Turkey

Sea & Coast
Also known as the Turkish Riviera or the Turqoise Coast (for obvious reasons once you set foot on the beach), this particular stretch of land proves to be one of the biggest reasons to visit Turkey. It spans for almost 1000 km in southwestern Turkey along the Aegean and the Mediterranean Sea and it’s also full of natural and historical sites, perfect for you and your family.

You’d have to look very hard to find a place as beautiful and at the same time historical as this. And to top it all off, as opposed to the French or Italian Rivieras, the Turkish coast is cheaper and in some ways even more exciting. Sailing is popular along these shores which alternate from golden sandy beaches to lush green pine forests covering rocky cliffs or rolling hills. Numerous bays (whether man-made or natural) come to welcome the tired sailor with their calm waters.

The reason why seamen and indeed most of the touristic community consider this to be the best part of Turkey to spend a holiday is because the Riviera has more and better beaches than the Aegean seaside and the water is warmer, saltier and a lovelier shade of blue (hence the name) than the Black Sea coast.

Culture & History
There is enough history here to fill several years’ worth of vacations. This part of the world has been inhabited since the times of ancient Greece which would explain the numerous artifacts, not to mention all the settlements, some of which survive to this day. In fact, for the sailor with a passion for history, this place is paradise. Two of the 7 wonders of the ancient world are to be found here: the Mausoleum of Mausollos in Halicarnassus and the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus.

Several other famous names in history are somehow linked to this beautiful place, like general Marc Anthony who gave the Turkish Riviera to his wife Cleopatra as a wedding gift, St. Nicholas (Santa Claus to most people) was born in the town of Demre and Herodot (the famous historian) was born in Bodrum (then called Halicarnassus).

There are a hoard of towns and an even larger number of smaller villages and other settlements along the coast, but the most important and the ones that draw in the biggest numbers of tourists are Bodrum, Fethiye, Göcek, Cesme and Marmaris. These vary in architecture from quiet villages with stone houses and cobble streets to the loud and colorful big cities that are a mixture of architectural style and a potpourri of aromas reminiscent of the ancient days. Most of these have been overrun with weekend holiday crowds, but the vastness of the Turkish coast means that there are still unexplored places, secret coves where you can enjoy solitude.
Seamanship & Experience
The water here is not the only thing appealing to holidaymakers around the world. A bonus is also the warm weather which makes coming here possible anytime of the year. Regardless, the best time to sail to these shores is undoubtedly during summer. Then, the winds blow mostly from the west and north west and are ideal for sailing.

As far as mooring your boat, you won’t have to worry. Almost every settlement along the coast has a marina and if there isn’t one, then surely you’ll find a small village in a quiet bay, nestled in between rolling hills, which is how they’re usually built, a tribute to their Mediterranean heritage. Indeed most of these villages look more like Greece than Turkey, the only sign being the mosques.