TURKEY – Lycian Coast from Marmaris (2 weeks)

A sailing adventure in the footsteps of history …. this 2-weeks round tour will lead us to Rhodes and further along the Lycian coast to Kastelorizo and up to the Turkish region Kekova with its underwater ruins of an ancient Lycian town. Together we will experience life on board a sailing boat and participate in sailing and crew activities.

Starting from Marmaris we will first head south to the the Greek island Rhodes, the island of the knights with his long standing history. Back to Turkey we will continue south-east to discover the beauty of the Lycian coastline. A mix of untouched nature and famous historic places will satisfy everyone’s taste: various archaeological and historic sites, traditional villages, the 2nd largest gorge of Europe (Fethiyé), shopping, nightlife, creeks with crystal clear water, untouched mountains and many more. Two whole days are previewed for shore excursions at Caunus and Fethiyé to experience Turkey’s rich history and culture and it’s beauty of nature.
Join us to relax and enjoy this exceptional sailing adventure.

Téléchargez ici:Itinerary Turkey Lycian Coast from Marmaris (2 weeks) [110KB]

Underwater ruins of Ancient town at Kekova

Marmaris - Rhodes - Ekinjik - Caunus - Göcek - Gemiler - Île St. George) - Baie de Kekova -
Kastellorizo - Kalkan - Fethiye - Baba Adassi - Marmaris

2-weeks itinerary Lycian Coast from Marmaris (Turkey)

Itineraries are given for orientation but may be changed according weather conditions.

Week 1:

Saturday : Marmaris

Embarkation at the marina and welcome aboard our sailboat. Anyone interested can visit the bazaar and the village of Marmaris and “night owls” may spent the night on the street of bars, which is the heart of local nightlife.

Sunday : Marmaris- Rhodes

5h sailing
After customs formalities in the morning, we will set sails to start our cruise. Lunch is planned in a small cove of Kaderga with crystal-clear water. Late in the afternoon, after a few hours of sailing, we will arrive at Rhodes. Here you may visit the old Medieval town, an UNESCO World Heritage Site. Surrounded by impressive fortified walls you may walk in over 200 streets and lanes lined with tourist shops, restaurants, tavernas, cafes and bars. But you may also discover less frequented lanes and places to step back in time and enjoy the ambience of this magnificent town. In the evening, we will have a meal in the streets of the old town to the sound of Sirtaki.

Monday : Rhodes – Ekincik

5h sailing
Opportunity to explore the island by a rental car to visit Lindos and the Valley of Butterflies. In the afternoon, we will hoist the sails to return back to Turkey. In the evening, we will have a meal at the marina of Ekincik.

Tuesday : Caunus

shore excursion
The whole day is dedicated to visit Caunus. We will travel up the Dalyan river on a river boat to reach this Carian ancient city which is dated back to 900BC. From the river you will already see the famous Lycian rock tombs carved into the cliffs. Ashore you may visit the ruins of this ancient city with the well preserved Greek-Roman theatre, Roman baths, Byzantine basilica, stoa and many more. After lunch, we will visit the therapeutic mud baths and hot sulphur pools that were already used in Ancient times and are believed to cure rheumatism, clean the skin, help with nervous or digestive disorders and not at least to have anti-ageing properties. After this experience, we will return refreshed and relaxed to our yacht and go for a wild mooring place to have a dinner on board.

Wednesday: Ekincik – Göcek

5h sailing
After passing Cape Kortuglu, we will reach the bay of Göcek with various mooring places. Göcek is a quite and peaceful little town with several marinas. In the lanes around the old village’s marquetsquare you will find many little shops selling traditional carpets, arts, crafts and ceramics as well as spices, leather goods, jewellery, and many more. The coloful promenade is lined with cafes, bars and restaurants and invites you to enjoy the sunset at one of the harbourside cafes or restaurants.

Thursday : Göcek – Gemiler

3h sailing
In the late afternoon, after swimming and lunch, we will head to the island of Gemiler, also known as St. Nicholas island - a small island of only about 0.5 km2 . This little island is covered with Lycian ruins of a palace and several byzantine churches with mosaic floors, cisterns and wells. You will also find there the remains of the fresco decorated church of St. Nicholas which was dedicated to the bishop St. Nicholas of Myra – better known as Santa Clause. In the afternoon we will visit the “ghosttown” Kayakoy – a village which was inhabited in former times by Greeks and was abandoned during the population exchange in 1923. In the night we will anchor in a remote bay.

