Sailing The Turkish Mediterranean

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What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you think Turkey? Does sailing on blue clear Mediterranean waters, walking bare feet on hard white calcium deposits, sitting in a centuries old Roman amphitheatre and visiting temples carved in to cliff faces come to your mind?

The problem with Turkey is that it is a big country and sometimes there is not enough time to visit everywhere but if you have a few weeks then the South West coastal route might just be what your'e looking for!

Our plan was to fly in to Antalya and out of Bodrum. We had a rough idea of what we wanted to do but once we arrived, our plans changed almost on a daily basis.

We stayed in Antalya for the first sweltering two nights, a temperature we were not used to, especially at night! We stayed with Cumis (CHumi) and his dog in their Airbnb flat which was a 5 min walk to a local swimming area and 15 minutes walk from the old town. Cumis was very helpful and kept providing us with all kinds of snacks and great advice. We took a walk around the old town during the day but it was quite quiet and livens up as the sun sets, understandably as it was touching the high 30's in the middle of the day.

Antalya was nice but it didn't seem like there was a lot to see and do besides the old town but good to visit for a day. A large majority of people who arrive at the airport jump on to their pre-booked holiday package tour buses and don't even go in to Antalya.

Afterwards we then hopped on to bus to Fethiye for about 3 hours. Fethiye was nice! It's mostly used as a hub where people catch their yacht cruises from. There are some cool temples carved in to the cliff face above the town which also serves as a great look out spot over the city and bay.

Our goal was to go on a yacht cruise for about 3 night and we did some research looking at several available routes eg Antalya to Fethiye either way or around Goeck bay. We also looked which companies there were and we decided to go with the same company that my brother had taken several years ago, beforelunch.

However when we wanted to book, they didn't have any other bookings and in the end we latched on to on the beforelunch captains brothers 7 day cruise around Gocek Bay. They picked us up on their groups second day from Gocek and 4 nights later dropped us all off at the end point of Fethiye! The company was called My Blue Cruise and I think we were lucky to have gone with them as their boat is bigger than beforelunch's and they had a kayak and paddle board in which beforelunch didn't.

It was an incredibly beautiful and relaxing time. We were very lucky that there were only a total of 7 of us plus 3 crew members when there can be a total of 14 people Our group consisted of two New Zealanders, and Australian and a Turkish couple, everyone was friendly and nice company to be around.

The food was superb and plentiful every time, the options to go for walks to various view points was a good way to break up a day, having a kayak, snorkelling gear and paddle board available was great, especially first thing in the morning when the water is at its calmest and most reflective. The water is a perfect temperature and extremely clear and we saw several turtles! There was even a chance to go fishing of which the cook would then add to the dinner menu!

Each day had a little routine, we had time in the morning to eat and relax (or kayak) then we would sail for an hour or so to our next spot, have lunch, relax and then go for a walk if possible. Each spot we moved to offered a different view and different opportunities for activities. Originally we were only staying for three nights and enjoyed it so much that we decided one more night was worth it. The days were warm and sunny and because of the heat, we ended up sleeping out on the deck every night which was fantastic, especially waking up to sunrises!

We were glad to have gone with My Blue Cruise and would definitely recommend them. The price was reasonable and they are one of a few companies that offer a cruise around Gocek Bay whereas most companies just cruise along the coast. They are an eco-friendly company and don't cater for the party vibe. Everything that a 30+ age group is looking for. Does that make me sound like a grandpa?!

After the cruise, we spent half a day getting to and back from the view point over looking Oludinez which was incredible. I would recommend going to the view point but I wouldn't recommend visiting Oludinez itself. It is a town geared completely for tourism with nothing that is authentically Turkish.

We really enjoyed our time along the coast and definitely recommend a cruise! Going in September is the shoulder season and it is a lot quieter and cooler!

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