it appears in the Portolans as ‘Porto Malfetano’.
Cape of Oglan Boguldu is located at the southwestern tip of the Gulf of Yeşilova and forms a small bay and an island with the same name.
Oğlan Boğuldu means ‘the boy got drowned’ in the Turkish language and was used ever since for describing the location of the bay, referring to a sad incident of an unknown young boy.
Unlike the story of its name, the sea is welcoming with its incredibly clear, clean, and captivating turquoise color. The bay is very nice for a swimming break during the day and has been a go-to spot of almost every Blue Voyage Yachts and Gulets.
Sogut
Sogut is a large village, lies in the south of Bozburun Peninsula and partly rough, partly modern steep pathway going up from the shore and leads up to the village center as it is located inlands from the sea.
The village has managed to stay off the radar of mass tourism until recent years. However, the area gained popularity with its seafront location and stunning view.
Söğüt was also an old Greek village. With the Population Exchange in 1923, the Greeks in Söğüt were settled on the Simi Island 7 miles across the Saranda Bay.
Saranda Bay
The shoreline of the village is called ‘Saranda’ and it means ‘forty’ in the Greek language. The name derives from the Church of Forty Martyrs as in Christian mythology of The Forty Martyrs of Sebaste, or the Holy Forty. It is also mentioned in the Bible.
According to Saint Basil the Great, a group of Roman legionnaire soldiers who had openly confessed themselves Christians and were condemned and killed near the city of Sebaste (present-day Sivas in Turkey) by the Empire in 320 AD.
After their death, the bones and ashes of the soldiers were distributed throughout the first Christian churches of Anatolia. In this way, veneration of the Forty Martyrs became widespread, and numerous churches were erected in their honor. One of those churches was once on the shore of Saranda.
Saranda Bay features a large shoreline with large pebbled narrow beach and two piers along with uninhabited islands and islets scattered around within the bay. The surroundings are covered by sparsely wooded and rocky hills and mountains.
The restaurants are peppered along the shoreline and provide excellent sea food and service. The settings are impressive at night.
Yachts and Gulets on Blue Voyages drop anchor in one the coves of the islands to watch the sunset over the island of Symi.
Çomçalık Bay is located in the north of the Söğüt Island and it is one of the most peaceful and well-favored spots for anchoring by the visiting yachts and gulets. The bay has a strikingly beautiful surrounding in terms of underwater and landscape. Every tone of blue dance around the bay with the rays of sunshine.
Nostalgic like an old folk song, standing the test of time and feels familiar like an eidetic image of a random place remaining from childhood.
The chirping sounds of crickets, the sweet scent of flowers blowing through the pine trees with a gentle breeze, blending in with beachside hamlets and yachts drifting in and out of sleepy coves. All in unison with the droughty territory with thousands of years of history.
Surrounded by orange and lemon trees yet floating shelters known as Gulets rising in the gardens of the locals.
Bozburun is a forest of Gulets in all lengths, beams, and colors. The symphony of ship construction sounds, the smell of varnish and dust from sandpapers are the essence of this small village and it is simply part of their daily routine. As the village has a craggy, rocky landscape and infertile farming ground, the locals started living off the sea, and consequently, ship construction developed over the years. Today, it is a craftsmanship that inherits from father to son and the main source of income for the locals.
Situated on the southwest coast of Turkey and giving its name to the peninsula, the little seaside village is the main port of call for voyagers with its fascinating scenery and crystal clear waters.
This captivating slice of paradise is one of those places that has managed to stay off the radar of mass tourism and effortlessly provides an exclusive and ever-elusive experience to its visitors that is getting harder and harder to find. However, being a Gulet homeland, a harbor, and a stop-off point for the yachts that is, Bozburun has already achieved recognition by the local visitors and now taking its first baby steps towards becoming a Blue Voyage base and destination.
Dirsek Bükü also known as Agil Bay, lies on the south of Gulf of Hisarönü and it has been among the most favorite spots of Yachts and Gulets on Blue Voyages with its crystal clear waters and breathtaking scenery. The bay is only accessible by the sea and one of the timeless and secluded places that is perfect for anyone looking for a little peace and quiet.
The water is so lucent that sandy bottom is visible and the sweet breeze in the bay has a cooling effect in summers.
