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.
