Turkey’s “Turquoise Coast” is a vibrant clash of contradictions: secluded coves, plunging landscapes and long, golden beaches on the one hand, and ancient cities and oriental bazaars on the other, not forgetting the effortless opulence of first-rate eateries, stylish cafes and glittering superyacht harbours.
Here, on the overlap between east and west, Turkey’s kaleidoscopic Riviera also enjoys one of the world’s most charter-friendly climates, with more than 300 days of sun each year and some of the warmest waters in the Mediterranean. Its long and varied coastline is steeped in historical and cultural flavour, but our suggested yachting itinerary condenses some of its greatest attractions into an easy one-week charter.
As ‘Package Holiday Central’, culture tourists won’t have Marmaris at the top of their to-do lists but it’s certainly worth a visit. The busy, effervescent harbour is set against a filmset backdrop, with turquoise seas in the foreground and mountainous hillsides to the rear. There’s an attractive (if compact) old quarter, plus a 16th century hilltop castle gazing down over the scene. Even so, come here for the pleasant bay, the nightlife, the accessible diving and the easy harbour entertainments and leave when elegant antiquity beckons.
Gocek, at the northern end of gorgeous Fethiye Bay, is a key charter hub on the Turkish Riviera, with a fine natural position and a first-class marina. The town offers excellent access to the coves and islands of this protected yachting region, and there are also useful stopping points at Skopea Marina and at the Club Marina in beautiful Bungus Cove. The town’s nightlife is modest but colourful, and Lime Beach Club and the Gocek Hammam are entertaining diversions.
Perched on the tip of the narrow Datca Peninsula, projecting out into the Aegean Sea, Knidos is a 2,500-year old Dorian port city set against a steep, lighthouse-topped outcrop. The modern remains of this once prosperous settlement are by no means pristine, but the broad scatterings of pathways, buildings and temples are impressively atmospheric. Anchoring in the bay and taking the tender ashore on an exploratory voyage is a memorable pleasure.