Watching the fishing boats drift in and out of the bay, gives the feeling that you are in a place that no one knows about.
There is a cozy restaurant with a pier and provides good food and service under attractive settings.
Kocabahçe means ‘Big Garden’ in the Turkish language and it is also known as ‘Sailor's Paradise’ referring to the only restaurant located in the bay.
The bay features crystal clear, shallow waters and sloping hills covered with pine and olive groves. The sweet scent of thyme and sage perfume the air after a spring rain and sometimes you can spot goats grazing on the hills.
Located opposite of ‘Koca’ Island, the bay stretches out widely on both sides and it is more like a cove than a beach.
Sailor’s Paradise is worth mentioning as the family who runs the restaurant worked miracles with sheer willpower. They produce their own electricity and built a T-Shaped wooden pier so that the cruising yachts and gulets can dock easily and resupply if needed.
They grow their fruits and vegetables in their garden, eggs come from the coop, they bake fresh bread every morning and bring provisions from Bozburun by boat. They offer fresh food and good service. Turkish appetizers known as ‘Meze’ are worth giving a try.
The bay has become one of the most well-favored anchoring spots of the sailors as well as Blue Voyagers and the family enjoys their increasing popularity.
Kameriye Island
Kameriye Island, also known as ‘Camellia Island’ is one of the few charming islands dotted around the coastline of Bozburun Peninsula and it is a beautiful and peaceful goat-laden place with crystal clear warm waters and delightful secluded bays. The island is ideal for a lunchtime anchorage and one of the most visited locations of Yachts and Gulets on Blue Cruises as well as daily boat trips.
The remains of an old Greek village stretches to the south of the island and the top of the hill features magnificent panoramic view.
Byzantine Orthodox Church and The Wish Trees
The ruins of the 1,800-Year-Old Byzantine (Greek) Orthodox Church with its Monastery and the century-old wish trees are the highlights of Kameriye Island.
While the church is in ruins, the uniquely handcrafted pebbled mosaic floor survived to the present-day and has an unconventional pattern and form unlike its early prototypes. A partly damaged fresco of Jesus Christ can also be sited. The Monastery within the premises is in fairly good shape.
Kameriye Church made a tremendous impact in Turkey and abroad, and experts agreed the idea that the island has a high potential to become Turkey’s second Virgin Mary House.
A project titled “Five Pieces of Gold” initiated in 2010 in the order to restore the church and open for faith and wedding tourism. It is estimated by the experts that hundreds of couples will get married in this church through organizations and it will turn into a ‘Wedding Island’ for Christians once the project is complete.
Kameriye Island is visited by thousands of people, particularly Orthodox tourists during the summers as it is one of the most popular anchoring point of daily boat trips.
All the trees on the island turned into ‘wish trees’, and are covered with colorful clothes or prayer ribbons of all kinds. Visitors and pilgrims bind those piece of clothes on the branches of the century old olive trees and make wishes. The one peculiar olive tree outside the church is the most favored.
Selimiye village seems to represent a lot about what is going on along the coasts of Turkey and there can be few locations as idyllic as Selimiye.
Small pensions and boutique hotels spread around like wildfire on the coastline as tourism has risen rapidly – right next to shabby houses with cows, goats, sheep, and chickens wandering around. The village tells the story of how much tourism can change a village within just a few years.
Selimiye is a one-street village where all activity is clustered around the seafront. Steep hills surround the inlet, so the water is perfectly calm, crystal clear and quickly shelves to very deep water, so it's a haven for yachts but there is not much in the sense of sandy beaches.
Small restaurants cover the quay area, yet an eternal tranquility rules the coastline.
Orhaniye Bay
The Bay of Orhaniye is a nest for gulet boats that come and go daily in the summers and it is a stomping ground for tourists. The sea is always smooth and shades of the pine trees on the hills reflect on the water. The area is so quiet that when you swim, you can only hear the sound you make in the water. Tidal flows through straits and islands formed here a shallow sandbank in the middle of the cove that divides the water into two. This 600 meters long ribbon of sand is called 'Kızkumu'. It means 'A Girl's Sand' in the Turkish language referring to a telltale in the region. You will be puzzled by the sight of people walking on this sandbank, making it seem as if they are walking on the sea. Therefore, the area is also often referred to as 'Jesus Beach' by tourists.
