Sailing in Turkey - Goek, Marmaris or Bodrum?

Tim Good

Tim Good

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Hi guys,

Just curious what everyone's views of These areas in Turkey are?

I am planning a little trip late September and wonder if they vary much? Bodrum looks good going north with lots of remote islands.

Does anyone have an experience in these areas, different wind types, scenery etc? We like to get shore sometimes and explore if it is quite remote. Not hugely fussed about marinas, restaurants etc

Another option is the Cyclades maybe? Would it be quite changeable there in late sept though?

Many thanks

Tim
 
Tim, I hope you don't mind me joining your thread, we're also thinking about going to the same sort of places in Turkey in late September this year so would be very interested in the same sort of information, although restaurants are something we would need to know about, swmbo doesn't do much cooking on holidays.

We will probably end up going bareboat as usual but are considering a flotilla as we haven't done one for a long time and you often get a lot of good local info from the flotilla leader which is really useful on your first trip to a new country.

It would be good to know what companies people think are good to charter from in these areas?

Trevor.
 
Sailing in Turkey is just brilliant. We're going again this year for three weeks. We're sailing out of Orhaniye this year, and heading towards Datca. You can also sail from Gocek, Marmaris or Fethiye. Quite honestly, anywhere along this coast is wonderful. The scenery is fabulous, there are endless creeks and coves to moor in.

The Turkish people are very friendly and helpful. This part of the Turkish coast is extremely boaty.

Sunscape is the company we go with. As has been said a flotilla is very useful in terms of local knowledge etc. Sunscape are excellent in allowing you to do your own thing, or join in as you want to.

The wind is very reliable in Turkey. You get a sail everyday and the winds are quite steady.

Gocek is smallish town with restaurants and bars handy to the marinas. There are some shops nearby, including a couple of minimarkets, which will deliver to your yacht on request. Once you leave Gocek there's a few shops dotted about here and there, but they don't sell that much. There's a bank and an ATM. One thing to bear in mind is that Gocek has a reputation for heavy fines for yachts pumping out holding tanks or diesel and detergent spills.

Around Gocek bay you'll find lots of anchorages. A lot of the time you are expected to anchor and take a line ashore. There are also landing pontoons where you can stay overnight but these are always owned by the restaurants. You don't pay to berth, but you are expected to eat at the restaurant. From Gocek it's worth a trip down to Fethiye. There's good shopping for provisions and several good restaurants in the town. From Fethiye, Olu Deniz is worth a trip for the scenery. There is a blue lagoon there which you cannot take your yacht into, but you can anchor under Yorgun Burnu. There are several restaurants and lots of bars and beach cafes. This area is known as a place of outstanding beauty.

Travelling in the other direction, passing Gocek it's worth a visit the marina at Eknicik where the hill top restaurant offers spectacular views across the bay and from here you can take the opportunity for a trip up the Dalyan River to ancient Caunos and even a mud bath!

From Eknicik you can nip into Marmaris if you need to stop for provisions or if you want a really good meal. The Pineapple Restaurant within Nestel Marina is definitely recommended. Otherwise, go straight past the bay of Marmaris and into Ciftlik. Here there is a choice of restaurants with landing stages, I think there were four, but the one we went into the left of the two in the middle, was excellent. Again no charge for mooring provided you eat in their restaurant. Most of these restaurants also do a very nice breakfast. We had a night on the hook in this bay, a bit bumpy but we could eat on board.

If you get chance go to a Turkish barbers. They give you a fab haircut and a shave. The Turkish baths are also worth a visit where you can get a refreshing body scrub followed by a massage.
 
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North from Bodrum most of the islands are Greek, which entails checking in and out if you wish to visit them. If the Meltimi blows you will get some strong winds and rougher seas than further south. Generally the further north and west the stronger the likely winds, and vice-versa. Marmaris and Gocek are good starting points, as is Orhaniye.

P.S. Ladysailor gave you some good advice, to which I add, do not ever take your shore line around a tree when you anchor, there are heavy fines being imposed. Take your line round a rock, or in the Gocek area steel bollards have been installed in some bays, West of Marmaris Bozzukale bay (also called Loryma) is spectacular with a huge unfinished fortress over 2500 years old on the headland at the entrance. From there you can visit Sogut, the little port of Bozburun which has shops and a cash machine plus plenty of restaurants, and go on to the bays in Hisoronu Korfesi, and Selimiye and Orhania. I posted a video a few days ago of sailing in the Simi channel on my way to the Hisoronu Gulf. (I cannot find the thread myself now, so here it is again.)
 
