BODRUM To Gökova Gulf
Located at the east of Bodrum, Gökova Gulf is one of the most attractive natural wonders of the world. Surrounded by the high mountains in the north reaching 1000 meters altitude and dotted by great number of coves and bays in the south, Gökova Gulf offers undescrible beauties of the nature. The gulf covers the area between Bodrum, ancient city of Knidos and the town of Gökova. The depth of the sea reaches nearly the depth of oceans and this feature gives suitable environment for for great number of ocean fishes. Gökova Gulf also houses many unexcavated archaeological sites.
Karada
Located 2 miles from Bodrum, Karada Island is frequently visited by locals and foreigners, attracted by thermal waters and crystal clear sea of the island. The island has a small church and a thermal bath. Many visitors come to the island for mud baths and believe it beautifies the skin and cures skin diseases.
Pabuc Burnu.
This shoe shaped peninsula is 6 miles from Bodrum and offers great mooring possibilities for boats on the eastern side.
Orak Island
This small island, located 10 miles in the east of Bodrum, is famous for its rich marine life and crystal blue waters. The island has a notorious reputation because of giant rats. After Bodrum, it is one of the first destinations for boat.
Kise Bükü
Only 3 miles from Orak Island, there is Kise Bükü, a name originating from the word kilise (church) due to remains of Byzantine Monasteries in the area.
Çökertme Bay
This small hamlet, mentioned in the local folk songs, is an important stopover before or after crossing the Gökova Gulf. Çökertme Bay takes its name from the small village. Çökertme Bay is a suitable bay, situated between Kepce Burnu and Karaburun and sheltered place for spending the night. It is well known by the boatmen because of fact it protect the boats against the winds especially those winding west-north and west-east direction. Çökertme coastline is long and pine and olive trees start right from the coastline. Local restaurants with reasonable prices offer fine food to boat people. Night time, there is even belly dancing entertaining visitors.
Gökova Thermal Energy Plants
Between Çökertme and Akbük, visitors are disturbed by the ugly sight of Thermal Energy Plant.
Ceramus
Ancient Ceramus or Oren of present day offers bad anchorage but reasonable prices for food and accommodation. Visitors notice various ruins dating to Greek, Roman and Byzantine centuries.
Akbük
One of the most beautiful bays of in the Gökova Gulf is Akbük. After Oren, Gulets sail towards Akbük which offer the least unspoiled fiord like coastline with tiny coves. Impressive Kiran Mountain which towers the Akbük area has young pine forest thriving on its vertical slopes. The beach with fine restaurant is located there. Although Akbük looks very calm and peaceful, like other parts south western Turkey, visitors to the area might have sudden, troublesome gusts and squalls.
Cleopatra Island Sedir Island
Cleopatra Beach
After tradition, this was the meeting point Cleopatra and Mark Antony. You can still visit the remains of a horse shoe shaped theatre and Greek and Roman ruins. This is one of the most beautiful and crowded beaches in Turkey. It is suggested that the fine sand of the beach was brought from river Nile form Egypt. The Sedir Islands or Islands of Cedrea which were resort area of Roman times, is crowded due to big crowds coming from Marmaris.
Sögüt
Most suitable and logical place for anchorage after Cedreae is Sögüt or KaracaSögüt or briefly Karaca. Karaca, which is 40 kms distance from Marmaris, is one of the spectacular places of south western Anatolian coastline. Sögüt area already attracted land developers who built fancy summer villas around the bay.
English Harbor
According to locals, British naval vessels hid at the English Harbor during the World War II. During the German Occupation of Greek Islands, two British military aircraft including the skeletons of the pilots were discovered by Turkish divers at the British harbor. It is suggested that these two airplanes were shutdown by German anti craft guns form the nearby Greek Islands in 1942.
