Gocek – Kekova & Kastellorizo (Meis) – Gocek

On your trip, you come across a monitoring tower and a shipyard, a tersane in Turkish, after which the island is named. Tersane Island (Shipyard Island) is the largest island in the Gulf of Gocek and Tersane cove is the largest on the gulf. After the population exchange between Greece and Turkey in 1922, the area was mainly inhabited by Greeks. In the flatlands behind the cove are the ruins of a few houses and a church. With a walk of ten minutes, you can get to another cove. Sailors call the two coves “summer” and “winter”, both of which are popular stopping points for daily boat tours and the Blue Cruise.

These are among the most visited sites for boats that conduct daily tours from Fethiye or Oludeniz (Dead Sea). It is best known for its beach and the Kelebekler Vadisi (Butterfly Valley). The beach and the sand are beautiful.

Oludeniz is as if it appears to be enchanting and lies still with no movement in its clear waters. There is nothing on the bottom of the lagoon but white sand. The reflection of the water and the sand bottom give it a turquoise color. On the surface are the reflections of the green pines and this enriches the impression of the turquoise color. Yachts are banned from entering Oludeniz lagoon itself but you can moor at the point of the cove and go by small boats or dinghy to Oludeniz, the golden sandy beach of Kumburnu, or Belcekiz.

At the end of the long Belcegiz Beach, the coastline curves inward, becoming Kidrak Cove. Nine hundred and fifty hectares of land around Oludeniz and the beach of Kidrak have been determined as a place under protection order and turned into National Parks. Construction in the area of Oludeniz lagoon and the Kidrak beach is banned and these sites are classified as special protected areas. On the beach, you have access to aqua sports such as parasailing and banana boats for those interested.

Gemile Island is just opposite Gemile Cove and beach. The former name of the island was St. Nicholas. On the island, there are remains of churches dated to the Early Christian era and the Byzantine period. The frescoes of the large churches are in good condition. On the seaside, there are the ruins of cisterns. The most interesting historical relic is the tunnel that links the two churches to each other. Some parts of the 500-m. long tunnel has collapsed. There are 17 stops in the staircase inside the tunnel. These are to represent the 17 points at which Christ halted while he was being taken to be crucified. As a result of an earthquake in 240-241 AD, some of the ruins have slipped beneath the sea, lying at two meters depth. In the summer months the tree-covered Gemile Cove and beach, being well sheltered, is frequented not only by boats/yachts but also by picnickers who come through Fethiye-Hisaronu-Kayakoy. The cove is four kilometers from Kayakoy village.

Before you enter Kas, the Bucak Inlet getting inland towards Kas, on the west of the Cukurbag Peninsula is suitable for the mooring of the gulets.  The shores are rocky and deep. Those who go ashore can get to the town center by a ten minutes walk.

The port of Kas is wide and it stretches between the Cukurbag Peninsula to the west and the port of Bayindir to the east. At its entrance, there is the Greek island of Meis (Kastellorizo).

Kastellorizo lies at the easternmost end of Greece, a stone’s throw away from the Turkish coast (72 nautical miles south of Rhodes). The small town center is a captivating group of cheerfully painted houses of extraordinary architecture, awe-inspiring churches, and picturesque alleys. Kastellorizo has a long history and a great maritime tradition. It was first inhabited in the early Neolithic Era. It was named Megisti after Megisteas, its first settler, in ancient times. The island knew a thriving period in the late 19th century; in the early 20th century the population rose to almost 13,000. Later, most locals emigrated to Australia and Egypt, while others went to Palestine as refugees, after the Italian and German bombings. This lilliputian island barely covers an area of 9 square kilometers; it has a 19 km coastline and a population of 500. It was integrated into Greece in 1948. There are ferries to Piraeus and Rhodes and flights to Rhodes.

Picturesque Kastellorizo village is the island’s only populated area. You will walk on cobblestone alleys, past traditional colorful mansions, wooden and iron balconies. It comprises two quarters: Pigadia and Chorafia. Taste katoumari and strava, the traditional sweets offered in local tavernas.

Sicakli Peninsula is between Kas and Kekova and, like Kalekoy, is a settlement that was partially submerged by the sea following an earthquake. From the sarcophagi and coins found in the area, the city appears to date back to the 4th and 5th centuries BC. The ruins are scattered, but Lycian tombs and the remains of the city wall can be seen. The submerged remains of the dock area about 15 meters from the shore.