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Another vote for Turkey - excellent sailing and friendly people. I am biased - I keep a yacht in Fethiye. We have sailed from Bodrum a few times too. Not much to choose between them - perhaps more variety from Fethiye. I would recommend looking at Nautilus to book with - we found them very good in the past.

Neil
 
I am in Fethiye now, heading for Kas in the next couple of days to check out the new marina, and visit the town, then back to Marmaris by 16th June, to go home.
 
Price guide?

We are going to Turkey for the first time in a few weeks. The Nautilus flotilla out of Fethiye.
Our research suggests that once we leave Fethiye credit cards are not likely to be much use so we need to take cash. Our problem is we have no idea what to budget for a meal at a seafront Taverna.
Does anybody know what we can expect to pay for basic food and drinks?

Thanks, David
 
northcave said:
Hi guys,

Just curious what everyone's views of These areas in Turkey are?

I am planning a little trip late September and wonder if they vary much? Bodrum looks good going north with lots of remote islands.

Does anyone have an experience in these areas, different wind types, scenery etc? We like to get shore sometimes and explore if it is quite remote. Not hugely fussed about marinas, restaurants etc

Another option is the Cyclades maybe? Would it be quite changeable there in late sept though?

Many thanks

Tim
Click to expand...

I've been out to Turkey a lot, Usually in early October. I find it too hot mid summer but perfect in late September early October. Although you run the risk of a few bad days it has rarely happenned to us and the sea is still warm. My favourite base is Marmaris because it gives the choice of going East to Gocek or West as far as Simi - or even both. Gocek bay is a fantastic area and an easy sail to Marmaris but its a long way to anywhere if you want to go east from there. We went down to Kas one year which was a great run down but a hell of a long way back against the prevailing North easterlies. Bodrum is OK but IMHO not quite as good a cruising area.

Beware the £10 per head the Turks demand at the airport for a Visa and they are now charging 80 euros for the ships papers which used to be free. I don't understand why it is not just billed in the charter fee.

Food is a lot more expensive than it used to be but you will still struggle to spend more than £20 per head includung drinks. If you have a more abstemious crew than me you could easily spend a lot less.

The charter operators will always tell you that it is difficult to visit the Greek islands and that you need to go through customs both ways. In practice most bareboat charterers just ignore that as do the Greek customs - just make sure you are flying the correct curtesy flag. We have never had a problem but I guess there is an element of risk.
 
BlackwaterLad said:
We are going to Turkey for the first time in a few weeks. The Nautilus flotilla out of Fethiye.
Our research suggests that once we leave Fethiye credit cards are not likely to be much use so we need to take cash. Our problem is we have no idea what to budget for a meal at a seafront Taverna.
Does anybody know what we can expect to pay for basic food and drinks?

Thanks, David
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Hi David..we have just returned home from 6 weeks in Turkey,so am fairly up to date with prices.
A Tip...Don't use your card to get cash from an ATM. Take out a wad of £50's in your zipped pocket and change them at a bank..you should get 2.60YTL with no commission.
Eating out..in the average restaurant,starters are about £2-3 mains £6-10 a coffee anything from £1.50-£2.50 however wine is expensive although we have noticed that some places are now doing carafes of house wine at reasonable cost. Beer is commonly drunk with a meal instead of wine.Fish tends to be pricy.
A word of warning ..Make sure that the menu you choose from has the prices displayed in a definite currency,and not just a number..we once had a meal which we chose assuming that the prices were in Turkish Lira but the bill came in Euros instead of Lira.I stood my ground ,paid in Lira and told him to call the cops. I'm still waiting.

Fruit and veg are very cheap especially at local markets,and always fresh and tasty, groceries are slightly cheaper than in the UK,except for imported stuff obviously.Bread is cheap..a large loaf about 45p and lasts well.Try to find what they call "village bread" it is a flat bread about "12 in diameter and lasts for 2-3 days. Costs about 3 Lira or 6 if you buy it from the boats who come round trying to sell you stuff.Also beware the ice cream boats..price is at least twice the shop price.
As you are on a flotilla from Fethiye however it is likely that many of your overnights will be well sussed out in advance so you might not have a lot of choice where you eat . Have a good time!!
 
