The Turquoise Coast of Turkey has few equals as a place for cruising in clear warm seas without a cloud in the sky. There is plenty of interesting history to see along the way. It begins in the growing town of Fethiye and the ancient Lycian city of Olympos is an excellent is end to a magical few days.

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Fethiye

Fethiye and its immediate vicinity deserves some of your time. The harbour view is of islands, small fishing boats and mountains in the background. Once you begin your Fethiye to Olympos Gulet Cruise you need not travel any great distance to see some of its highlights.

  • Tersane is a deserted island since the Greeks left on the foundation of the Turkish Republic in 1923. You will only have been on your cruise for a matter of minutes as you approach the island. You may not have had time for a swim as you get ready to set sail so why not do it now?
  • The Blue Lagoon and Oludeniz Beach have been photographed many, many times over, often to advertise holidays in Turkey. All you have done is to continue round the corner heading east to get there.
  • A third place to visit before really getting going is Butterfly Valley which is only really accessible from the sea. During the months of summer this is a stunningly beautiful canyon, waterfall, stream and several species of butterfly.

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The Trip East

With Sail Turkey you will then carry on with several places of interest along the way and the cruise is flexible enough to meet its client’s wishes:

  • Patara Beach is a long stretch of sand with a single street village offering accommodation for those who need a base. You have your gulet as yours but the sand looks very tempting.
  • Kalkan is a small town with a tiny harbour. The rest of the town is very much on a steep slope with the properties on high offering stunning views over the sea you are sailing. If you want a different perspective of the sea than take a taxi because the walk will certainly tire you out.
  • Further east Kas has become one of the leading dive centres in the whole of Turkey. It is a nice place to stop for dinner although on board catering is excellent. Due south just a short distance away is the Greek Island of Meis. You are welcome to raise the Greek flag and go over for a few hours, perhaps lunch in one of the harbour restaurants?
  • Demre is the next stop, a modern town near to where you can see the ruins of the ancient Lycian city of Myra, the home of St. Nicholas who is still celebrated even today.

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Olympos

This Lycian City dates back to the 4th Century BC. Over the years it had been under the control of the Romans with Julius Caesar in his early days an apparent visitor. It was a trading city that several pirates occupied as well as the Venetians and Genoese. All left when the Ottomans took control though it had little major significance during that Empire.

It is near the modern town of Cirali. The ruins are fairly overgrown though worth a visit. Nearby there is the Chimera which has burnt for many years without any obvious source of fuel, flames that look particularly impressive at night.

This is the end of the cruise which combines a wonderful climate with warm seas and a rich history. There are other cruises available and after experiencing this trip between Fethiye and Olympos it is likely that you will get the urge to do another next year.

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