Türkiye: Sail the Sapphire Seas by Wooden Gulet

Arrive Antalya, Turkey. Transfer to our home for the next two nights – the Tuvana Hotel, an exquisitely restored 19th-century Ottoman home located in the Kaleiçi, the delightful old port section of the city encircled by 2,000-year-old Roman walls. This picturesque quarter with its narrow winding streets and lovely Ottoman homes has won national and international architectural awards for its beautiful restoration. The charm of the ancient Roman and later Ottoman architectural styles has been maintained with outdoor cafes, restaurants, hotels, and shops housed in the old buildings along the twisting cobblestoned streets.

After the long flight, enjoy the outdoor swimming pool encircled by lush gardens before gathering for our festive welcome dinner party in one of Antalya’s fine restaurants. (D)

Begin in the Antalya Archaeological Museum, displaying splendid marble sculptures from nearby Perge. In the afternoon, enjoy a walking tour of the kaleiçi, the ancient port, to study both Ottoman and Roman architecture. We will see a decorated three-arched monumental Roman gate built into the city wall to celebrate Emperor Hadrian’s visit in 130 AD, the Karatay Medrese that exemplifies the best of Selcuk stone carvings, the elegant Fluted Minaret Mosque, which started its life as a Roman temple, was converted into a Byzantine church, and finally became a mosque and the 13th century Truncated Minaret Mosque, converted from a 5th-century church to the Virgin Mary. 

The rest of the afternoon and evening are on our own to discover the secrets of the old port section. (B/L)

Depart Antalya and drive along the southern coast with stops to see the remains of two memorable cities. Ideally positioned to be an important commercial center, Phaselis was settled many centuries before Christ by Greeks from the island of Rhodes. Tucked between the rocky crags of the mountain and the azure sea, the location is stunning with archaeological remains still standing within a grove of pine trees, encircled by enticing beaches. Olympos was named for the nearby mountain, one of more than twenty mountains of the same name throughout Greece and Asia Minor. Built in the Hellenistic period, it was a hidden home for pirates during the Early Roman Period. Located where a river meets the Mediterranean Sea, the site is especially striking in the summer when it is overgrown with flowering pink oleander bushes. The city is also known for the perpetual fire that burns on the massif above and has been burning continuously since long before classical antiquity. A climb takes us to see the eternal flames of the Chimaera, “the fire-breathing monster,” dedicated to Vulcan, the Roman god of fire.

Overnight in the Turkuaz Köy Hotel in Finike. (B/L/D)

Travel to the rarely visited Arykanda, perched high in the Taurus Mountains and known to be one of the oldest Lycian sites. Overlooking a spectacular valley, the city’s strategic location allowed it to control ancient trade routes. As we ascend the five terraces supported by huge basalt stone blocks, we will spot the odeon, theater, stadium, and immense Roman bath.

After lunch, we board our gulet, or traditional wooden yacht, our home for the next eight nights. Cruise to Kekova, a national underwater park, where submerged ruins of an earlier civilization glisten beneath the crystal-clear, cerulean blue waters. The area includes a protective island as well as an ensemble of scenic bays and we will anchor in one of them.

All breakfasts, most lunches, and dinners will be created for us onboard by our creative Turkish chef. (B/L/D)

Our day’s explorations begin in Theimussa or present-day Üçağız. Here, a multitude of sarcophagi from Hellenistic and Roman times lie scattered in the nearby fields, and the remains of a massive dock are still visible. Along the northern shore of Kekova Island, earthquakes have disturbed the land causing some of the houses to sink below the sea.

As we motor along the shore we will catch glimpses of this city below the sea. The village of Kale is set on the remains of Lycian Simena. Our climb up the hillside takes us to both the Lycian citadel and a crusader’s fortress, perched at the top of the mountain. As we climb down, stop to investigate a theater that is Lycia’s smallest and take some time to explore the teahouses and shops dotting the fishing village below. (B/L/D)

Myra (modern Demre) was one of the most important towns of ancient Lycia. During the 5th to the 3rd centuries BC, hundreds of dramatic tombs were cut into the towering cliff faces surrounding the heart of the city, many with finely carved reliefs of funeral scenes. The remains of a glorious theater, one of the largest and finest in Anatolia, stands at the base of the acropolis. The Eastern Roman emperor Theodosius II made Myra, ancient Demre, the capital of Byzantine Lycia.  The fame of the city is primarily due to St. Nicholas, the Bishop of Myra in the 4th century AD. He was known to help the needy and, after his death, Saint Nicholas was transformed into the legendary character called Santa Claus, who brings Christmas presents to children around the world.

