Soon bareboating in Turkey, and you are seeking helpful information to plan your sailing holiday. Awesome! You came to the right place! The essential things you have to know before you go are some geographic knowledge of Turkey, the sailing conditions, protected anchorages, the license requirement, and the best places to sail. In this article, you will find out all about a bareboat sailing holiday in Turkey! Read on!
Turkey Geographic
Turkey is bordered by beautiful countries, which are Greece, Bulgaria, Georgia, Iran, Armenia, Azerbaijani, Nakhchivan, Iraq, and Syria. Turkey is a part of the Mediterranean, and 97 percent of its territory is situated in the middle east, Weast Asia, and in southeastern Europe. The Aegean Sea is in the west, the black sea in the north, and the Mediterranean in the southwest. There are vast varieties of activities to do and so much to discover in this beautiful country.
For instance, if you travel to the Western, you’ll have chances to visit plenty of Roman ruins and fantastic minarets. On the southern coast, the impressive mountains of Lycia and the extensive stunning beaches of Pamphylia. If you go to the east, you’ll be pleasantly surprised to see cold and snowy mountains on the Eastern Black Sea, verdant, misty mountains, and in central Anatolia, spectacular landscape.
Whether if it’s to sail on the beautiful open ocean of the Mediterranean, hike in one of the impressive mountains, rest on stunning white sandy beaches, or explore ancient Roman ruins, Turkey is a mix of culture, beauty, and history and offers something special for everyone’s taste.
Climate & Sailing Conditions
The climate varies in the Aegean, but usually, the summers are hot and winters are mild. The winds are lighter along the Mediterranean and generally calm in the evening. From June to September, the Meltemi wind is present in the Aegean. Sometimes the wind can be very strong and can reach gale force, but fortunately, it is not constant and last for 2 to 3 days. However, you don’t have to worry about this if you check every day the weather before you set sail to another island.
Anchorages & Mooring
There is a wide amount of beautiful spots to explore in Turkey while sailing. So wherever you choose to sail, you will always find a nice marina for mooring in the evening to spend some time ashore and stroll around the harbor.
No matter where you have decided to bareboat, I have prepared a list of the best anchorages for mooring in Turkey.
- Yediburunlar ( Beautiful beaches, historical sites of Letoon and Patara, for experienced sailors).
- Kalkan (Interesting boutiques, excellent restaurants, and trendy shops)
- Bodrum ( Art, nightlife, shopping, cultural events)
- Marmaris (Bars, restaurants, supermarkets, shops, discotheques)
- Kas ( Excellent restaurants, concerts with traditional Turkish music and jazz)
- Ucagiz (Few traditional restaurants, beautiful village, Simena Castle ruins)
- Gemiler (Historical ruins, churches of Byzantine)
- Karacaoren (Great place for snorkeling, excellent local restaurant)
- Aga Limani ( Relaxing place to be, hiking, ancient ruins)
- Boynuz Buku (Beautiful bays, excellent restaurant, local waterfall)
- Tom Bay (Beautiful bays, excellent sailing opportunities)
- Fathom Bay (Excellent restaurants, interesting history)
- Wall Bay (rock tomb to explore, Carian acropolis, local restaurants)
- Turunc Bay (Excellent restaurant that serves fresh seafood, friendly for the overnight moorage)
- Tersane (Ruins of the Byzantine and Lycian periods)
- Ekincik (Rehabilitation center for Dekamer turtle, ancient Kaunos, Dalyan River)
- Serce Limani (A few local restaurants, archeology site)
- Datca (Supermarkets, shops, restaurants, ancient site of Knidos)
Bareboat Certificate Required
Now you are certainly wondering, which certificate do you need to bareboat charter in Turkey. Like Greece, Spain, Croatia, and Turkey, they all require an ICC certificate with some competencies in handling the boat, anchoring, and mooring in any conditions. If you don’t have an ICC license, there are plenty of possibilities to do a course while you are on vacation; it could be an excellent experience.
Beautiful Places to Sail
Most of the yacht charter companies are based in Gocek, Bodrum, and Marmaris.
If you want to have enough time to cover some beautiful islands, I suggest you take a minimum of 7 to 10 days. This will be perfect to discover some of the islands below, depending on which option you’ll choose.
- Kekova, Fethiye, and Gocek Bays (great swimming areas, comfortable to sail, short distances sailing).
- Orhaniye, Bozburun, Marmaris, Ciftlic (Great swimming areas, comfortable to sail, short distance sailing)
- Bodrum, Orhaniye (Fantastic landscape, swimming areas are not so good, experienced sailor)
- Gocek, Kas, Kalkan (really good sailing, plenty of places and beautiful cities to stroll)
In Conclusion
There are so many beautiful places to sail in Turkey and bareboating is a fantastic way to discover this beautiful country, so try to take some day off and send your inquiry now!
[popuppress id=”44586″]
Have you already bareboat charter in Turkey? Feel free to share your experience in the comments below.
Daniella has been passionate about travel, the sea, and nature for many years. As a child, she frequently traveled throughout the Mediterranean and continued with her journeys throughout her adult life.
Her experiences have created the desire within her to share her love for traveling with other passionate and adventurers who want to discover beautiful horizons and new cultures.