A little further south, The ancient sites of Hydas, Hygassos, and Baybassos are nearby. Hydas has city walls dating back to the Hellenistic period, and several tombs, a watchtower, and castle remains are dating back to the 5th Century AD.
The Folktales of Kizkumu
The King and His Princess Daughter
Legend has it, the King of Baybassos loses the long battle against the pirates and the city falls under siege. Then, the King gets captured and killed along with his people. The beautiful daughter of the King flees from the pirates after sundown and runs to the waters. However, the princess doesn’t know how to swim and forms a road with the sands that she has stored in her skirt while she walks. Once she runs out of sand, she drowns and dies.
The Princess and The Fisherman
The Princess of Baybassos goes down to the docks every night with a torch in her hand to meet the handsome but poor fisherman that she’s in love with. She lights the torch to signal that she has arrived. When the King finds about the Princess’s romance, he gets very angry and locks her daughter away, and takes hold of the torch.
The same night, the fisherman sees the torchlight like every other night, thinking that she arrived, and he races towards the dock. Only this time instead of the Princess, he faces an ambush by King’s soldiers. Meanwhile, the Princess breaks free from her cell and runs to warn her lover. A miracle happens as she runs towards him; every step she takes hastily on water, turns into a path from sand and she reaches on time. But the moment the fisherman takes her in his arms, blood drops from her back. The Princess was shot with an arrow and the water turns red. The fisherman takes the Princess and they vanish from sight, not to be seen and heard of ever again.
İnbükü, also known as Emel Sayın Bay has been one of the top destinations for Camping and Glamping aficionados in Turkey way back before even international tourism started.
Even though the picnic area is now closed, some travelers still come to these bays to swim and set up tents and stay for a few days but the main visitors of the bays are sailors and Blue Cruise voyagers.
İnbükü is located in a very peaceful area in the Gulf of Hisarönü, where even the harshest weather turns into a gentle breeze. An enormous natural area covered with dense pine and sweetgum trees and it is a well-known anchorage spot with crystal clear waters and beautiful surroundings for Blue Cruise Yachts and Gulets.
The bay was named after a major Turkish classical music singer and ambassador Emel Sayın. The reason behind this was the color of the sea reminded people of her beautiful blue-colored eyes that 80s Turks fell in love with. It is also rumored that she used to anchor her yacht in this bay during her vacations and the yacht never moved any place else.
Bencik Bay
Bencik Bay is a fjord-like inlet and a natural harbor that lies in the north of Dişlice Island and it is the narrowest point of the Datça Peninsula.
Bencik Bay is one of the all-time trendy locations in Hisarönü and much loved by the Blue Voyage Yachts and Gulets with its small coves and beautiful nature featuring many coves, pine trees covering the slopes right down to the shoreline.
In 540 BC, upon the first Persian invasion of Greece, the Aegean coast was also invaded and Herodotus mentions Bencik Bay in his chronicle novel (The Histories) around 440–430 BC, trying to trace the origins of the Greco-Persian Wars.
Dislice Island
Dişlice Island is located at the entrance of the bay and offers a fascinating view with its rock walls.
Dişlice means ‘a place with a tooth’ in the Turkish language, referring to the formation of the rocks on the island that resembles teeth lined up on a jaw.
In a country blessed with captivating bays, islands, and coves, Aktur Bay is truly something else.
This slice of paradise previously received the title of 'Turkey's Most Beautiful Bay' and its beaches awarded 'Blue Flag' every year.
Aktur Bay is one of the breeding grounds for the loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta Caretta), countless species of fish, and home to rare underwater flora. The region is almost like a natural aquarium with its colors and habitation.
Situated between the town of Datça and Kurucabük, it separates Gulf of Hisarönü and Gökova.
The Bay has a stunning view and features a peaceful atmosphere with its dense pine trees on the slopes, a mixture of turquoise and blue waters, and the sounds of cicadas.