The Gulf of Kekova covers a large area. Settlement areas such as Kekova Island, Kalekoy, and Ucagiz are all within this region. It has some of the best diving and yachting spots in Turkey.

Kekova Island gave its name to the region. Even in rough weather, this is a calm spot as it is cut off from the open sea by Kekova Island. Its name in ancient times was Simena, the ruins of which are scattered from the port up to the hills and even in the sea. Those who walk up the hill to the theatre on top of the hill are met with a picturesque scene. There is no better spot to take a photo. Opposite to you, there is Kekova Island and on your right Ucagiz. There are Lycian rock tombs everywhere on the hill.

A visit around the shores of Kekova Island by yacht will give you a chance to see the ruins of a sunken city. The ruins of the ancient city that has sunken after an earthquake, can be seen with bare eyes as they lie at one to four meters deep. This is a very impressive sight. On the narrowest part of the island is the Tersane Koyu (Cove of the Shipyard), with the ruins of a church on the shore. Here the sea is like a swimming pool. The surface of the sea is as if embroidered with different tones of blues.

The port of Demre, Cayagzi (Andriake) protects many interesting ancient constructions and is one of the places you should definitely see. Some of these things include the aqueducts that bring water to the city from miles away, an agora which is known as plakoma and surrounded by shops with a cistern in the middle, and to the west of here, a seven-chambered grain storage house with reliefs on it, and berths for ships nearby. It is up to you how much more you want to see and explore.

To get to Uluburun, where one of the world’s oldest shipwrecks dating from 3200 years ago was discovered is a tricky requiring patience along the rocky coast by walking. But, Yachts/boats/gulets can moor to stay overnight here along to the charter period.  Place is another beautiful stopping point for the blue cruise lovers.  A whole 11 years and 10,000 dives were realized in bringing the boat to the surface. It has proved a great help in understanding the Late Bronze Period, and along with the original artifacts therein it can be seen at the Bodrum Underwater Archaeological Museum.

Sail on to this charming small town harbor. Kalkan was devastated by the same earthquake as Fethiye but the government decided not to repair the houses of the old village but to build an entirely new village above it. In the 1980s rich entrepreneurs bought up most of the old village and many of the houses have been restored. Visit the ancient sites of Patara, Xanthos, and Letoon which are only accessible by road. In the evening dine in one of the small restaurants overlooking the pretty harbor.

Patara beach is a seven kilometers long beach. Both the beach and the bottom of the sea are of very White sand. Around the center of the beach, the Esen Stream flows into the sea. The beach is an egg-laying ground for the Carreta Carreta sea turtles. This area is covered by an environmental protection order. You can visit the ancient cities of Letoon and Patara right behind the beach. It is pleasant to have a horse-ride on the beach. Four kilometers inland there is the village of Gelemis where you would have plenty of options restaurants and shops.

Kabak Bay is a very close place to Butterfly Valley. So, it is possible to see here the famous Jersey Tiger Moth butterflies coming from the valley. When your eyes have got used to every conceivable shade of green and can distinguish between them the blue of the sea it is much more striking. There is no sound except for the relaxing sounds of the lapping waves and the chirping of birds. And this place gives you a great opportunity to at the prospect of relaxing and swimming in the pristine sea.

Cennet (Heaven) Cove will seduce you with its clear and beautiful sea with untouched nature. As it is understood from the name of the place, the view is stunning and you don’t want to leave from here. There is a narrow beach in this bay which has a very big forest on the back. Cennet bay has a camping facility here for those who come to visit this place daily or want to camp. Because of this virgin nature; it is forbidden to make a fire. This magnificent cove is also a stopping and camping area for those who have a Lycian Way tour. It is a very suitable place to moor by your yacht and stay overnight intertwined with nature.

This group of islands are so small that no one could come up with names for each of them. They are together known as Yassicalar. There are no facilites on the islands. On the largest island of the group the beach is near the point and forms a small pool, excellent for children. One is able to swim between the different islets, the closest being just 12 meters distance. If you can swim for half an hour, you can visit four different islands and, if you have shoes with you, you can walk over to each of them.