Gulf of Fethiye. Photo courtesy of Turkey Vision via Flickr.
The Gulf of Fethiye, also known as the Gulf of Telmessos, is one of Turkey’s most popular areas for yachting and tourism. Hemmed in to the west by the Kurdoğlu cape, and on the east by Cape Angistro, the Gulf encompasses an abundance of coves and islets in an area known in ancient times as Lycia.
Cruising the Gulf of Fethiye offers a unique holiday experience in one of Turkey’s most picturesque regions. These sea-bound journeys are known in coastal Turkey as ‘Blue Cruise’, a term used for all yacht charters along the country’s Aegean and Mediterranean coasts. These Blue Cruises usually take place aboard a traditionally built, handmade wooden boat called a ‘gulet’, which are typically built of pine wood and offer a spacious aft deck perfect for dining, sunbathing and relaxation.
The coastline you’ll be cruising by in the Gulf of Fethiye is surprisingly unspoiled, offering shores that are more like open air museums, with the remains of amphitheaters, markets, churches, tombs and ancient cities.
The best time to take a blue cruise in the Gulf of Fethiye is during the summer season, which usually begins in April and ends in October. June, July and August are the hottest months, while April/May and September/October are calmer, more temperate months to cruise.
Below are a few notable sites in the region, all worth a visit for anyone cruising the Gulf of Fethiye.
Fethiye
Fethiye sits atop Telmessos, the most important city in ancient Lycia, whose history began in the 5th century BC. Despite being one of Turkey’s most popular coastal tourist centers, Fethiye has preserved much of its village charm. Particularly popular with British travelers, Fethiye (along with Öludeniz) was chosen as the best tourism center in the world by The Times and The Guardian newspapers in 2007. It’s easy to see why: the marina is excellent, living is inexpensive and there is a bustling nightlife scene during the summer. Scuba diving, paragliding off mountain peaks, hiking ancient trails are just a few of the activities possible in and around Fethiye. Fethiye is also the starting point for the Lycian Way trek, Turkey’s longest and most scenic marked trail.
Ölüdeniz
A stone’s throw away from Fethiye is Ölüdeniz, also called the ‘Blue Lagoon’, one of the nicest beaches in Turkey and a center for extreme sports such as paragliding. There is not a single Turkish holiday brochure that doesn’t feaute at least one photo of this gorgeous bay. Also relatively close are the Butterfly and Kabak Valleys, both being isolated canyons bordering the sea to the south of Fethiye, with waterfalls and secluded beach-front campsites.
Tomb Bay
This pine and oleander-lined bay, located six miles from Gocek, is where the ancient city-state of Caria once thrived. The ruins here date from the 5th century BC and feature a number of tombs, the remains of a Roman-Byzantine bathhouse and an acropolis, as well as numerous other ancient sites in the surrounding area.
Kayaköy
The ancient Greek ghost town of Kayaköy, located eight kilometers south of Fethiye, has been preserved as an open-air museum, with hundreds of rundown but still mostly intact Greek-style houses and two Greek Orthodox Churches. Anatolian Greek-speaking Christians lived here until 1923, at which time the village was largely abandoned, following the population exchange between Turkey and Greece after World War I. There is a private museum here detailing the history of the town.
12 Islands of Gocek (Yassica Islands)
A popular day trip for cruisers in the Gulf of Fethiye, the 12 Islands of Gocek, also known as Yassica Islands, boast plentiful bays, sparkling clear water and pristine beaches backed by dense forests. It’s a great place to swim, snorkel or just relax in the sun. Göcek hosts five of the most significant marinas that serve yachting tourism in the region, and features a variety of harbors, islands and coves, all located in a spacious and secluded bay. The most popular island to visit is the Island of Tersane (Dockyard Island), the largest island in the Gulf of Fethiye. Here you’ll find some 140 ruined homes Tersana’s Greek inhabitants left behind after the 1923 population exchange, as well as the remains of two churches. Another popular stop is Gemile Island, which is full of unrestored Byzantine ruins.
Manastir Bay (Cleopatra’s Bay)
Situated about 30 minutes from Marmaris, the secluded Cleopatra Island is home to some evocative underwater ruins, including a half-submerged Greek monastery and an ancient sunken bath, said to have once been used by Cleopatra. In fact, local legend claims Cleopatra visited here twice, in 46 and 32 BC, the latter to rendezvous with her lover Marc Antony. The fine sand on the island’s small beach is unique to Turkey, leading to a local myth that claims Cleopatra had it brought to the island from Egypt.