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Sample itinerary · Turkey · 7 nights
One Week by Gulet on Turkey’s Turquoise Coast
From Göcek through the Twelve Islands, Gemiler Island, Butterfly Valley and Kaş to the sunken city of Kekova.
Turkey’s Turquoise Coast is the home of the gulet and of the “Blue Cruise”, the slow, bay-to-bay style of yachting holiday that grew up here in the twentieth century. This sample seven-night itinerary runs one way from Göcek, in the Fethiye Gulf, east along the Lycian coast to Kaş and the sunken ruins of Kekova. It suits a crewed gulet, motor yacht or catamaran, and it is a good starting point if you are planning a summer 2027 charter in Turkey.
Why a gulet?
A gulet is a traditional two- or three-masted wooden vessel, built above all in the coastal towns of Bodrum and Marmaris, and typically between 14 and 35 metres long. Most modern gulets cruise under engine more than sail, which suits this coast: the hops between anchorages are short, and the point is the time spent at anchor rather than the passage.
The writer Cevat Şakir Kabaağaçlı, the “Fisherman of Halicarnassus”, popularised gulet holidays and gave us the term “Blue Cruise”.
The week, day by day
Day 1 · Göcek
Göcek is a small town in the Fethiye district of Muğla Province and one of the main departure points for Blue Cruises. It has six marinas, including D-Marin Göcek, Skopea Marina and Club Marina, and the area has been a registered area of special protection since 1988, which is why you will not see multi-storey buildings along the waterfront. Board in the afternoon and head out for a first night in a quiet cove.
Days 2 and 3 · The Twelve Islands of the Fethiye Gulf
Göcek is known for the islands and coves of its large, sheltered bay, often called the Twelve Islands. This is the place to slow down: swim before breakfast, take the tender ashore for a walk, and move a few miles to a new bay for lunch and another for the evening. With so many coves close together, your captain can almost always find a calm one.
Day 4 · Gemiler Island
Gemiler Island, off the coast near Fethiye, is only about a kilometre long but rich in history. It holds the Byzantine ruins of five churches built between the fourth and sixth centuries AD, linked by a 350-metre processional walkway. Some archaeologists believe it may have been the original burial place of Saint Nicholas before his relics were moved to Myra. Its crescent-shaped bay makes a safe anchorage, and the ruins can be seen from the deck before you go ashore to explore.
Day 5 · Ölüdeniz and Butterfly Valley
A short hop brings you to Ölüdeniz and, just along the coast, Butterfly Valley: a narrow canyon three to four kilometres long with walls rising several hundred metres, at the foot of Babadağ mountain. It is a protected nature reserve, reached by sea, and takes its name from the many butterfly species recorded there, which are best seen between June and September. Keen walkers can also try a stretch of the Lycian Way, the waymarked trail that starts at Hisarönü, near Fethiye.
Day 6 · Along the Lycian coast to Kaş
Today is the longest passage of the week, east along the Lycian coast. Inland lies Xanthos-Letoon, the UNESCO-listed former capital of Lycia, which your crew can help you visit as a shore excursion.
Arrive in Kaş in time for the evening. This small fishing, diving and yachting town was the ancient port of Antiphellos and keeps a Hellenistic theatre and Lycian tombs.
Day 7 · Kekova and Simena
The highlight of the week for many guests. On the northern side of Kekova island lie the partly sunken ruins of an ancient town destroyed by an earthquake in the second century and later rebuilt in Byzantine times. The water is so clear that you can make out staircases and foundations from the boat. The Kekova region has been a specially protected area since 1990, and swimming and diving are not allowed over the sunken city itself, so it is viewed from the yacht or the tender.
Across the water, the village of Kaleköy, the ancient Simena, can only be reached by sea. Climb up to its castle for the view over the bay, then spend your last night at anchor nearby or off Üçağız.
Day 8 · Disembark
Disembark in the Kaş or Kekova area after breakfast. There is no airport at Kaş, but the district can be reached from both Dalaman and Antalya airports. The route also works as a round trip from Göcek.
Optional extra: Dalyan and Turtle Beach
If you have an extra day at the start or end, the Dalyan river in Muğla Province is well worth a visit. Six rock tombs from the fourth to second centuries BC, cut into the cliffs above the river at ancient Kaunos, are its best-known sight. At the river mouth, İztuzu Beach is one of the main nesting grounds of the loggerhead turtle in the Mediterranean. It is protected, and from 1 May to 31 October the beach is closed to the public at night.
Tell us your dates and group size. Jake will send a free shortlist of crewed gulets with availability and rates.
When to go and how to plan
The Turquoise Coast is a May to October destination. The best-known gulets and the most popular summer weeks are often booked well ahead, so if you have dates in mind for 2027, it is worth starting now. Our guide to booking a 2027 Mediterranean charter early explains how contracts and deposits work.
Budgeting: beyond the charter fee, allow for fuel, food, mooring fees and the crew gratuity. Our guide to yacht charter costs sets it out clearly. A one-way route like this one may also carry a delivery fee, which we will confirm with each yacht.
Keep planning
More Mediterranean guides
Gulet & yacht charter in Turkey
Bodrum, Göcek and Kaş: where to cruise and which yachts suit the coast.
Read the guide →
Book 2027 early
Why the best yachts and weeks go first, and how deposits and contracts work.
Read the guide →
Charter costs explained
Charter fee, APA, VAT and tips, explained before you commit.
Read the guide →
Plan your Turkey charter
Tell us your dates, how many guests and the style of yacht you have in mind, and we will send a shortlist of crewed gulets and yachts that fit, with the route adjusted to suit you.
Plan your charter
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[…] Turkey Gulet Itinerary: Göcek to Kekova in One Week | iBoat International November 2, 2026 […]
[…] This sample week is a starting point for a crewed charter in summer 2027, on a gulet or a modern motor or sailing yacht. Your captain will adjust it around the weather and your group. For more on the coast, see our yacht charter in Turkey page, and for the coast further east, our Göcek to Kekova gulet itinerary. […]