CRUISES: TURKEY

Centre of civilization and culture a crossing place between west and east, TURKEY offers besides this, a lot of natural beauty. Its coasts are fascinating and unforgettable: scattering of islands, peninsulas and inlets, lapped by waters that slip between the rocks. The mildness of the climate makes it a pleasant place also in spring and autumn.

MARMARIS is the first stop and port of entry for customs formalities coming from Rhodes for the cruise no 15.  The town is an important tourist place in Turkey with very well equipped marinas and very popular in summer but quiet off season. With its shops in the fortified little town, it has maintained its charm intact with swarmed markets, bazaar, coffee places and restaurants.

Between Marmaris and FETHYIE the coast is surrounded by picturesque mountains separated by large plains that rise above sandy beaches. The bay of KOYCEGIZ offers nice anchorages inside wooded landscapes. You can do one of the best excursion in the south of Turkey by sailing up the river Koycegiz in flat bottomed boats towards the ruins of the antique town of CAUNUS with its theatre and thermae. We go on then to MANASTIR and FETHYIE coasting along the island of Baba Adasi visiting the Byzantine pyramid and then to the archipelago of GOCEK in the centre of Skopea Bay.
This is a little paradise where we will find along its indented coasts and in the little islands numerous anchorages one more beautiful than the other. The most beautiful one is probably OLU DENIZ with its white sand surrounded the pine trees. We will spend the night protected by the little island of Geminel. It has antique seafaring traditions with Byzantine ruins and  restaurants famous for the specialized fish cuisine. After Cape Burunlader we reach Kalkaan and Kas, two small harbours with many nice anchorages. The island of CASTELLORIZO very close to the Turkish coast is as well a place rich of charm. From here we go on to FINIKE and KEKOVA, excellent anchorages rich of medieval ruins.