Historically, the bay played a critical and tactical defensive role in 540 BC, Pre-Greco-Persian Wars. Greeks dug a tunnel to bypass directly to the Gulf of Gökova and to increase the speed and the capability of their fleet against the Persian Army (Xerxes and the 300). However, their efforts were in vain and the war resulted in defeat. In the end, the town was invaded by the Persians and the tunnel left a small, man-made island between the Gulfs.
Craggy, a sliver of pine-crested hills and deserted beaches jutting into the Aegean, endless olive groves, empty ravines, coves with every shade of blue, vast sweeping bays, the air scented with thyme, rosemary, and sage, and sleepy villages with goats on the road and old men tinkering with their prayer beads in vine-covered cafes. Datça offers a mirage of genuine tranquility amid the buoyant resorts of south-west Turkey.
Datça has successfully managed to maintain itself as a pastoral Aegean port town without the inflow of mass tourism and its consequent formless and absonant structures. The inhabitants of Datça are clearly opposed to tourism that is not in tune with the natural surroundings and has therefore only supported the openings of small inns and boutique hotels. The result is a collection of traditional settlements, newly built accommodations that are small and in harmony with their surroundings. Its distance from airports and bad road access has left it unspoiled. Yet, city-weary visitors do come and spend a few days in new hotels but most visitors come from anchored off-shores as they make their shortstops on gulet cruises.
The ancient Greeks believed that the God of Olympus, Zeus personally created Datça.
The geographer Strabo supposedly said: “God sent his beloved creatures to Datça for them to live longer.” That is taken seriously by the Turks as they buy their holiday and retirement homes in Datça.
Kargı, meaning ‘spear’ in the Turkish language, likely named after the rock formations that resemble spears pointed towards the sea and the sky.
Even though there are no ancient ruins nor evidence in the vicinity to support the idea, the narrative history suggests that there once was an ancient settlement called ‘Melyonda’ on the eastern shores of this bay.
Nevertheless, in today's maps, this whole region is called ‘Mandalya’ and also the locals call it by the same name. The similarity between the names is mysterious and fascinating at the same time.
The bay is the main go-to spot of locals with its close location to the town center. The beach is very crowded, especially with people who come by car during the day as it is also accessible by road. But at night, it is just as deserted.
Kargı Bay is a destination renowned for fishing and scuba diving. It is also one of the most favored anchorage spots of cruising yachts and gulets on Blue Cruises with its attractive setting. Especially in the morning, the view of the huge light-colored rock on the shore resembles the temple-tomb monuments of Kings on Mount Nemrut. With one word, glamorous.
Located at Cape Krio, at the tip of the extremely long Datça Peninsula, jutting westwards into the Aegean and surrounded by the Greek Islands of Cos, Nisyros, Tilos, Symi, and Rhodes.
Today’s sleepy and laid-back town was once home to ancient civilizations and witnessed the history in the making firsthand.
Even though early Archaic and Classical periods remain a mystery, the history of Knidos dates back to 3000 BC.
Mycenaeans settled here in the 14th and 13th centuries BC, given evidence by the unearthed ceramic artifacts during extensive excavations, and the name Knidos is considered to come from those times.
According to historians, the city was rebuilt in the 12th century BC by the Dorians, who first migrated from the north to the nearby islands, then later settled in the mainland.
On the other hand, according to Herodotus, Knidos was colonized by the Lacedaemonians (Spartans) in the 12th Century BC.
According to Diodoros, it was established by the Triopas, King of Argos in 700 BC.
Regardless of the date, this windswept port city with its twin harbors, accessible by land and sea, was a strategic connection point of shipping routes between the Greek mainland, Ephesus, Rhodes, Egypt, and other major seaports and from the extent of the ruins scattered to a vast area and grandeur of the structures, it might be attested that Knidos was a big and important city in the ancient times.
Today, the ancient city of Knidos (Cnidus) still stands the test of time and is just like an open-air museum with its stone walls surrounding the site.
Instead of following the natural outlines of the land, Knidos was designed and built-in terraces following a precise grid pattern with streets running north to south, and east to west.
Historic excavation of the site is minimal, but up to this point, archaeologists have discovered Hellenistic, Roman, and Byzantine-era ruins that dot the landscape.
Yedi Adalar (Seven Islands)
Described as the center of Gokova and the world and as a place where the islands seem to hang in the sky by the Fisherman of Halicarnassus.
