Deluxe Gulet Cruise From Bodrum Cruising the Turkish Aegean Boutique Style

Depart from Bodrum for the Gulf of Gokova, a stretch of the Aegean where the sea displays the most remarkable hues. The rugged coastline with its myriad small bays and harbors gives way to a stunning backdrop of pine-clad hills and mountains. The next destination is Cati Bay where we will spend the rest of the day and sleep under the stars. Cati is a beautiful natural harbor surrounded with pine trees, fantastic for swimming and walks through the pine forests.

After breakfast, leave Cati Bay to explore Yedi Adalar (Seven Islands), a chain of 6 larger and many small islands, fringed by coral reefs located very close to the shore. Each island has its own beauty, presenting you with incredible. pine forests, or beautiful Styrax (or Sorax, sweet gum, liquid-amber) trees, which are native to this region, and have provided resin to make perfumes and incense since ancient times. The locals extract the sap from the sweet gum trees to produce Storax, which is used for medicinal purposes. At an American Chemical Society Meeting in 2006, chemists reported evidence that the seeds of the sweet gum fruit contain shikimic acid, the acid used to produce the main antiviral agent for fighting bird flu. There are many secluded beaches and coves here where you can enjoy swimming, kayaking, and snorkelling. Our last stop in the Seven Islands region will be Kufre Bay.

Continue your voyage to Cleopatra Island, the site of the classical love-nest created by Mark Anthony for the Egyptian Queen Cleopatra. Here you find extensive archaeological remains scattered along one of Turkey’s most breath taking golden beaches. (Optional): Cleopatra’s Island is like an open-air museum with its ruin-scattered beach, golden sand, and crystalline water. The inland area has a Dorian-style temple that Christians later turned into a church, a 1,500-person amphitheater reminiscent. of the pre-Roman era, small buildings with domed roofs, cisterns colored red on the inside, and tunnels. The surrounding area is strewn with broken columns, capitals, and stones decorated with pictures and reliefs. The numerous knights’ coats of arms suggest that the Knights of Rhodes used the island. Legend has it that Mark Anthony brought the sand here for Cleopatra from the deserts of North Africa. It is forbidden by law to remove even a few grains of unusual sand from this island. English Harbor: When you depart and sail along the island’s southwestern coast, you will notice how the forests come down to meet the shores of deep inlets stretching inland. This rugged coastline is known as the Bay of Sixty-six Inlets. In the afternoon cruise to the secluded English Harbor, which abounds with thick green foliage. The cove takes its name from the English torpedo boats that hid here in World War II.

Set sail for the Longuz Bay, where the forest touches the water’s edge and offers some lovely hiking opportunities. In the early evening drop anchor in Tuzla for overnight, after a few stops for swimming in Ballisu. Ballisu (meaning ‘honeyed water’) is another site of incredible natural beauty that will take your breath away. Year-round balmy temperatures, international marinas, elegant boutiques, chic cafés and nightclubs and a variety of delightful dining experiences attract many to the lively Bodrum town and harbor. The 15th century Crusader castle, the museum of Underwater Archaeology, and the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, one of Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, add an historical dimension to this resort. (Optional): Karaada Island is well-known for its thermal features, caves, and sulfur baths. Take a hike around the island and swim in the thermal sulphur baths, where the water is comfortably warm. (Optional): This afternoon, visit the 15th-century Crusader castle, which houses the Bodrum Museum of Underwater Archaeology. Museum exhibits include ancient shipwrecks raised off the coast of Turkey and the intact remains of a Carian princess’ tomb dating back to the time of Alexander the Great.

Cruise to the picturesque fishing hamlet of Cokertme, which is nestled in the foothills of Kiran Mountains. Here you can hike through the village’s winding pathways, some of them not much more than a goat path and explore. (Optional): A short southerly sail brings you to the intriguing village of Oren. If the sea is calm, you can drop anchor at the sea wall and either walk about a mile or take a minibus up to the old village. Here you will find villagers living amongst the ruins of ancient Keramos. If you explore the various footpaths, you will eventually come across an ornately carved temple doorway (now part of a barn wall), the remains of a Byzantine church at the bottom of a garden complete with a clearly visible fresco, and the remains of a Roman bath complex.

This morning cruise to the pine-clad Bay of Kisebuku. Take advantage of the calm morning hours sailing smoothly along the Gokova shores. Opt for a stop at Orak Island. Late afternoon, come into Bodrum harbor, or continue to the lovely bay of Ada Bogazi for the night. Saturday: Depart after breakfast for the Bodrum airport and flight back to Istanbul, or transfer to your next destination.