Upon return to our vessel, enjoy a swim in the crystal-clear waters of our cove. (B/L/D)

This part of the coast, heavily indented and full of isolated caves and islets, encompasses some of Lycia’s most breathtaking scenery.  Hundreds of tombs dot the hillsides with many rising out of the sea.  Founded 2,500 years ago, Aperlae is protected by a formidable wall of perfectly carved stone blocks. Once the capital of a confederation of Lycian cities, today it can only be reached from the sea and stands deserted but for the herds of goats wandering among the silent ruins. Immense middens of murex shells found here suggest that the city manufactured the prized purple dye used for the robes of royalty.

Then we continue to the alluring village of Kaş, or ancient Antiphellos, a member of the Lycian League. Whitewashed houses are festooned in vivid bougainvillea, and rock-cut tombs and sarcophagi are scattered among today’s buildings. After walking to the Hellenistic theater, there will be time to wander in the town square or sip Turkish tea in one of the shore-side gardens. (B/L/D)

Today we travel by minibus to visit three important cities of the Lycian Federation. Letoon, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, was a shrine dedicated to the goddess Leto and her children by Zeus – Apollo and Artemis – the principal deities of Lycia. 

In Xanthos, also a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the fine theater is dominated by towering tombs. After the 4th century BC, nearby Patara became the capital of the Lycian Federation and its port.  Today the harbor has completely silted in and the resulting five-mile-long beach is considered the most beautiful in southern Turkey.  Over the centuries, the magnificent buildings have been covered by the blowing sand; Turkish archaeologists have been excavating here for several years.

Cruise to Gemiler Island where we anchor for the night.

Climb to the top of Gemiler Island to explore the remains of several churches built between the 4^th and 6^th centuries AD. This was once a Byzantine trading port crowned by a basilica, and the remains of the city completely cover the small island. As we climb to the summit, we pass the ruins of churches, small chapels, tombs, and sarcophagi, and walk along an immense covered walkway that leads to the cathedral dominating the island.

Following lunch, drive by minibus to visit Pinara one of the three major cities in the Xanthos Valley and one of the six principal cities of Lycia. These little-known remains are dramatically located in a mountain setting of fragrant pines, ancient olive trees, wildflowers, and thyme-scented breezes. Explore Kayaköy where Anatolian Greeks lived until the exchange of populations in 1923. The ghost town, now preserved as a museum village, consists of hundreds of mostly intact Greek-style houses and churches covering a small mountainside.

Once back onboard, move on to the enchanting Bay of Sarsala where we anchor for the night surrounded by pine trees. (B/L/D)

The Gulf of Fethiye is surrounded by the lower slopes of the Taurus Mountains, pine-clad to the water’s edge and containing the ruins of ancient sites. Dotted with small islands, the bay is a naturally protected harbor.

The adventurous may want to hike to Lydae, which legend has it Cleopatra herself visited, but well off the beaten path today. Still visible are the remains of a basilica, temple walls, cisterns, Corinthian column parts, and inscribed pedestals from the Roman and Byzantine periods as well as a vaulted Carian rock tomb in two levels dating from the 5th or 4th century BC.

This night will be spent in a tranquil cove in the Gulf of Fethiye. (B/L/D)

We meander further north to Ekincek, where in the afternoon we climb aboard a small boat to putt-putt up the meandering Dalyan River. As we travel between the reed-lined banks of the river, we will see royal temple tombs cut into the cliff face towering above.

At the end of the short boat ride is Caunos, an important Carian fishing center in ancient times. Although initially settled during the 9th century BC, the buildings standing today are Greco-Roman and include a recently excavated Byzantine church.  (B/L/D)

Cruise to Marmaris where we sadly leave our yacht and wonderful crew. While here, we will enter Marmaris Castle, originally constructed in Classical times. The bastion was reconstructed by Süleyman the Magnificent during his campaign for the Greek island of Rhodes in 1522, and in 2014, was turned into a museum.

After examining the displays, drive to Bodrum. Tonight’s dinner party will be in a local seafood restaurant along the shore. Overnight for two nights in the boutique Bodrium Hotel with views over the Aegean Sea. (B/L/D)

As a port with a long history that spans thousands of years of continuous habitation, charming Bodrum has an incredibly rich past. In ancient times known as Halicarnassus, this is the location of the Tomb of Mausolus, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Today this small city is home to Turkish artists and intellectuals and a major boat building and yachting center.

We will visit the 15th-century Castle of Saint Peter, built by the Knights of Saint John as part of a network of fortresses to defend the southeastern Aegean. It now houses the Bodrum Archaeology Museum, renowned for its wide range of fascinating underwater finds displayed throughout the Castle in a myriad of atmospheric halls and galleries.

Transfer to the Bodrum airport for our flight to Istanbul, and our international flights home. (B)