I've sailed from all 3 and I think Gocek probably offers a bit more variety for a round trip.
We did a one way trip from Bodrum to Marmaris once at teh end of the season and that was quite simply wonderful!
 
jamesmar said:
.Also beware the ice cream boats..price is at least twice the shop price.
Click to expand...

Also be wary of them because the ice cream may have thawed and been re-frozen more than once, and can give you a nasty stomach upset. The problem is that the ice cream may be in a freezer overnight but goes out on the boats in a coolbox. If it is unsold it may have thawed but just goes back in the freezer at night, to come out again next day.
 
Norman_E said:
Also be wary of them because the ice cream may have thawed and been re-frozen more than once, and can give you a nasty stomach upset. The problem is that the ice cream may be in a freezer overnight but goes out on the boats in a coolbox. If it is unsold it may have thawed but just goes back in the freezer at night, to come out again next day.
Click to expand...

OK Norman....how did you find that out?!! or should I ask?
 
jamesmar said:
OK Norman....how did you find that out?!! or should I ask?
Click to expand...

I met two men at Cold Water Bay restaurant, whose wives were both laid up un the boat with stomach upsets, having bought ice cream off a boat. That was the only thing they had eaten that their husbands had not. The restauranteur at CWB told us how the ice cream was kept by the boat ice cream sellers. As a child I remember that ice cream was regarded as a potent source of bacterial infections in the days when freezers were not as reliable as they are today, and some manufacturers did not have perfect hygiene conditions.

P.S. In Turkey I never buy ice cream off boats, and in fact prefer to buy the genuine Turkish ice cream rather than wrapped products.
 
South from Fethiye ?

Having spent several years chartering in Croatia, we went to Turkey this year and enjoyed sailing out of Bodrum and roaming around for a couple of weeks. Next year we want to go from Fethiye, preferably turning southwards. We know there is a 30NM stretch of lee shore to get past after Olu Deniz - are there some worthwhile places to visit, and some good sailing, along this stretch of coast, or would we have a better time goling northwards out of Fethiye ?
 
Our favourite was pick up a boat in Gocek and head east to Kas, Kalkan and Kokova Roads, taking in Blue lagoon on the way. In Kekova there is a sunken city on the starboard side as you enter. Bear in mind it's upwind on the way back so leave enough time.
 
Jillselwood said:
Having spent several years chartering in Croatia, we went to Turkey this year and enjoyed sailing out of Bodrum and roaming around for a couple of weeks. Next year we want to go from Fethiye, preferably turning southwards. We know there is a 30NM stretch of lee shore to get past after Olu Deniz - are there some worthwhile places to visit, and some good sailing, along this stretch of coast, or would we have a better time goling northwards out of Fethiye ?
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From Fethiye turning south, will give you the best cruising ground on the coast. Between Kalkan and Kumluca - Largely unexplored, and certainly not well developed, there are some fantastic coves and bays to spend the night in.
If you venture further along the coast towards Kemer and Antalya, you will find a few village harbours! completely un-developed! and the likes of olympos (where the flames still burn underwater) and Phasilis where you can anchor amongst the ruins! Great beaches too!
 
Hi, we are spending 2 weeks with friends again on their boat starting at Marmaris this time. We are going late Aug til School starts (swmbo-teaches)
We've been most places along the coast in the last 2 years and it's mostly wonderful. It took me a few days the first trip to relax and get down to the slow pace out there, plus the fact that temperature is better mid to late Sept.

There is some distance between good places in the S.E in a couple of the legs that we 'motorsailed' last year, but getting into September we found the winds were getting up a bit more. We actually had a spell of F5 one day, but most often it varied throughout each day fro F0-3

Only wish we had months out there as our retired friends do. They go out in early May, come back when it's too hot in late June and back out again end August until mid October.

O.K as long as you don't weaken! :)
 
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You can get better than 2.60TL to the £ at the Post Office with no commission

We plan to take Turkish Lira and have now got a SAGA Visa card which does not have a transaction charge just the Visa exchange rate on the day. We have been warned to make sure that you pay in LOCAL Currency on the card machine rather than one thats been converted as it does not show an exchange rate.

In the past on a flotilla we found that you could use plastic in most places. It certainly saves carrying large amounts of cash.

Have a good trip ..
 
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