Find Your Hideaway
Kusadasi to Antalaya. Explore the Turkish coast. Sun bleached and rocky with a dazzling blue surround, it's best viewed by superyacht.
Kusadasi to Antalaya. Explore the Turkish coast. Sun bleached and rocky with a dazzling blue surround, it's best viewed by superyacht.
A guide to suggested destinations for your turkish charter itinerary. Ancient ruins. Tranquil bays. White sand beaches. Party or relax. Be seen or hide away. Drink in the culture. Enjoy local cuisine. Luxuriate in nature.
Kuşadası
1
At Kuşadası, moorings lie just a hop away from one of the Seven Wonders of the World. The Temple of Artemis was a white marble palace dedicated to the goddess of wildlife, hunting and virginity. King Croesus – the man who literally invented money – financed the project. And he could certainly afford the best. Surrounding the temple is the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Ephesus, the most intact Greco-Roman city on the planet.
The port of Kuşadası is part ancient too. Carpet shops ring the caravanserai that encloses the principal piazza. More ethereal is the silhouette of 1,127m-high Samsun Mountain, which dominates the skyline to the south. Hikes to the summit and the surrounding Dilek Yarımadası National Park are a stretch for sea legs.
Ephesus
2
It’s not everyday you find yourself a short drive away from one of the Seven Wonders of the World. The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus was a white marble palace dedicated to the goddess of wildlife, hunting and virginity. The project was financed by King Croesus – the man who literally invented money – and he could certainly afford the best. A short hop from the temple’s ruins is Ephesus, arguably the most intact Greco-Roman city on the planet.
Our handpicked guides bring to life to the ancient amphitheatre, parliament and baths. The town’s brothel – indicated by a delicate lady’s head carved in stone – needs no such explanation. The newly renovated terrace houses proved the Ephesus elite lived in true superyacht style. Look out for under floor heating, intricate mosaics and marble walls.
Didim
3
Taking its name from the nearby ruins of the still-intact Temple of Apollo (6th Century BC), Didem’s long sandy beaches, blue seas and relaxed town has a micro climate that’s still warm in January. One of the area’s key attractions for superyachts is the D-Marin marina and yacht club (Turkey’s largest superyacht marina), with 86 berths for superyachts upto 70 metres.
Türkbükü
4
The most sophisticated part of the Turkish coast, Türkbükü is flooded with the region’s celebrities, politicians and businessmen come summer. If you’re looking for laid-back barefoot chic, this isn’t for you, but with stylish cocktail bars and some of Turkey’s finest restaurants, for many yacht guests this is the ultimate spot to see and be seen. On the beaches, high heels are de rigueur.
Türkbükü highlights
Bodrum
5
The Turkish Riviera begins in Bodrum. The country’s premier resort swaggers with a sunny joie de vivre. Its seafront promenade is a procession of alfresco restaurants, yachts and clubs. Istanbul’s high society has long had a love affair with the surrounding bay, moulding it as Turkey’s answer to St Tropez.
West of here, the Bodrum peninsula is more Costa Smeralda than French Riviera. Imagine a coastline sprinkled with deserted islands, lonely beaches and the occasional über-chic resort. Türkbükü is the country’s ritziest enclave, the preserve of models, actors and all-night clubs. Gündoğan is quieter but equally sophisticated – a favoured escape for Turkey’s political elite.
Events. Activities. Culture. Be Inspired in Bodrum
Sedir
6
Sedir Ada – or City Island – was a romantic getaway 2,000 years ago. Mark Antony wined and dined Cleopatra here against a backdrop of scented island herbs. The Egyptian temptress evidently captured the Roman general’s heart. Mark sent galleys to the dunes of North Africa, which scooped up sand and transported it here.
This pine-covered paradise is tailor-made for superyachts. Crystalline waters, schools of fish and a Roman harbour wall – this is a diver’s dream. Those with more elaborate toys can play in acres of sheltered space just offshore. History is still alive on the Sedir Ada coastline, with a Byzantine church, a ruined temple and a vine-strewn amphitheatre.
Symi
7
Tranquil Symi is custom-made for superyachts. With no airport and only five local taxis, the island is best explored under one’s own steam. A medley of beaches accessible only by boat offers the ultimate in sun-kissed privacy.
A row of neo-classical mansions line Galios harbour. Its waterfront is a film set vision of Greek tavernas and a colourful fishing fleet. High above, the Chorio quarter offers a taste of traditional Greece: blue shutters and whitewashed streets. The adventurous may venture further on a scooter safari to Symi’s moonscape interior. The scenery is sun-bleached and rocky, with a dazzling blue surround.