There are six anchorage spots at Degirmen Bükü area. Nearly 5 kms in the west of Degirmen Bükü, there is Ballisu Bay, a perfect spot for god anchorage. About 1 km distance from Ballisu, there is entrance Logos Fiord. Known as Cargill and Golem Logos, small inlet surrounded by the rocks and trees. This is one of spots where yachtsmen might have experience with bears.
Seven Islands
One of the ideal stops during the Blue Voyage is Seven Islands. a secluded bay in the south of Tulsa. It is ideal spot for swimming, snorkeling, fishing, sponge diving. Holiday maker harpoon fish and collect sponges there. You can visit natural harbor of Kufre or walk to the shore to have a promenade in the Gulluk Forest.
Bordubet Harbor
Bordubet Harbour, which is one of the safest and suitable anchorage places, is located in the south of Seven Islands.
The Bay Of Büyük Cati, an excellent anchorage place protected from all the winds, once was watering hole for the boatmen. The remains of a church and some Byzantine ruins suggest the existence of an ancient city there
Kormen.
Knidos
This fascinating city with two harbors in located at the extreme end of the Datça Peninsula. It was one of the cities of the Dorian Hexapolis. During the early centuries, Cnidos was situated little bit inland near present day Datça. The city gained great fame due to its temple and famous statues of Aphrodite, sculptured by Praxiteles. Famous sculptor, Praxiteles made two statue of the goddess Aprodite, the first of these statues was nude Aphrodite and the artist sculptured that for the island of Cos. Second statue of the goddess had her garments on. But people of Cos who refused to receive the nude statues of the goddess, they eventually accepted the one with the clothes. Cnidians had no choice but receiving the nude statue, put it in the shrine of the goddess. The statue became so famous and attracted great number of pilgrims to Cnidos.
During the archaeological digs carried out by Princeton University, the temple of Aphrodite was discovered. Iris Love claimed that she had even discovered the head of the statue at the basements of the British Museum and blamed the British for not recognizing the head.
In the 19th century British scholar Newton carried great number of artifacts, statues and antiquities from Bodrum. This project was helped by British Navy.
Cnidos was also hometown of Eudoxos, great astronomer, mathematician who established an observatory in the town and discovered many new stars helping the navigation of the ancient times.
Visitors to Cnidos are welcomed by a beautiful ancient theatre by the harbor holding 4500 people. One of the paths leads visitors to two Byzantine churches by the military harbor. After a short climb, one can admire the fascinating round temple of the Goddess where Cnidian Aphrodite used to stand.
Cnidus and Apostle Paul
Paul might have arrived to Knidus during his trip to Rome. The Egyptian ship that Paul took in Myra led him to Knidos. Due to bad weather which got worst, Paul's ship couldn't anchor at Knidos and sailed towards Fair Heaven in Creete.
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Blue Cruise itinerary on Bodrum - Gokova - Bodrum
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1st day: Abording the yacht. Welcome cocktail. Dinner and overnight in
Bodrum.
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2nd day: After breakfast, sailing and lunch in Orak Island. Dinner and
overnight in Cokertme.
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3rd day: Breakfast in Cokertme. Lunch in Cati. In the afternoon you can
either swim or walk through the pine forest. Dinner and overnight on
board.
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4th day: After breakfast cruise to Seven Islands. Lunch in Seven Islands.
Swimming, surfing, snorkeling in Kufre. Dinner and overnight in Kufre.
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5th day: After breakfast cruise to Sedir Island where it is told that
Antonius brought golden sand on this beach for Cleopatra. Swimming in
Cleopatra's Beach and lunch in Sedir Island. Dinner and overnight in
Sogut.
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6th day: After breakfast in Sogut, free time for visiting town and
sightseeing. Lunch in English Harbor. Dinner and overnight in Longoz.
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7th day: Breakfast in Kerme Bay. Lunch in Karaada. Back to Bodrum. Dinner
and overnight in Bodrum.
8th day: Breakfast and disembarkment in Bodrum.
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