There are countless small coves and bays in the Gulf of Gokova and Yedi Adalar is one of the most impressive as a region.
This chain of islands is named after the mini-archipelago of four islands that are lined up side by side, another island that is slightly offshore, and two islets nearby, meaning ‘Seven Islands’ in the Turkish language.
Located between the Amazon and Tuzla Bay, in the Gulf of Gokova, this region is wonderful for snorkeling, swimming, and exploring with its some splendid coral reefs, calm and cool waters, and picturesque landscapes.
The natural scenery of the area is quite breathtaking as the islands are full of frankincense trees (also known as olibanum). The earthy, aromatic, and musty pine scents of frankincense myrrh perfume the air.
Each island is situated about 250 meters apart from the next one and they are all partly bleak and uninhabited but the beaches in the bays are covered with dense pine forest.
Göllü island, meaning ‘island with a lake’ in the Turkish language and instinctively named after the small salt-water pond within the island. Situated slightly offshore north of the others and it is a great place for snorkeling and scuba diving with its rich underwater fauna.
Küçük island, meaning ‘little’ in the Turkish language, is the smallest island of them all as its name suggests.
Zeytinli island, translates to ‘an island with olive trees and the southern shores of the island are covered by olive trees.
Uzun island, meaning ‘long island’, is named after the natural long rocky formation of the island.
Martili island, meaning ‘island with seagulls’, is named relevantly as it is home to an endangered bird species called ‘Audouin's gull’ that is restricted to the Mediterranean and the western coast of Saharan Africa and the Iberian peninsula.
These beautiful birds with short stubby red bills and "string of pearls" white wing primary tips breed on small islands colonially or alone, laying 2–3 eggs on a ground nest.
However, in the late 1960s, this was one of the world's rarest gulls, with a population of only 1,000 pairs. It has established new colonies but remains rare with a population of about 10,000 pairs.
The Legendary Life Cycle of Eels
Seven Islands are also home to the legendary story of eels.
The story is told poetically in the book called ‘Fish Bank’ of The Fisherman of Halicarnassus;
The eels travel great distances to breed from Gökova to the Bahamas. The journey takes 3 years and when they arrive, the females release their eggs, the males fertilize them, and the adults die after spawning.
The eggs hatch into larvae that float to the surface and drift back towards Gokova which may also take them 3 years to arrive.
Larvae then change into glass eels. These transparent juvenile eels enter estuaries and turn darker, from which point they are known as elvers. Elvers move upstream and they return to the Seven Islands to live, where they grow into adults.
The hatchlings of eels that come from Norway, return to the Norwegian fjords, and the hatchlings of eels that come from Gokova, find their way back to Seven Islands.
Over a decade (or more) later, adult eels head out to sea to spawn, and the cycle continues.
Secluded, peaceful and unspoilt. Kufre bay is one of the most popular stops of the region and treasured by the seafaring community.
The pine-scented bay is a natural harbor that features a pebbled shoreline and pathway where visitors can take a walk through densly wooded forest and embrace the nature. Also visitors could spot sweetgum trees (liquidambar orientalis) that produce myrrh, native to the Aegean and eastern Mediterranean region.
Tuzla Bay
Tuzla is the first bay that comes across upon arrival into the Gökova Harbor area. It feels like crossing the equator, like sailors being tested for their seaworthiness by King Neptune, God of the sea.
‘Tuz’ means ‘salt’ in the Turkish language and the area takes its name after the salt bed that is located in a shallow lake-like formation at the eastern end of the bay.
Up until the recent past, Tuzla Bay was surrounded by laurel trees. Even the villagers used to come by boat and made their living by selling the leaves that they collected. Unfortunately, these precious laurel trees were completely engulfed in flames in the second half of the 90s.
Tuzla is the favorite spot of gulet captains especially in hot weather as the bay is wonderful for an afternoon break, also an isolated location at nights under the stars.
The myth of the God of the Sea
When a ship crosses the equator, King Neptune comes aboard to exercise authority over his domain and to judge charges brought against Pollywogs (new sailors) that they are only posing as sailors and haven't paid proper homage to the god of the sea.
Sedir Island
So many reasons to visit this place…
The most special island in the region where green and blue wash over the golden sands.
