Routes · out of Bodrum
A week out of Bodrum that runs to the far end of the gulf and back — south shore going in, north shore coming home. Most days are under two hours at sea, and the two ancient cities on the route are both still being dug.
Length
7 nights
Start / finish
Bodrum
Stops
14 coves
Daily sailing
20 min – 3 hours
Day 1
an hour and a half
Day 2
about 2 hours
Day 3
about an hour
Day 4
about 2 hours
Day 5
an hour and a half
Day 6
an hour and a half
Day 7
about 3 hours
Day 8
about 2 hours
1 Karaada · 2 Orak Island · 3 Büyük Çatı · 4 Küçük Çatı · 5 Yedi Adalar · 6 Bördübet · 7 Kargılıbük · 8 Löngöz · 9 Karacasöğüt · 10 İngiliz Limanı · 11 Okluk · 12 Sedir Island · 13 Kissebükü · 14 Çökertme · 15 Bodrum
Where you spend the night The stops along the way
This is an example of the week. Weather, wind and your own pace decide the route — your captain lays out that morning’s options each day. What’s here is how it most often goes.
Day 1
Aboard in the afternoon, and the first night is not far.
an hour and a half at seaFirst swim, the mud bath
A cave on the island where a hot spring feeds a pool of mud long said to be good for the skin.
Getting there
about 20 minutes from Bodrum
Here
Cave, hot water, mud
Worth knowing
The mud is folk belief rather than medicine — enjoy it as a story
First night at anchor
The clearest water in the gulf, and the one anchorage where the snorkel you packed finally earns its place.
Getting there
about half an hour
Here
Olive-covered inlets, shallow turquoise
Worth knowing
Busy with day boats until late afternoon, then it empties
Day 2
The far side of the gulf — the side where the forest reaches the sea.
about 2 hours at seaLunch and a swim
An islet across the mouth splits the bay in two, and the inner half sits completely out of the wind.
Getting there
about two hours
Here
Sand beach, pine on every side
Worth knowing
Nothing ashore — lunch is aboard
The night
The smaller twin next door: narrower, quieter, and far less visited.
Getting there
about 20 minutes
Here
Sand bottom, clear water ringed by forest
Worth knowing
Good holding in sand, and no swell gets in
Day 3
Half an hour under way, and the rest of the day is water.
about an hour at seaThe night
Seven islets enclosing a sheet of still water, reached through the narrow gaps between them.
Getting there
about half an hour
Here
Channels between islands, shallow anchoring, snorkelling
Worth knowing
Nothing ashore at all — dinner aboard
Day 4
The most unexpected landscape of the week is today.
about 2 hours at seaThe night, kayaking, a walk in the forest
The sea reaches into the pine forest like a channel, narrowing to a creek the further in you go.
Getting there
about two hours
Here
Protected nature reserve, kayaks, footpaths, birdsong
Worth knowing
A long morning at sea — the only one of the week over two hours
Day 5
No further to go — the point where the green is darkest.
an hour and a half at seaA stop at midday
A shallow bight tucked under wooded hills, still in shade at midday.
Getting there
about an hour
Here
Swimming, shade, quiet
Worth knowing
A lunch stop, not an overnight
The night
The innermost point of the gulf, where the forest comes right down to the water’s edge.
Getting there
about 20 minutes
Here
Wooded slopes, closed and still water
Worth knowing
Cool water in the morning — the sun arrives late over the hills
Day 6
The one day you step ashore properly.
an hour and a half at seaStores, the jetty, a walk through the village
A natural harbour some 800 metres across and very nearly a perfect circle.
Getting there
about half an hour
Here
Jetty, shop, restaurants, village
Worth knowing
One of the few places all week with a phone signal
The night
English Harbour, named for the British ships said to have sheltered here during the war.
Getting there
about 20 minutes
Here
Deep, closed on every side, silent
Worth knowing
No wind gets in. The stillest night of the week
Day 7
The fullest day of the week — three stops and a taverna evening.
about 3 hours at seaMorning stop, a walk along the shore
The presidential summer residence stands in this bay, with quiet walking paths through the pines around it.
Getting there
about 20 minutes
Here
Forest paths, the smell of pine
Worth knowing
Access is restricted close to the residence
The ancient city, swimming
Ancient Kedrai, lived in without a break since the 6th century BC, its theatre still being uncovered.
Getting there
about half an hour
Here
City walls, theatre, sanctuary of Apollo, golden sand
Worth knowing
The sand is protected: no towels, no shoes, and a warden who means it
Last swim, the ruins
Behind the olive grove lies Anastasiapolis, a Byzantine city under excavation since 2019.
Getting there
about an hour
Here
Three churches, a baptistery, two bath houses, mosaics
Worth knowing
No restaurant, no jetty, no phone signal
Last night, dinner ashore
The fishing village behind the well-loved Aegean folk song that carries its name.
Getting there
about an hour
Here
Jetty, fish tavernas, village
Worth knowing
Busy on July and August evenings
Day 8
Home
Alongside before midday.
about 2 hours at seaHarbour, disembarkation
Back where you began — and what you saw at Sedir and Kissebükü carries on in the castle’s museum.
Getting there
about two hours
Here
Museum of Underwater Archaeology, castle, market
Worth knowing
If your flight is in the evening, there is time for the museum
Best months
May–June and September. July and August are hot and busy.
Wind
The meltemi gets up in the afternoon, so sailing is always in the morning.
Ashore
Two places on the route have a shop and restaurants. The rest of the nights are aboard.
Time at sea
About 13 hours across eight days — under two hours a day.
Sea temperature by month
May
20°
Jun
24°
Jul
26°
Aug
27°
Sep
25°
Oct
23°
Averages — the water is a degree or two warmer in a sheltered bay.
To get to know the water itself: the Gulf of Gökova
How many of you, how many nights, and the pace you are after — tell us, and we will shape the route around it.