Cruise Highlights
Day 1: Göcek - Gemiler Island
Everyone connected in bustling Göcek harbour and shuttled to Arkadaslik via dinghy. Once aboard, introductions were made and we headed out on our cruise to the Kekova region.
First stop of the day was 3 hours away - Gemiler Island. When we arrived, everyone appreciated the cool, clear water of the Gemiler Channel.
As evening drew near and temperatures dropped (ever so slightly), Sue, Shawn, Sarah, Carey and Mandy hiked around Gemiler Island.
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Day 2: Gemiler Island - Kalkan - Kaş
We lifted anchor just after 5AM. Unfortunately, large swells meant a very rough start to the morning, but the sea calmed down by the time we arrived at a beautiful bay outside of Kalkan for breakfast.
We spent some time and ate lunch in the tuquoise water near Kalkan before continuing eastward towards Kaş.
Captain Oktay dropped anchor just outside of Kaş harbour and everyone made their way into town via dinghy for shopping, sightseeing, and ice cream. Tourist sites in Kaş include a restored limestone theatre, a Hellenistic temple, and the two-story King's Tomb in the middle of a street in Old Town.
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Day 3: Kaş - Aquarium Bay - Furunoz Bay
We left the quiet bay outside of Kaş before breakfast, hoping to find a private spot at Aquarium Bay for breakfast. It appears several other boats had the same plan. So, it wasn't too crowded, but not the secluded piece of paradise we were hoping for either.
We moved 3 times after arriving at Furunoz Bay, but eventually found ourselves the perfect spot for overnighting!
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Day 4: Furunoz Bay - Demre - Pirate Cave - San Lorenzo Bay - Sunken City of Kekova - Simena
When we arrived at Demre, the Canadians took a field trip to the site of ancient Myra, the St. Nicholas Church museum, and the interpretive center at Andriake - and did some shopping in the local Migros too.
The Brits stayed around the harbour, enjoying some turtle spotting and swimming time to keep cool.
Upon leaving the harbour at Demre, Captain Oktay demonstrated considerable skill navigating Arkadaslik into the mouth of a pirate cave in the Gökkaya region.
We anchored at a nearby bay so anyone who wanted to could paddle over and explore the cave at their leisure.
The final stretch of today's journey took us past the Sunken City of Kekova and we anchored in front of the castle village at Simena for the night. A few of us made the climb to the castle, but it was after-hours so we didn't enter the site. (Canadians are rule followers!) Instead, we climbed back down the hill and enjoyed some pre-dinner home made ice cream at the Ahnk Cafe.
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Day 5: Simena - Üçağız - Konschuk Canyon - Nameless Bay outside of Konschuk Canyon
Mandy, Kevin, Carey, Lisa, and Sue made the climb to the top of the castle before breakfast. The views were amazing!
After breakfast, we lifted anchor and made our way to the village of Üçağız to fill the fresh water tanks. Most took a quick wander around the village, but returned to the comfort of the boat to avoid the stiffling temperatures on land.
Tanks filled, we made our way to a small canyon (which we've nicknamed Konschuk Canyon in honour of the guests who were with us when we first discovered it), where we spent the afternoon enjoying the tranquility and cool water.
Late in the afternoon, we lifted anchor to avoid bees and lack of wifi access. High winds cut our search short and we returned to a nearby bay for overnighting.
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Day 6: Nameless Bay - Kanyon / 5 Islands (near Kaş) - Kalkan
We lifted anchor before breakfast and left the Kekova region, making our way along the first leg of our return journey. Captain Oktay dropped anchor at a series of islands located between Turkey (Kaş) and Greece (Kastellorizo / Meis), where we ate breakfast on the border.
The team from Nautilus Diving arrived just after breakfast and Shawn went scuba diving while we remained anchored at Kanyon.
Our journey westward continued after Shawn returned from his dives. We made our way to Kalkan for a short visit to the town, then anchored in a nearby bay for the evening.
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Day 7: Kalkan - Butterfly Valley - Ölüdeniz - Panço Bay - Tersane Island
A 6AM start resulted in beautifully calm seas as we made the 5 hour trip from Kalkan to Ölüdeniz. Enroute, Captain Oktay took us for a detour into the mouth of Butterfly Valley for a quick lock around.
Lisa made the leap from the top of Mount Babadağ, paragliding safely to a landing on the beach at Ölüdeniz.
Around 5PM, we made our way across the Gulf of Göcek and back into the Göcek Islands region. We made our way to Panço Bay to drop off our garbage, then anchored at Summer Harbour Bay at Tersane Island for the night.
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Day 8: Tersane Island - Göcek
There was a bit of sadness in the air on our last morning together as we planned to say our goodbyes. (This was a particularly fabulous shared week!) Chef Ozan prepared crepes with maple syrup for breakfast, and we made our way back to Göcek harbour shortly thereafter.
The harbour was busy and we had to say our goodbyes quickly to make way for other boats. After bidding farewell to our new British friends, Sue escorted the Canadians to a restaurant / bar / swimming pool, where they could spend the day before catching their flights home.
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