Day 1 of yacht charter in Turkey

Board your yacht in Bodrum Harbour. Cruise to Karaada Island for an afternoon of swimming and watersports or stay in Bodrum Harbour for the night. If yours is the latter choice, explore Bodrum Castle, built by the Knights of St. John during the Crusades and now home to the fabulous Museum of Underwater Archaeology. Bodrum is famous for its nightlife, so dine out in style, stroll through the bazaar, visit a café or dance until dawn.

Day 2:

Swim and sunbathe in the morning before taking a relaxing sail around to one of the Turkish Riviera's most popular destinations, Turkbuku. Spend the afternoon soaking up the sun, enjoying the scenery, strolling along the waterfront or trying out some water sports. After sunset, dine ashore at one of Turkbuku's world class restaurants.... then party the night away in some of the most famous clubs on the Turkish coast.

Day 3:

Breakfast in Turkbuku. Cruise to the next bay along the peninsula, then go into port in Yalikavak to shop and dine ashore. Yalikavak offers some great nightlife, too -- so once again, there will be no shortage of fun and entertainment.

Day 4:

Breakfast in Yalikavak. Sail further around the peninsula and across to the Sedir Islands. In ancient times, the settlement on the largest of the islands was known as "Cedreae" and, as with many of the former ancient settlements in the area, fortification walls can be seen from a distance. Ruins can be found scattered among the olive groves, including a small theatre, an Apollon temple and a necropolis. On the western side of this island is a beach known as “Cleopatra’s Beach”, the sand of which is extremely beautiful: each grain being a perfect sphere. Overnight in the vicinity of the Sedir Islands.

Day 5:

A leisurely morning spent in Mersincik, where clear waters are perfect for swimming and snorkeling. Take lunch on the shaded aft deck with the ruins of ancient Knidos as a backdrop, then go ashore to explore this most fascinating of sites, complete with two theaters and a sun dial. The area is so remote and windswept that it will undoubtedly capture your imagination. In the late afternoon, sail for Palamutbuku. Take a walk ashore after dinner, or take a taxi ride to the small village of Yakikoy and dine in an olive grove at a superbly restored old mill known as "Yaka Mengen". Overnight in Palamutbuku.

Day 6:

Sail for Hayit Buku and spend some time ashore, just wandering about and soaking up the village atmosphere. Take tea in a shady spot, overlooking a small harbour and then swim from the pebble beach. Bliss! Overnight in the vicinity.

Day 7:

To Datca for a trip ashore to "Old Datca" -- great photo opportunities in this formerly Greek town. There is also a chance to go shopping at one of the coast's best boutique stores for olive oil, olive oil products and other local delicacies. This is known as "The Olive Farm" and is a highlight on the shopping itinerary... and close by there is an old Ottoman-style mansion, "Mehmet Ali Aga" with a first class restaurant serving some of the finest Ottoman-style cuisine to be found anywhere. Overnight in Datca and dinner ashore at one of this port's famous fish restaurants.

Returning in the direction of Bodrum, anchor off Orak Island, renowned for its crystal-clear waters and snorkel around the island or relax on board. Either stay here for the night or return to Bodrum Harbour for a final night’s dinner ashore.

Day 8:

Cross through Greek waters, just north of the island of Symi and anchor outside the harbour of Bozburun for an afternoon of water sports. In the early evening, enter the harbour and take a look ashore. There is lots to see in this former sponge fishing centre. You may find a place to try Turkish "pide" (Turkey's own style of pizza) along the waterfront. Bozburun is cute and quaint, with a small selection of shops offering everything from hand-made leather shoes to jewellery and locally-manufactured clothing.

Day 9:

Breakfast in Bozburun, followed by a day ashore to enjoy the sights and sounds of Sogut and -- if there is the interest -- the small village of Taslica up on the hill. In Sogut, there is a corner of the bay where old amphorae were tossed overboard, and so it resembles an "amphorae graveyard" -- take some underwater photos and snorkel about. Overnight of Kizil island.

Day 10:

To Bozukkale, one of the finest - and one of the most interesting - anchorages on the coast. This place offers a wonderful vista from atop the well preserved Hellenistic fortress of ancient Loryma. The walk up a small hill to the ruins is highly recommended, but good, sturdy walking shoes are a must! Time for swimming and watersports in this ancient harbour before moving on to Serce, site of one of the world's most interesting underwater excavations ever undertaken: the salvage of an 11th century shipwreck... the ship has been carrying a cargo of Islamic glass when it when down at the entrance to this natural harbour... and the items recovered can be seen in the Museum of Underwater Archaeology in Bodrum. Overnight in Serce.

Day 11:

Heading back in the direction of Bodrum, today's first stop is Dirsek. Enjoy the beauty of this bay, ringed with pine-forested mountains -- and take this opportunity to get wet enjoying your favourite watersports. To Selimiye in the afternoon. Selimiye has a distinctly rural feel about it, and there will be a chance to walk ashore and mingle with the locals -- some of whom are "Seachangers" from Istanbul and Ankara, who bring with them diverse and interesting collections of artwork from around the country... as well as the fruits of their own labour. Selimiye is a very relaxed town, and it is renouned for its excellent fish restaurants... in particular, "Sardunya" where you can dine on the waters' edge and enjoy such delicacies as "stuffed courgette flowers". Overnight in Selimiye.

Day12:

From here, you can take a short trip to Greece and enjoy a whole different world. Symi lies nestled between the "pincers" of the Loryma Peninsula, and offers much for the visiting charter guest. The entire harbour is picture-postcard beautiful and you can easily get swept into the romance of a night out in Greece. If Symi is on your itinerary, please allow two full days. If Symi is not part of this itinerary, head directly for Bencik, stopping off at the interesting little island known as "Dislice" for a quick trip ashore and some kayaking. Overnight in Date Palm Bay -- one of only two places in the world where you can view the eastern Mediterranean's only native variety of date palm, the Cretan Date Palm". Overnight in the vicinity.

Day 13:

Head back in the direction of Bodrum, stopping off a quiet bay for swimming along the way. By nightfall, your yacht will be at anchor in Bodrum Harbour, giving you a chance to explore the town in more depth -- and see some of the other top nightspots.

Day 14:

Take a day sail out of Bodrum harbour, and pick a bay for lunch and dinner, returning to harbour for the night.

Day 15:

Disembark in Bodrum Harbour after breakfast.