Friday : Gemiler – Island St.Georges/Kastellorizo

7h de navigation
We will start early in the morning because a full day’s sailing is required to pass the 7 capes to reach the region of Kastellorizo. If the weather permits, we will find a mooring place at the small island of St.Georges which is located next to the port of Kastellorizo.

Week 2 :

Saturday : Island St.Georges/Kastellorizo – Bay of Kekova

4h sailing
Our sailing destination for today is the most eastern point of our cruise: Kekova, a region of 260km2 including the small uninhabited island Kekova which faces the village of Kaleköy (“castle-town”) with its well-preserved castle built by the Knights of Rhodes and smallest amphitheatre of Lycia as well as Lycian tombs. Along the island of Kekova you will see the semi-submerged Lycian town of Simena (now Kaleköy). Due to an earthqake in the 2nd century the town was slowly downward shifted and you will see half of the ruins under water with even staircases descending into the water.

Sunday : Kekova – Kastellorizo

3h sailing
Our trip today goes westward along the beautiful coastline between Turkey and Greece to Kastellorizo. The Greek island Kastellorizo (or Megisti) is the smallest island of the Dodecanese archipel. Lined by neo-classical houses, cafes, tavernas and shops, the picturesque port of Kastellorizo (Megisti) has it’s special charm. No traffic will disturb you since only 2-wheeled vehicles are allowed. From the quay there is a pathway which leads to the Castle (Castro) of the Knights of St. John, called Castello Rosso (Red Castle) which gave the island its name “Kastellorizo”. The castle also houses an Archaeological and Folklore Museum. We will spent the evening at the port of Kastellorizo (Megisti) where you can stroll through its narrow streets and explore the beauty of this place.

Monday : Kastellorizo – Kalkan

3h sailing
Leaving Kastellorizo we will head to Kalkan, an old fishing town with white-washed houses winding down to the harbour and colored by bougainvilleas. The streets are lined with small shops, restaurants, bars and cafes. Enjoy strolling through the little streets and lanes: Shops are open from early in the morning and close late in the night and you may find everything: carpets, ceramics, jewellery, sweets….Kalkan is famous for night-life with hundred of restaurants with reasonable prices – most popular the roof garden restaurants in the Old Town - as well as excellent bars and cafes.

Tuesday : Kalkan – Fethiyé

8h sailing
A whole day of sailing which lets us arrive in the late afternoon at Fethiye, a lively port and traditional market town surrounding a beautiful and well protected bay. Fethiye is located on the site of the ancient city of Telmessos which was the largest city in Lycia.

Wednesday : Fethiyé

shore excursion
The whole day is available to visit the town of Fethiye or the region around. For those who love the beauty of nature, the visit of the Saklikent Gorge is a must. Situated about 44km from Fethiye you will find this Natural park with a 300m deep and 18km long natural gorge – the 2nd largest in Europe. You will feel relief from the hot sun at this shady place with icy cold mountain water. Small restaurants or cafes with wooden platforms above the rushing water invite you to enjoy the spectacular place. You can go there by rental car or scooter or also by bus or organized day trip tour. Those who prefer to stay at Fethiye may visit the Ancient acropolis of the town with a spectacular view to the whole bay, the rock-tombs of Telmessos, the Roman amphitheatre, the museum of Ferthiye with artifacts from the Ancient town of Telmessos or relax in the Turkish Hamam of Fethiye. Fethiye is also famous for shopping – visit the colorful bazaar where you can find everything from fish, vegetables, fruits to clothes, carpets, handcrafts etc.

Thursday : Fethiyé - Baba Adassi

4h sailing
Full sail to the west, we will join Baba Adassi – a very small island in the Dalaman bay with some ruins on its top, purported to be remains of an Ancient lighthouse. Anchorage in a small cove surrounded by dark-colored cliffs.

Friday: Baba Adassi – Marmaris

5h sailing
After a last swim we will have lunch in a remote cove. Late in the afternoon, we return to the marina of Marmaris. A visit to the bazaar and the town of Marmaris is still possible.