Itinerary · Turkey

Bodrum – Gökova – Bodrum

Gökova is where the blue cruise tradition took shape, and this week explains why: a deep gulf of pine forest and clear water, with anchorages that have barely changed in fifty years.

The route

Follow the course

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The voyage

The route experience

Leaving Bodrum, the first stop is Orak Island — transparent water, an easy first swim. The route then follows the southern shore to Kissebükü, where Byzantine ruins stand among the olive trees, and on to Çökertme, a village that still greets gulets the way it has for generations.

The heart of the gulf holds the Seven Islands, a scatter of reefs and islets with some of the best snorkelling on this coast, and Longoz, a fjord-like inlet where the pines come down to the waterline.

The most storied anchorage is English Harbour. During the Second World War, British motor launches hid in this narrow inlet between operations along the Aegean — the pines that concealed them still shade the bay today. It is a natural place to stay for the night and watch the light fade.

The return to Bodrum runs along the northern shore, with final swims chosen by the captain to the day’s conditions.

Planning notes

This is a sample itinerary rather than a fixed daily schedule. The captain may change the order of stops according to weather, sea conditions, berth availability and the needs of the group.

A route with almost no long passages and a swim stop every few hours — well suited to families and groups mixing generations. Request a charter and we will match the gulet to your party.

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