Gulet Cruise in Turkey: The Blue Cruise from Marmaris to Fethiye

Turkey is the meeting point between the orient and the occident, between the Mediterranean Sea and the Aegean Sea, the land where numerous civilizations left their footprints throughout centuries. Turkey has a lot to offer to its travellers. A gulet cruise in Turkey will be a lifetime experience that will let you discover the amazing nature of its coast. On this post, we recommend you “The Blue Cruise” as a sailing week experience from Marmaris to Fethiye.

“The Blue Cruise” means sailing in the Turkish coast discovering its incredible islands and its Mediterranean landscapes. That includes thousands of breathtaking coves and beaches with crystal clear waters and its archeological ruins that will tell us the story of ancient civilizations. Moreover, the Turkish food will delight you with what is one of the most delicious cuisines in the world, result of the different cultures that once lived in those lands.

Throughout this gulet cruise from Marmaris to Fethiye, you will find a nice and sunny Mediterranean weather that will invite you to enjoy the refreshing swims in the sea, the different water activities and the relaxing time sunbathing on your boat’s deck.

For the traditionalist people, “The Blue Cruise” implies exploring the Turkey in gulet. A traditional gulet is a kind of boat made out of wood that reminds us to the pirate boats. The gulets used to be chartered with a crew that would normally include a captain, a deckhand, a chef, and a hostess, and these are characterized for giving an exclusive service providing food and drinks on board. Therefore, this trip becomes a nice alternative to the traditional hotel vacations but with the advantage of being able to discover amazing retreats on a daily basis while being in pure contact with the nature. A gulet sailing week is a perfect kind of holiday for a group of friends or families with kids.

Note: The blue dots indicate the estimated spot where the boat would spend the night

Cruise duration:	7 nights
Embarkment:	Saturday around 15:30 in Mamaris
Disembarkment:	Next Saturday, after breakfast, around 09:00 in Fethiye.
Closest Airport:	International Airport of Dalaman, alternative: Bodrum.
Getting to the Marina:	Private transfer service, Taxi, public transport.
Best time to sail:	From May to October.
Best time to book a boat:	It is highly recommended to book your boat several months in advance. From October to April is when the charter companies have a wider boat offer.
Weather:	Mediterranean, sunny. Warm summer and mild winter. July and August are the warmest months. May and October offer really good weather conditions for sailing. June and September offer a combination between warm days and chill nights. The water temperature can get to the 26ºC during the summertime.

It is usual to believe that a gulet holidays is only something wealthier people can do. However, there are gulets for all kind of budgets. If you look into Yanpy you will find a large offer of gulets to rent in Turkey to help you out achieving your dream of sailing the “Blue Cruise” route.

If you liked the idea and you want to know more, we are going to tell you how your next holidays would be cruising in gulet in Turkey. Moreover, we will get into details with an itinerary for a sailing week cruising from Marmaris to Fethiye.

Note: The following itinerary is an inspirational guide. You can suggest changes in the itinerary but remember the captain has always the last word according to your safety and weather conditions.

If you like “The Blue Cruise” itinerary from Marmaris to Fethiye but you rather to do it by yourself or with another kind of boat, Yanpy offers you all sorts of boats from yachts to catamarans or sailboats for charter.

Marmaris is the starting point of the “Blue Cruise”. The city of Marmaris is located in a natural bay surrounded by mountains on the southwest side of Turkey. Once you arrive to Turkey, if you ordered a transfer service your driver will be waiting for you at the airport to take you to the marina. Around 15:30 you will be able to meet your wonderful gulet and its crew.

During the afternoon, you will have the opportunity to explore Marmaris and its picturesque medieval streets at the old town. You will be able to visit the castle or relax while having a tea in one of the multiple bars and restaurants in front of the ocean. It will be a charming experience that will wake up you five senses.

If you like shopping, you will probably want to go to the Zoco, a traditional market that is one of the principal attractions of the city. In a labyrinth of streets you will be able to find all kind of objects, clothes, jewelry, spices from the eastern countries and, if you look deeply into it, you can maybe find a magic carpet. Like in many Muslim countries, bargaining is a national sport; do not forget to bargain for anything you are willing to buy.

After a pleasant breakfast on our gulet’s deck, it’s time to set sail. The captain will head course to the Ekincik bay. Perfect timing to relax sunbathing on the comfortable solarium and enjoy our fabulous gulet cruise in Turkey while you navigate the blue Mediterranean.

Ekincik is a beautiful natural landscape surrounded by a lush pine forest, idyllic for hiking lovers. This peaceful corner offers a lot of different activities. If you are a history enthusiast you should hike over to the ruins of the old town of Kaunos, close to the actual city of Dalyan. If you want to, a little boat can take you up the river through the Dalyan delta until you get to the Lycian tombs that are sculpted into the rock.

Moreover, while you are in Ekincik, you can have a therapeutic mud bath, or if you rather, you can visit the marine turtles that live on the Ekincik beach from May to August.