The island that the Egyptian Queen Cleopatra owes her beauty and deep traces of Cedrae Ancient City.
The centuries-old olive trees on the island seem to whisper something from the past.
This small and gorgeous uninhabited island is truly a slice of heaven on earth.
Sedir, meaning ‘Cedar’ in the Turkish language, takes its name after the cedar trees with evergreen, needle-like leaves native to the mountains of the western Himalayas and the Mediterranean region. Although the name comes from the cedar tree, there is no trace of this tree species on the island today.
The island was known as Kedrai (Cedrae) in ancient times, meaning also "Cedar, Cedars" in Greek which may indicate that cedar trees covered the island once upon a time.
The Fisherman of Halicarnassus referred to the island in his books as ‘Gülen’, meaning ‘Smiling Island’.
Sedir Island is home to the ancient Carian settlement of Cedrae, the remnants of which are spread throughout the island and the idyllic Cleopatra Beach with golden sands and a big sweep of glimmering turquoise water that stays shallow for meters.
Today, this open-air museum attracts visitors from all over the world and it is one of the most visited spots by tourists, international and domestic.
The woman behind the legend
The symbol of beauty and intelligence and the main character of legendary stories and movies. The woman who stole the hearts of Roman emperors and caused wars.
Cleopatra was the famous Egyptian ruler, the Last Queen of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt, who lived between 69 and 30 BC. It would not be an exaggeration to say that she was one of the most famous women in history.
Although her predecessors were referred to as Cleopatras, meaning "glory of her father" in Ancient Greek, she was the one who turned the title into a legend.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder
Born in Egypt/Alexandria, Cleopatra was of Greek descent. Although her beauty is still debated in historical sources and claimed not to be so beautiful, it was crystal clear that she was very intelligent. It is also often claimed that she spoke 9 languages. ‘
She ascended the throne at a young age and was forced to marry her brother. When she was exiled, she met the Roman Emperor Caesar. Although Caesar was 52 years old and Cleopatra was only 21, they had a love affair and even had a child together.
Love in the Time of Civil War
After Caesar's death, the Roman commander Marcus Antonius invited Cleopatra to Tarsus, Cilicia and after meeting for the very first time, the relationship that would last 7 years, began.
However, Antony was already married to Octavia, the sister of Caesar's great-nephew and adopted son ‘Octavian’. Despite this marriage, Antony carried on a love affair with Cleopatra, who bore him three children, further straining Antony's relations with Octavian. Their ongoing hostility erupted into civil war in 31 BC, as the Roman Senate, at Octavian's direction, declared war on Cleopatra and proclaimed Antony a traitor. Later that year, Antony was defeated by Octavian's forces at the Battle of Actium. Antony and Cleopatra fled to Egypt where, having again been defeated at the Battle of Alexandria, they both committed suicide. It is rumored that Cleopatra had herself bitten by a poisonous cobra or committed suicide by drinking poison.
Cleopatra Beach on Sedir Island
In a lot of places on Anatolian shores, there are legends and names related and dedicated to the famous Egyptian ruler and the beach on Sedir Island is no exception.
It is a documented fact that the queen and her lover, Mark Antony visited the shores of Anatolia during their travels between Rome and Alexandria but it remains a mystery whether they stopped by this island.
Legend has it, Cleopatra and Marc Antony once bathed here nearly 2000 years ago. The sands that ornament the beach today, were brought by galleys from the Red Sea for his beloved Queen to sunbathe on these sands and add beauty to her beauty. The type of the sands was so special that each grain of sand was a perfect sphere, formed of seashell fossils and only seen on the coasts of North Africa.
However, science does not support that idea and the story of fetching sand from Egypt. Researchers stated that the test results verify the sands of Sedir Island formed 1500 years earlier than the sands in Alexandria.
Whether Cleopatra and Antonius visited this island or swam on the beach, or it is all a romantic telltale. Even if it were a legend, close your eyes for a moment while swimming, and imagine Cleopatra.
Cokertme Bay
A location for wading into warm and clear waters, get in touch with nature, and rejuvenating.
