"I am very happy with the destination, I really loved it, it is beautiful. There is the beauty of the bays, the clear water. The food is good, the people are nice, it's a great destination.".
From June 24th to July 6th, Paolo and his wife decided to rent a Boat in Turkey from Bodrum for 12 days on board a Sun Odyssey 440. This is a "one way" itinerary as the departure and arrival points are different.
In this article you will learn more about her itinerary and the highlights of her navigation.
- A sailing trip in Turkey aboard a Sun Odyssey 440
- 12-day sailing itinerary from Bodrum
- Highlights and memories of the seafaring
A sailing trip in Turkey aboard a Sun Odyssey 440
After several sailing trips in the Caribbean and in Croatia, Paolo and his wife decided this year to do a Boat rental in Bodrum. The couple enjoyed the Aegean region, which borderes Turkey through the Aegean Sea. This region is famous for its stunning coastal landscapes, picturesque islands and rich historical heritage.
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Marmaris
Fethiye
Göcek
Bodrum
It was their first time at this destination, which, by the way, they had not chosen randomly: "We chose this region because the Meltemi is supposed to be less strong there, and in fact we didn't feel much of it. Besides, there are many nature reserves in the region."
The Meltem is one of the Mediterranean winds that blow intensely in Greece especially in the Cyclades and the Dodecanese, between June and September.
As a passionate sailor, Paolo was the skipper of the sailing ship. He sailed southwards from Bodrum to Göcek, this route is about 240 miles.
The Sun Odyssey 440
The baptismal name of the boat is the Celtic Breeze, a Sun Odyssey 240, of the brand Jeanneau. This is a 2018 model, it has 3 cabins and can accommodate up to 8 people.
"In terms of comfort, the boat was very good, it is a good cruising boat. However, when there is little wind, the boat is not very powerful. Below 7-8 knots we used the engine".
The Sun Odyssey 440 is an elegant and comfortable ship. The 13-metre length offer a generous and cleverly furnished space on board.
12-day sailing itinerary from Bodrum
Embarkation in Bodrum
Day 1 : Bodrum → Knidos (25 miles, 5 hours)
Day 2 : Knidos → Datça (27 miles, 5 hours 30 minutes)
Day 3 : Datça → Kargi Koyu → Symi (20 miles, 4.5 hours)
Day 4 : Symi → Bozburun (12 miles, 2.5 hours)
Day 5 : Bozburun → Serçe Limani (20 miles, 4 hours 30 minutes)
Day 6 : Serce Limani → Kadirga Limani → Ecinkik (43 miles, 9 hours)
Day 7 : Ecinkik quay → Koycezig Koyu (9 miles, 2 hours)
Day 8 : Koycezig Koyu → Dizibelmez Kuyu → Kizilkuyrik Koyu (31 miles, 6 hours 30 minutes)
Day 9 : Kizilkuyrik Koyu → Domuz Adasi (7 miles, 1.5 hours)
Day 10 : Domuz Adasi → Gemiler Adasi → Soguk su Koyu (19 miles, 4 hours 20 minutes)
Day 11 : Soguk su Koyu → Olu Deniz → Yassica Adalari (22 miles, 4 hours 40 minutes)
Day 12 : Yassica Adalari → Göcek (3 miles, 40 minutes)
Disembarkation in Göcek
Day 1: Bodrum → Knidos (25 miles, 5 hours)
Paolo and his wife landed at Bodrum airport, which was 35 km from the port and 40 minutes by taxi. Before picking up their boat, they enjoyed a moment in Bodrum, where they saw the Saint-Pierre Castle a medieval castle built in the 16th century and considered one of the city's main attractions. They then continued their route to the port of Knidos where they saw the ruins of the Temple of Aphrodite.
Day 2: Knidos → Datça (27 miles, 5.5 hours)
The next day, Paolo and his wife weighed anchor in the morning and steered to the Datça Peninsula. They anchored in the south of the bay. On this peninsula there are many small picturesque villages and typical Mediterranean vegetation with many olive trees and pine trees. By the way, the couple recommends a pastry shop called Yunuslar, which they visited during their stopover in Datça.
