Bodrum to Gokova Luxury

Bodrum

Boarding starts at 15:30 from Bodrum Harbor. Your captain and crew will be waiting for you on board.

After drop up your luggage to the yacht, this is a perfect time to visit this wonderful city and enjoy your first taste of Bodrum. Bodrum is a jewel surrounded golden sunsets and azure waters. You really should partake in all the local cuisine, cultural attractions and visit the waterfront outside the famous Bodrum Castle, built from the stones of the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus. It houses an amazing underwater archeology museum and is a must see when in Bodrum.

Spend the first night on board in Bodrum harbor or a bay close by.

Cati Bay

Depart from Bodrum for the Gulf of Gokova, a stretch of the Aegean where the sea displays the most remarkable hues. The rugged coastline with its myriad  small bays and harbors gives way to a stunning backdrop of pine-clad hills and mountains.

The next destination is Cati Bay where we will spend the rest of the day and sleep under the stars. Cati is a beautiful natural harbor surrounded with pine trees, fantastic for swimming and walks through the pine forests.

Seven Island

After breakfast, leave Cati Bay to explore Yedi  Adalar (Seven Islands). The seven islands in the south of the Gulf of Gokova is a very popular stop for Blue Cruises. The islands provide a perfect shelter for anchoring, and you can do virtually anything you like here, from sponge diving to snorkeling, water sports and swimming. 

A chain of 6 larger and many small islands, fringed by coral reefs located very close to the shore. Each island has its own beauty, presenting you with incredible beaches, pine forests, or beautiful Styrax (or Sorax, sweet gum, liquid-amber) trees, which are native to this region, and have provided resin to make perfumes and incense since ancient times. The locals extract the sap from the sweet gum trees to produce Storax, which is used for medicinal purposes. At an American Chemical Society Meeting in 2006, chemists reported evidence that the seeds of the sweet gum fruit contain shikimic acid, the acid used to produce the main antiviral agent for fighting bird flu.

Don’t forget to capture the catch of the day on camera.

Kufre Bay

Our last stop in the Seven Islands region will be Kufre Bay.

Opposite the southern shore of the Gulf of Gokova is four islands that include Kufre bay. Kufre is a natural harbor and is surrounded by the Gulluk forest woodlands. This is a perfect place to either anchor in a small cove or in between islands, and enjoy some water sports, relaxation, and swimming.  

For dinner and overnight stay, you will anchor in Kufre Bay.

Sedir Island

Continue your voyage to Sedir Island, which is also known as Cleopatra Island. The name comes from legend when Mark Anthony is said to have ordered sand to be brought to the island to create a soft beach for his Egyptian Lover. The sand here is definitely different from local sand, and it resembles the sands of North African coastlines the island is home to some fascinating Roman ruins as well as the ancient ruined city of Cedrae. The island boasts an Agora as well as a preserved Roman theater. The waters here are crystal clear, and the sands are white and soft, yachts pass and anchor off the island, and bathers come here regularly, and the island is also home to some exciting activities.

English Harbor

When you depart and sail along the island’s southwestern coast, you will notice how the forests come down to meet the shores of deep inlets stretching inland. This rugged coastline is known as the Bay of Sixty-six Inlets. In the afternoon cruise to the secluded English Harbor, which abounds with thick green foliage. The cove takes its name from the English torpedo boats that hid here in World War II. Due to its nearly sealed in topography, the bay provides perfect clear swimming conditions, and you will find two lovely restaurants on the eastern side of the cove.

Longoz (Kargili) Bay

We will set sail to Longoz (Kargili) Bay; another place like paradise, sheltered with huge pine trees. 

Kargili bay is known for a relaxing atmosphere, it has pine trees that end at the waters edge and the bay area is shelter, providing a tranquil sea. If its total calm you seek, this is the place to visit, and just lie back, enjoy the gentle rock of the yacht as the day goes by. After a few stops for swimming in Ballisu. Ballisu (meaning ‘honeyed water’) is another site of incredible natural beauty that will take your breath away, we will set sail to Tuzla Bay for dinner and overnight stay. 

Tuzla Bay

Tuzla is a wonderful little fisherman’s village that hugs the coast. It is renowned for its epical local delicacies and is a great stopover for trying out new and freshly cooked seafood dishes. The waters are shallow and long, so it attracts many wading birds, in fact, one of the reasons this village is so attractive is that it supports a plethora of wildlife that is not found in such concentrations in other places.

Çökertme

Cruise to the picturesque fishing hamlet of Cokertme, which is nestled in the foothills of Kiran Mountains. Here you can hike through the village’s winding pathways, some of them not much more than a goat path and explore.

(Optional): A short southerly sail brings you to the intriguing village of Oren. If the sea is calm, you can drop anchor at the seawall and either walk about a mile or take a minibus up to the old village. Here you will find villagers living amongst the ruins of ancient Keramos. If you explore the various footpaths, you will eventually come across an ornately carved temple doorway (now part of a barn wall), the remains of a Byzantine church at the bottom of a garden complete with a clearly visible fresco, and the remains of a Roman bath complex.

Kisebuku (Alakisla Buku)

Kise Buku (known locally as Alakisla Buku) is a cove located only 3 miles away from Orak Island, and it is named after the ruins of an old church found in the area. This is a large cove and is a must stop for Blue Cruises. Here you will get a chance to enjoy some of the local attractions, including the ruins of the church in the cove, are Yalikoyu, Akarca, Fork, the Summerhouse, Bath and Cistern. The whole area is surrounded by Oleander trees and the view of the cove from uphill is awe inspiring. After enjoying your walk and exploration, take some time to enjoy the cool waters of the sea before retiring to relax on board your yacht.

Orak Island

One of the best locations for marine life is Orak Island. This lovely island is only 10 miles sail from Bodrum and the clear waters invite you to dive in and swim amongst the inhabitants of the sea. Orak has a lot of good anchor places, with plenty of secluded coves.

Aquarium Bay (Adabogazi)

Akvaryum Bay is a pristine cove with long sandy beaches and aquamarine waters. This amazing bay located between Bitez and Gumbet provides an amazing respite during your Blue Cruise voyage. Enjoy a relaxing respite in an explorable cove within the bay area and watch as ducks and geese join you in these amazing waters. Dinner and overnight stay will be Aquarium Bay.