If your bucket list is anything like ours, swimming with turtles in Turkey’s crystal clear waters with ancient ruins nearby, will be somewhere on that list! And what better way to explore the coast than on a V-GO Sail Turkey Cruise, with more than a dozen new friends and a great crew!
Our V-Go sailing boat in the bay at Butterfly Valley
V-Go Sail Turkey cruise – Fethiye to Kekova in 8 days
We arrived at the V-GO office in Fethiye at 4pm and as expected, could hear a high majority of Australian accents. However, we were pleasantly surprised to also discover a large group of kiwis (New Zealanders) plus a few Italians. It was V-GO’s biggest week ever, with over 90 people getting on board 5 boats and setting out for 8 days of sailing! A lot of the tourists had booked through V-Go’s partner Busabout, and we were all looking forward to the week ahead.
With no idea as to the size of our boat or of what to expect, I was wowed as I clambered aboard the large, 26m dark wooden Gulet (sailing boat) and was shown to our room with a double bed and ensuite. However, I did not admire the room for long, as being peak season, the temperature was also peaking somewhere above 30 degrees.
We quickly began making friends and as there were 19 of us on board, there were a lot of names to learn. Our tour leader Ekin, with his impressive moustache was the easiest to remember. Because, as he pointed out – his name was Nike spelt backwards! Ekin was extremely helpful, keeping us all informed about what activites were available, playing his ukulele to us, plus we even convinced him to show us our path on a proper map!
What gear is supplied by V-Go Sail Turkey?
We felt ridiculous, lugging our large bags on board. All we really needed was togs (bathers), towel, sunnies, sunblock and jandals! V-GO supplied shower towels, bedding (which, due to the heat we used for sleeping on the deck under the stars each night), snorkels, flippers and foam noodles for swimming. Some of the boats even had stand up paddle boards and kayaks.
Sneaky early morning photo of everyone sleeping on the deck
V-Go Sail Turkey Meals and Desserts
All meals are prepaid for and included in the trip. However, you will need to pay for any drinks you consume on the boat eg a beer is 9TL. Our desserts were amazing and certainly not the norm. We were extremely spoilt by Captain Sunny whose hidden talent is also designing desserts made of fruit!
Our favourite swimming and snorkelling locations with V-Go Sail Turkey
Blue Lagoon (Oludeniz): Here everyone was very quick to jump into the water. Just be careful of your cameras, sunnies and any loose items as the water is fairly deep and unless you have a free diving friend on board (like Moss), you will never see your beloved possessions again. While we were there, Moss became a treasure hunter and found Turkish money, some snorkels, deck chairs, a watch, bracelet and a go pro!!
Shark statue bay: This is not the bay’s actual name, however the location will be obvious once you see it. There is a concrete shark just over 7 meters underwater, plus there were turtles swimming about which was awesome to see! However, Moss noticed one turtle behaving a bit too friendly and discovered fishing line tangled around its fins and neck. At that moment Moss gained his new nickname – Moss Grilles (after Bear Grilles) and caught the turtle so the fishing line could be cut free.
Sunken City Bay near Kekova Island: After playing cards and having drinks as we motored to our overnight destination we then proceeded to have party in the water. The water was crystal clear and the perfect temperature! (Note: we made sure no litter was left behind, hope you will do the same!)
V-Go Sail Turkey Day excursions
On most of the days, extra activities are on offer for an additional cost. Plus, our V-Go boat was often approached by locals offering sea biscuiting, and items for sale such as ice creams and jewellery.
- Waterfall at Butterfly Valley: Once the boat has anchored in the bay, everyone has the option of paying 5TL each and venturing on a short walk of less than 15 minutes to the waterfall. If you are game enough (and strong enough) there is also a rope leading up the cliff next to the waterfall which enables you to climb even higher and to see a lot of butterflies. For more details you can read about Coles Butterfly Valley Adventure a few years ago.
- St. Nicholas Island (Santas Island): In the evening you can pay 8TL per person to explore the ruins, walk to the top of the Island and watch the sunset.
- Paragliding at the Blue Lagoon (Oludeniz): You can go paragliding off the top of the hill which is nearly 2000m (6000ft) high. It costs 225TL per person. Paragliding photos cost 80TL and the videos cost 80TL, however, if you want both they will cost 140TL. Please note that most pilots do not let you use your own camera during the gliding. Tip: Take your camera and money with you. That way if you are like us and refuse to pay for photos that you could have easily taken yourself then at least you will get some of your own pictures before take off, plus if you do as many spins and flips as I did, you will be wanting an ice cream to sweeten your stomach at the finish 🙂
- Simena Castle: A few of us braved the heat and paid the 10TL entry to the castle. The views from the top were amazing and certainly worth the sweat! Plus the path leading to the Castle has lots of women and children selling bracelets and items they have made, and yes I got sucked in and purchased some from a cute little girl!
View from Simena Castle
More towns and attractions we visited with V-Go
As well as all the amazing snorkelling locations and day excursions, we also visited Tarzan Bay where all the boys swung from a rope – like Tarzan! We also stopped in at a couple of towns including Kalkan, Demre and Kas, plus we motored past the Sunken City and Pirate Cave as unfortunately swimming is not allowed.
The Sunken City
Putting up the sails with V-Go Sail Turkey
Unfortunately, sailing is not a huge part of the trip but we did sail long enough to get a photo!
The V-Go Sail Turkey Pirate Party
The pirate party took place at Smugglers Inn in Gokkaya Bay. Everyone improvised with what ever sailor/ pirate themed clothes they happened to have and it was a great night! Entrance to the party was free and it was great to mingle with all the other V-Go/Busabout boats.
V-Go Turkish Night
On the final night of the trip we moored in Fethiye harbour, had dinner on board and then made our way to the V-Go hotel for a complimentary Turkish night. To my amusement our tour guide rigged the selection of belly dancing candidates and picked two people from our tour – one of them being Moss! The night was a good laugh and a great way to end the trip.
Accommodation in Fethiye
If you require accommodation in Fethiye before or after your boat cruise, there is plenty of accommodation to choose from. However of the four places we happened to stay at in Fethiye, we highly recommend the V-Go hotel.
V-Go Yatching & Travel Agency Review
- The team at V-Go Yatching were extremely knowledgeable as they have been sailing the route since 1997. They know all the best locations for anchoring so the water is always tempting for a swim and a splash.
- We visited all the main towns and attractions, however it was all done at a nice pace and we did not feel too rushed.
- It wasn’t all about being on a boat and drinking the entire time. Even though some people on other boats did drink their fair share of alcohol, everyone was generally interested in having a good time and not being too hungover – except for after the Pirate party of course!
- In conclusion I highly recommend V-Go Yatching if you wish to explore the coastline of Turkey.
- Cost: 8 day sail Turkey trips range from 285.00 € – 485.00 € depending on the time of year. This includes breakfast, lunch and dinner each day, but excludes drinks and extra activities such as entrance to Simena Castle and Paragliding. Note: it is also recommended to tip 3-5% of your trip cost to the crew at the end of the tour.
- V-Go are a Yatching & Travel Agency who offer many types of boat trips, private boat trips, daily tours and activities, plus they have a hotel in Fethiye.
- You can also read Coles review from 2012 about the first ever Busabout Sail Turkey adventure cruise and see how much the tour has progressed and improved over the years.
- www.bluecruisesturkey.com
Disclaimer: We were provided with a discount for the V-Go Yachting Sail Turkey cruise, however, as always our thoughts on our adventure travel blog our own.