Highlights of The Journey
Day 1 – Fethiye - Gemiler Island
- We left Fethiye around 2 in the afternoon and enjoyed a reasonably smooth, 3 hour trip to Gemiler Island. Captain Oktay anchored the boat so everyone could enjoy a view of the 6th and 7th century church ruins on the island.
- Everyone - except Jon - enjoyed some time in the water. (Jon was perfectly content to watch from on deck - a perspective that Sailor Sue shares 100%.)
- As it cooled down, Sailor Sue, Neel, Bob, and Fiona went on a hike around the historic island. Jon and Sue stayed on board, while Oktay prepared a tasty dinner of sea bream and mezes.
- Everyone headed to bed quite early in anticipation of a long journey on Day 2 of the cruise.
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Day 2 – Gemiler Island - Kalkan - Kaş
- Captain Oktay and Sailor Sue raised the anchor early and we made our way out of the peaceful channel at Gemiler Island before sunrise. The 5-hour journey was smooth and the group was able to enjoy breakfast en route.
- We anchored at Firnaz Bay near Kalkan for several hours of swimming, relaxation, and a late lunch before making the 2-hour journey to Bayındır Bay near Kaş for the night.
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Day 3 – Kaş - Sunken City of Kekova - Simena
- We spent most of the day relaxing at the peaceful bay near Kaş. Bob, Jon, Fiona, Sue, and Neel caught the local water taxi into Kaş for sightseeing and shopping. Sailor Sue and Captain Oktay stayed on board to do chores.
- Late in the day, Alperen arrived on board to help with cooking during the rest of the cruise.
- We lifted anchor and cruised to the Kekova region, sailing over the Sunken City of Kekova before stopping for the night and anchoring at the foot of Simena castle.
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Day 4 – Simena - Demre - Gökkaya
- To beat the heat, we climbed to the top of Simena castle before breakfast.
- After breakfast, we made our way to Demre, where our guests headed out on a land excursion to ancient Myra and the St. Nicholas Church. They spotted turtles in the shallow water near the Demre harbour.
- After they returned from their excursion, Captain Oktay took us to the most incredibly beautiful anchorage in Gökkaya. It looked and felt like a movie set - absolute perfection - and we spent a hot and lazy afternoon relaxing in the sunshine.
- We had Adana Kebabs for dinner - a perfect ending to a perfect day!
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Day 5 – Gökkaya - Üçağız - 5 Islands near Kaş
- At this point during the cruise, everyone loses track of time. It's difficult to determine which day of the week it is. All the days blend together - proof of the relaxing characteristics of a Blue Cruise holiday.
- After a lingering breakfast in Gökkaya, we made our way to the small village of Üçağız to fill Arkadaslik's fresh water tanks. Anchoring in the tiny harbour was difficult due to high winds, but Captain Oktay made quick work of it. Everyone took a short wander around the village, but the heat was draining, and soon returned to the comfort of the boat's shaded rear deck.
- Once the water tanks were full, we lifted anchor and left the protected Kekova region, making our way to a cluster of 5 islands located mid-way between Kaş and the Greek Island of Kastellorizo for the night.
- Alperen prepared a massive dinner of chicken schnitzel and all the fixings - enough to feed an army - which we ate on the maritime border between Turkey and Greece.
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Day 6 – 5 Islands - Kastellorizo / Meis - Kalkan - Firnoz Bay near Kalkan
- After the breakfast dishes were cleared away, we lifted anchor, swapped the Turkish flag for a Greek one, and made a "drive by" tour around the harbour at Kastellorizo / Meis. The colourful little settlement was once featured in an award-winning film called Mediterraneo, and did not disappoint today.
- We then continued west along the coast, stopping for a visit in Kalkan town before heading to Firnoz Bay for the remainder of the day.
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Day 7 – Bay near Kalkan - Gemiler Island
- Day 7 started early as we lifted anchor at 5AM and made the rolling, 5-hour ride northwards. Sea conditions allowed for a quick sail-by the bay at Butterfly Valley, but were too rough to stop. Likewise, Oktay decided to by-pass anchoring at Ölüdeniz as the sea conditions were less than optimal.
- As we were turning away from Ölüdeniz and towards Gemiler for safe mooring, the coast guard approached the boat with siren blaring. It was a heart-stopping moment, which turned into a non-event, and the soldiers left as quickly as they had come. We then made the short journey to Gemiler Island, where we remained anchored for the day.
- After breakfast, our guests ventured out by taxi to ride the cable car at Mount Babadağ - spotting the boat from a height of 1200 meters.
- Upon their return, lunch was served as pirate boats full of partying tourists popped in and out of the otherwise peaceful channel.
- Late in the afternoon, we lifted anchor and slowly made our way to Tarzan Bay (named for the rope swings installed in trees along the shore), where we enjoyed a final dinner together aboard Arkadaslik.
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Day 8 – Gemiler Island - Fethiye
- We returned to Fethiye harbour after breakfast, admiring some magnificent super yachts en route.
- A rep from the car rental agency was waiting as we anchored along the kordon. He kindly took a few photos of the group before spiriting our guests away for the remainder of their Turkish vacation.
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