Today is going to be a beautiful day cruising by gulet around Turkey. Your destination will be the idyllic area of the 12 islands at the famous gulf of Gocek. This corner hides a treasure in a paradisiacal island shape surrounded by crystal clear waters and pine forests that dye the coastline in a beautiful green color.

The Haman bay, also known as the Cleopatra’s bath, should be a mandatory stop. Inside its transparent waters you can find the submerged ruins that the Roman emperor Mark Antony ordered building as a present to Cleopatra, so she could enjoy bathing in a spectacular surrounding.

There are many coves and islands that you can visit: Domuz Island, Tersane, Sarsala Koyu… Let your captain show you the different options and the most beautiful beaches in Turkey. Today is the perfect day to enjoy the nature around you with your family or friends. Let the crew spoil you and have some drinks and cocktails while you are sunbathing on the gulet’s deck. To finish the day, your chef will be cooking for dinner some traditional turkish food with exotic flavors. By now, you have probably already realized that the Blue Cruise from Marmaris to Fethiye has become an amazing experience that you will never forget.

The idyllic Blue Cruise from Marmaris to Fethiye keeps exploring the 12 Islands’ area. The destination today will be the Yassica Islands, located very close to Gocek. These islands are inhabited and it should be another mandatory stop on your journey around Turkey by boat.

The Yassica Islands are very peaceful and ideal to relax, swim and enjoy your boating holidays with your family or friends. Many of the gulets include water toys. It’s adventure time; let’s discover these islands by kayak or paddlesurf. Also, its calmed waters are perfect to enjoy playing with a donut or practicing water ski.

During the afternoon, you can visit Gocek and have dinner in one of its fancy restaurants. This tranquil town has become the vacation place for lots of international famous people and one of the best nautical destinations in the Mediterranean. Inside its marinas you can find the most luxurious yachts in the world. In Gocek you can also find lively bars, cafes and restaurants that will delight you with their turkish cuisine.

People would say that Oludeniz beach is best beach in Turkey. It is hard to make a choice due to the beautifulness of the Turkish coast. However, Oludeniz, that means Dead Sea in turkish, is a whim of nature. Even though this place is very busy during high season, you should not miss it out during your gulet holidays in Turkey.

Oludeniz Beach has an inlet made out of sand that divides the sea from what is called the Blue Lagoon. Since the lagoon is considered a natural reserve, you will have to pay in order to get into it. This corner with crystal clear waters and exuberant nature will leave you breathless. Without doubt, this is one of the most famous and photographed beaches in the Mediterranean; don’t forget to bring your camera. This will be the perfect place to immortalize your time in paradise and to make your friends a little jealous.

Your gulet cruise in Turkey is getting closer to its end. However, you still have two days ahead to discover incredible places; Gemiler Island is one of them. There are probably not too many islands this small that have this much to offer. This little paradise is full of history and bursting with beautiful landscapes and turquoise waters.

If you are a hiking lover, a morning hike through the Mediterranean forest will take you to the different ruins from the different ancient civilizations like Greeks, Hittites, Byzantines and Romans, that once lived in the island. You will also be able to visit Santa Claus’ tomb since it is said that Saint Nicholas was buried in this island.

If the morning hike left you exhausted, your luxurious gulet counts with everything needed to relax. A little bit of sun on the boat’s solarium and a juice or a cocktail will help you recovering your body and getting your energy back.

While you enjoy your vacation swimming and sunbathing, your chef will be getting dinner ready. This will be the perfect occasion to sit down on the deck’s table and enjoy the delicious turkish food while drinking some good wine with your family or friends. Your night will end up remembering the great experiences you are living by cruising the blue cruise in Turkey. Could you have thought of a better plan?

Cold Water Bay gets its name from the numerous natural cold springs that flow into the sea from the Tauro Mountains. If you are one of those people that enjoy having a refreshing swim, Cold Water Bay will be your place. This would also be a good time to practice some water activities, like riding a jet ski, before we head back to Fethiye in the afternoon.

Fethiye is a very international city. There, you can bargain with the bazaar owners or take over the old town streets to discover the famous Lycian Sarcophagus.

The “fish market” can be a fun option to have some dinner. At this market, you will be able to find all kinds of fresh fish. Moreover, all the little restaurants around the market will cook your fish and you will be able to share it with your friends or family and some local wine. Another good alternative would be sharing your last night cruising in Turkey and having dinner all together on the gulet’s deck.

The next morning after breakfast, if you ordered it, you transfer service will take you to the airport in order to take your flight back home. The crew will say goodbye to all of you and our gulet cruise in Turkey would have come to an end. The great memories and the amazing experiences during the Blue Cruise from Marmaris to Fethiye will always be with you.

Note: If you decided to stay in Turkey for longer and you are close to Fethiye, you could go to the Butterfly Valley or enjoy hiking the Lycian route.

What do you think about our proposed gulet cruise in Turkey from Marmaris to Fethiye?