Located at the Gulf of Gokova, Cokertme is a rustic fishing and carpet-weaving village with a few modest stone houses and restaurants. The surrounding areas are very convenient for setting up tents and the locals take advantage of this camping site during the summers.
Cokertme Bay is a favored overnight spot among the yachting community as the bay provides an isolated location from the crowds with its remote, quiet and peaceful environment at nights.
The shoreline is lined with pine and olive trees and has a long stretch of pebbled beach with the magnificent view of 1162 meters high mount ‘Kocadag’.
The bay is also a favorite spot for Turkish filmmakers as they shoot countless summer movies and TV series.
Cokertme Kebab
Cokertme, also gives its name to a Turkish delicacy, a type of kebab eaten in Anatolia, particularly associated with the Bodrum area and considered to originate in Cokertme village.
Cokertme Kebab, made using marinated strips of veal or chicken served with fried potatoes, garlic yogurt, tomato sauce, fried tomatoes, and green peppers.
Mazi Bay consists of 4 small coves that are lined side by side and part of the Mazi village, situated on a hilltop. Those coves are all named differently; Çakilli Yali, İnce Yali, Hurmali Buk, and Ilgin Bay, and watching the sunset in these bays is an amazing experience.
The village is the furthest point of Bodrum territory, away from all the noise and the crowds and everything that this buoyant town represents, resulting in tranquility, simplicity, and a lifestyle in harmony with nature.
Kissebuku Bay (Alakisla Bay)
Kissebuku Bay is a large bay with a long coastline, several captivating coves, and Byzantine ruins hidden among olive trees along the beach. The bay is one of the highlights and unparalleled destinations of every yacht and gulet on Blue Voyage beyond comparison.
A hike from the shore uphill is worth a trip even just to take a look from the top at the magnificent view of the clear sea and history together. The bay is also accessible by land, even if it is a challenging journey.
Kissebuku Bay is one of the coastal intersections of Keramus (Gokova) and Halicarnassus (Bodrum), two important ancient cities of Coastal Caria. It is claimed that the name of the bay once was Anastasiopolis in ancient times.
Anastasiopolis Ancient City
It is considered that the city, which was founded at the beginning of the 5th century AD, was abandoned like other coastal cities with the start of Arab raids in the 7th century AD.
The first settlement is the acropolis, built on a hill overlooking the whole bay, 200 m away from the coast in the north of the bay, surrounded by inner and outer walls, and presenting archaeological finds from the Archaic Period to the Roman Period.
All of the structures running parallel to the coast belong to the Early Christian Period (Late Antiquity).
The city was a port settlement and designed in line with the meniscoid (semilunar) shape of the bay.
In the north of the bay, besides the harbor structures, there are the remains of churches and tombs that continue towards the northern slopes, and the remains of many structures whose functions have not yet been determined.
Along the coast to the west of the port, the important religious buildings of the city are lined up parallel to the coastline. These are; baptistery, church, a chapel adjoining the church, and a bath. In the south of the isthmus, there are two-story public buildings, a bath, opposite streets, residences, towers, and cisterns.
The bay, which is surrounded by mountains and is very difficult to reach by land, points to a long-term settlement that has continued since ancient times with some roads still used today.
A cistern, a residence, and a martyrs' cemetery that belongs to the Republican period form the traces of the Turkish period in the city.
Bodrum
Described as ‘The Land of Eternal Blue’ by Homer, picture a town where the dazzling whitewashed houses ornamented with bright-blue doors and windows, burst into colors with cascades of bright pink and purple bougainvillea flowers flowing from the roofs, where the charming narrow streets slope down to the azure waters. The town tells the tales of an unknown era.
Located on a peninsula and surrounded by numerous islands and islets, on the southwestern coastline of Turkey, this seaside gem once was home to the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Today, it’s also home to elegant hotels, with a lively array of restaurants with exquisite cuisines and busy bars sprinkled across the coastline.
While it may no longer be an ancient wonder, this glamourous town is one of the trendiest resorts in Turkey with its architecture, spectacular beaches, secret coves, fishing villages, preserving its Aegean characteristics.
Bodrum is also the yachting capital of Turkey with its world-class marina and world-famous shipyards that its history dates back to ancient times. Today, carrying on the tradition, yachts built in those shipyards cruise the Aegean and the Mediterranean.