Day 3: Datça → Kargi Koyu → Symi (20 miles, 4 hours 30 minutes)
At noon Paolo and his wife anchored in the Kargi Bay, a large beach further south of the village of Datça, also on the peninsula. In the afternoon they then sailed on and anchored in Pethi, a very nice anchorage on the Island of Symi. It is very popular because it is well protected from the south and north winds. It also has a small supermarkets and some restaurants. It is one of the couple's favourite anchorages during their cruise in Turkey.
Day 4: Symi → Bozburun (12 miles, 2.5 hours)
On the morning of the fourth day, the crew weighs anchor to head for the Bozburun Peninsula to sail. The peninsula has been declared a protected area by the Ministry of Environment, making it very unspoilt. The couple anchored in the evening between the Kisil Ada Adasi Island and the Kiseli Island, both of which are located on the peninsula.
Day 5: Bozburun → Serçe Limani (20 miles, 4.5 hours)
After a night in Bozburun, the couple hoisted sail to Serçe Limani, a small port located further south of Bozburun. They enjoyed this anchorage very much and also considered it one of the most beautiful on the cruise. In the evening they had dinner at a restaurant called Captain Nemo's Farm Restaurant.
Day 6: Serçe Limani → Kadirga Limani → Ecinkik (43 miles, 9 hours)
On the sixth day, the crew leaves the cozy anchorage in Serçe Limani in the morning for a long day of sailing to Ecinkik to start. The couple makes a first stop in Kadirga Harbor, a bay with turquoise waters and lush vegetation. Paolo and his wife then drove to the charming port of Ecinkik, where they anchored for the night.
Day 7: Ecinkik quay → Koycezig Koyu (9 miles, 2 hours )
In the morning the couple left Ecinkik and made their way to Koycezig Koyu where they visited the lake, which is one of the largest in the country and is formed by a small river called the Dalyan. On the way, the crew stopped to visit the ruins of the ancient city of Kaunos to visit. They had lunch at the restaurant La Bohème.
Day 8: Koycezig Koyu → Dizibelmez Kuyu → Kizilkuyrik Koyu (31 miles, 6.5 hours)
On the eighth day, the couple weighs anchor in the morning for a rather long trip to Kizilkuyrik Koyu. The ship first moors in Dizibelmez Kuyu to have lunch at a beautiful anchorage called Blue Grotto. The crew then sailed to Kizilkuyrik Koyu to spend the evening. They thoroughly enjoyed this vegetated and sparsely visited anchorage.
Day 9: Kizilkuyrik Koyu → Domuz Adasi (7 miles, 1.5 hours)
Before weighing anchor, the couple visited the village of Kizilkuyrik Koyu in the morning. Then they began navigation to the small island Domuz Adasi which is only seven miles away. There they spent the afternoon and evening.
Day 10: Domuz Adasi → Gemiler Adasi → Soguk su Koyu (19 miles, 4 hours 20)
On the tenth day Paolo and his wife hoisted the sails to go to Gemiler Adasi a small island near the Turkish coast, where they visited ruins around noon. Then they boarded the ship again and sailed to Soguk Su Koyu. They dined at a restaurant called Las Tunas that they particularly liked.
Day 11: Soguk su Koyu → Olu Deniz → Yassica Adalari (22 miles, 4 hours 40)
On their penultimate day, the crew left in the morning for Olu Deniz to have breakfast there. It is a pretty vacation village with a large beach with turquoise waters. After this stage the couple traveled to the wild island of Yassica Adalari where they spent the rest of the day.
Day 12: Yassica Adalari → Gocek (3 miles, 40 minutes)
On the last day, Paolo and his wife Yassica left Adalari in the morning and drove to Göcek, which is 40 minutes away by boat. The couple did not undertake any special activities on this last day. The route of the cruise ended in Göcek, where they spent one last night at Hotel Layla.
Highlights and memories of seafaring
Overall, the couple spent a very nice stay on the Aegean coast. They really enjoyed the destination, the turquoise waters and the wild bays that this region of Turkey has to offer.
For Paolo, one of the best memories of the cruise is the visit to Cnide : "How beautiful it is here. There are the ruins, which are beautiful to look at, the harbor directly opposite and you can walk to the lighthouse in the evening ".
Paolo also fell in love with the restaurant Las Tunas, where they went during their evening in Soguk Su Koyu : "We went to a great restaurant that is very cute in a little bay. This is the best for me in terms of location".
Acknowledgements
I thank Paolo very much for his feedback! To all the crew: thank you for sending us the photos that allow us to share some memories of your sailing trip!