Sail the Ancient Trading Route in Turkey
Special 1 week 4 persons $5000 USD includes 2
meals a day
Read a review of this trip with one of our past customers
History really happened along the southern coast of Turkey, with many different
civilizations vying for control of this area, which was a main trading route for
many centuries. At
Sailing-Charters.org we
have cruised along this coast many times, and are constantly amazed at the
amount of history, set within the beautiful turquoise waters, unique to Turkey.
The waters and beaches alone, offering swimming,
snorkeling
and other water sports fun are a great reason to charter with us in this area.
Combine that with snorkeling over an ancient Roman Harbor, or anchoring in an
ancient Carian/Greek/Roman/Byzantine harbor and stepping ashore to wander the
ruins of these civilizations, where now wild herbs and red poppies grow, and
this is a cruising area hard to beat.
To really follow the ancient trading route, consider a ten day charter from
Gocek, to Bodrum Turkey. Visit the archaeological sites of Caunos, and Knidos,
see the Lycian Tombs, visit Cleopatra´s baths, wander the ruins of a Byzantine
stronghold, and meanwhile, enjoy the crystal clear waters in varying shades of
blue, with a good fresh cooling thermal wind. After cruising the ancient trading
route, at the end of the charter in Bodrum, be sure to put aside time to visit
the Bodrum Crusader Castle of St. Peter, within which resides the Bodrum Marine
Archaeological museum with exhibits of ship remains and artifacts excavated from
centuries old ship wrecks that occurred in the very waters in which you have
just cruised. One of my favorite exhibits, is the display of amphora´s that have
been excavated from the waters along this coast, shown in date order from the
14th century BC to the 5th century AD, highlighting the evolution of style and
design through various civilizations of this very important container to hold
olive oil, wines, and other goods to be traded.
Following is a suggested itinerary for cruising this coastline. Board us in
Gocek, Turkey, to start your cruise along the ancient trading route.
Set at the deepest point of the Gulf of Fethiye, Gocek is nestled at the foot of
pine clad mountains and looks out over the '12 islands' of the bay. The
waterfront is lined with bars and restaurants. Inland life revolves around the
pretty market square, which is lined with little shops selling antiques and
crafts as well as the more usual carpets. Set sail for one of the many secluded
anchorages in lovely Gocek Bay, or stay dockside overnight to enjoy Gocek.
Visit the little town of Fethiye in the morning, overlooked by Lycian tombs in
the hills. A quick walk through town and up the hills behind brings you right up
next to the tombs for a very close look. Wander through the bazaar on the way
back. Cruise Gocek Bay in the afternoon stopping in to see Cleopatra´s Baths, a
ruin alongside the bay. Legends say that Cleopatra used this cove for bathing.
Explore the semi-submerged baths by snorkeling or by dinghy. Overnight around
the corner in Stone Wall Bay, where you might watch your crew tie the yacht off
to a tree.
Sail across to the Bay of Ekincik. A tour can be arranged to visit Caunos and
Dalyan by small riverboat. This tour takes you inland along the reed-lined
channels of the Dalyan River delta, where you need to keep an eye out for
turtles, herons and kingfishers. At Caunos visit the remains of a theater, a
Byzantine church, a Roman bathhouse and an agora. For the adventurous, there is
an acropolis on the hill above the site, which rewards the climber with a
magnificent view of the entire area. Head up-river to the town of Dalyan, and
pass beneath some impressive Lycian rock tombs. Enjoy a brief stroll through the
town before returning to the yacht in Ekincik. Or stop at a local riverside
restaurant for a lunch of fresh Dalyan River fish and crabs. Overnight in
Kizilkuyruk Harbor, a quiet anchorage with a pebbled beach and have a cooling
swim before dining on deck under the stars.
After breakfast, leave for Marmaris, a bazaar town full of crafty rug merchants, beach tourists, and waterfront restaurants, which serve fine doner kebab. Well protected, Marmaris Castle was built during Sultan Suleiman´s (the Magnificent) journey to conquer Rhodes. During the Ottoman Empire, Marmaris Castle and Harbor were used as a supply point for the Navy. Marmaris is one of Turkey's most beautiful towns and every inch of it is worth seeing.
Sail to the excellent, land-locked, natural harbor of Serce
Limani. Anchor and stay overnight. Serce was the site of a very interesting
wreck, whose cargo remains can be seen in the Bodrum Castle Marine Archaeology
Museum. Swim in the well protected waters, where hardly a ripple disturbs the
surface.
Cruise over to the little seaside village of Datca. There are friendly local
people and a couple of very good restaurants. One unusual feature is the small
freshwater lake with a little waterfall in which you can immerse. Anchor off of
the beach along the south bay, visit the beach and lake and at night listen to
the pleasant sound of the splashing waterfall. Or for a special treat, take a
taxi inland to the original town of Datca to the Hotel Mehmet Ali, built within
a historic mansion with traditional Turkish furnishings and fare.
After breakfast, cruise across the Gokova Gulf to the ancient port of Knidos.
This clear-water cove at the tip of the Doric Peninsula was a center of art and
culture in the 4th-century BC. Drop anchor in the larger of the two ancient
harbors that still exist as they did when servicing the active town of Knidos,
and go ashore to visit th.jpg)
e
site, which includes city walls, two theatres, terraced streets, and the remains
of several temples including the temple of Aphrodite. Triopian cliffs are flush
in rosemary and myrtle and there is a theater and stoa at the water's edge. See
the Temple of Aphrodite, the "round" temple reconstructed during the Roman
period, once housing Praxitele's famous nude statue of Aphrodite, which sailors
came to see from far and wide. Now missing, the archaeologists and Knidos hope
to uncover this statue of Aphrodite as they excavate.
Explore the Gulf of Gokova where there are many beautiful anchorages and
protected areas for swimming and sunning, in unspoiled natural settings. Visit
Cleopatra´s Beach, with the fine white sand, whose unusual sands reportedly were
imported from Egypt by Marc Anthony for Cleopatra. This is home to three small
islands offering several anchorage options for an overnight stay.
Take up anchor and head for Bodrum. Bodrum, or ancient Halicarnassus, is
situated on a peninsula facing the Greek island of Kos, and is the hometown of
Herodotus, known to some as the "Father of History" but to some as the "Father
of Lies" because of his fanciful travel accounts. Guarding the harbor is a
virtually intact castle built by the Crusaders. This castle now houses an
excellent underwater archaeological museum where many of the artifacts found in
wrecks along the ancient trading route, you just sailed, are on display. This is
a must see. Bodrum also has a very nice bazaar and an attractive town located
around the harbor.
It is well worth, after disembarking, to spend an extra night or so in this
gracious Turkish shoreside town, and enjoy the history, hospitality and of
course, the shopping offered in the local Bazaar.
For a further taste of history, it is easy to arrange private day trip to
Ephesus, from Bodrum with a Guide. This is about a three hours drive and
includes a tour of Ephesus, including the new Terrace House Exhibit, and the
House of the Virgin Mary. The day trip ends in Izmir, with an evening flight to
Istanbul.
At the end of this trip, you should feel not only that you have been cruising
and enjoying the waters, water fun, and the beauty of this coastline, but should
feel somewhat immersed in the history and culture of the area and just a little
bit more knowledgeable.