Rhodes
8
Rhodes has been welcoming guests with seafood, meze and soft red wine for over 3,000 years. Its ancient harbour – a UNESCO World Heritage Site – is a medley of medieval, Ottoman and Italianate façades. The island’s innate cosmopolitanism is worn with modern pride. Visitors will join over 100 nationalities in the island’s bars and clubs, many of which pulse until dawn.
With 220km of coastline, Rhodes has a private pine-scented mooring for everyone. The island’s southerly latitude makes for some of the warmest and clearest waters in the Mediterranean. Under the waves, divers may navigate caves and wrecks where tuna and turtles roam.
Events. Activities. Culture. Be Inspired in Rhodes
Dalyan
9
Dalyan is the adventure capital of the Turkish Coast. Its mud baths, Roman ruins and rafting rivers are world-renowned. Lesser known is 5km-long Iztuzu Beach due south. According to The Times, this golden stretch of protected sand is "Europe's Best Open Space".
History buffs should pack a copy of Gibbon and ride the RIB up the Dalyan River. One of the most alluring archaeological sites in the Mediterranean, Kaunos, looks seaward from where Herodotus and Alexander once sat. Daredevils may raft back towards their yacht via the white waters of the Toparlar Canyon. Gentler souls may preserve their beauty in the healing mud baths nearby.
Events. Activities. Culture. Be Inspired in Dalyan
Göcek
10
According to legend, Icarus plunged into the sea near Goçek after his flight of freedom. The lucky man. This happy resort forms the humming heart of Turkey’s yachting industry. The wide bay of Goçek is like the French Riviera 50 years ago. It’s blessed with more dive sites, secret coves and private moorings than anywhere else on the Mediterranean. Amphitheatre cliffs and forested hills hide a litany of lonely Roman ruins.
The open water is even more pristine. Dolphins direct yachts to the ice-cold mineral water source at Bestas Limani. Sea turtles poke their heads above the waves near the mud baths of Dalyan. Further on lies the most picture-perfect beach in Turkey, the famed Olu Deniz.
Fethiye
11
If the Turkish Coast is an azure necklace, then Fethiye is its sparkling gem. Ringed by the Roman ruins of Telmessos, it has offered R&R to sun-kissed sailors for 2,000 years. The chic town centre Ece Marina offers a lesson in Aegean aesthetics. Although Daniel Craig checked into the Yacht Classic Marina next door while filming Skyfall – his signed photo is proudly displayed behind the bar.
James Bond himself sank Tequila Slammers a mile along the beach in Çalis. Dolphins regularly cavort just offshore. Fethiye’s best-kept secret is the mineral water ice-baths of Bestas Limani, an hour sail away. Too chilly? The 20km-long sands of Patara Beach sit just across the bay.
Kalkan
12
Bougainvillea, boutiques and beachside chic sum up Kalkan. The near-perfect semicircular bay is surrounded by a town sprinkled over hills sloping down to the sea. A small, central beach is backed by cliffs and pine forests, excellent for exploring on land or by sea. Originally a busy fishing village, tradition has now combined with sophisticated touches.
Kaş
13
Kaş rolls the best of the Mediterranean into one cosmopolitan package. It’s backdropped by Roman ruins, set with Italianate piazzas and dotted with Arabian sheesha cafés. Handsome Greek restaurants serve up grilled octopus and stuffed squid. The only toast to modernity is Kaş’s breathtaking new marina. It opened in 2011 complete with white stone buildings and a colossal swimming pool.
The bucolic coastline abutting Kaş makes up the Mediterranean’s least visited shores. A series of islets, spits and sandy coves are home to eagles, dolphins and sea turtles by the score. With zero development for tens of miles around, an undersea aquarium awaits. And within the bay of Kaş, the Greek island of Kastelorizo is close enough to swim to.
Antalya
14
Classic meets modern in Antalya. In the old city district of Kaleiçi, follow narrow passageways through cobbled streets and impressive Ottoman-empire houses. Kaleci is also a showcase for Antalya’s historic artefacts from the Roman and pre-Roman eras, although this is also a modern, living and breathing city. The crew or a chauffeured car can take historically-minded guests outside the city to explore the ruins of ancient Turkish civilisations. In Perge, see a wealth of statues and sarcophagi. In Termessos, discover a full ruined city. All around are heavily scented pine forests, shady mountains and enticing seas.
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