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BODRUM-GÖKOVA-BODRUM 

Day 1: Getting settled in the boat and visiting the coves around Bodrum.

Day 2: After completing the port paperwork in the morning, the voyage starts, with the first swimming break at Karaada, where you can have your lunch break. After three to four hours sailing you get to the southern part of the Gulf of Gökova and the green pine trees and safe port of Çatı where you stay for the night.

Day 3: After the breakfast you sail for 1.5 hours to the inner parts of the gulf, which is rich in the number of coves, and get to the island of Yediadalar. You spend the night in Küfer, maybe finishing the day with a nice evening stroll.

Day 4: Breakfast in Küfre. After a lunch break and swimming stop at Löngöz, you head to the night stopover port of Karacasöğüt.

Day 5: A visit to the island of Sedir (Kedrae). Another name given to this island, which has small but great beach and incredible clear water that you can find nowhere else, is Cleopatra Island. There is a legend that the sand was especially brought to the beach for Cleopatra and Antony. Later you head to the İngiliz (British) Port for the night. The port’s name was given in The II.World War because of the British warships made use of this cove to hide from German vessels.

Day 6: After breakfast, you sail to the northern part of the gulf, heading to Akbük where the waters are of a turquoise colour. After your lunch and a swimming break here you head to Çökertme, on the way passing the huge chimney of the Gökova power station near Ören (the ancient city of Keramos).

Day 7: After stops in Oraklar and Çiftlik, according to the itinerary you sail for the ports of Bodrum or Bitez.

Day 8: Bodrum.

Karaada (the Black Island): While its name is black, Karaada is in fact a green island. The peak on the island, 400 meters above the sea level, is covered with pine trees. There are no sheltered coves on the northern shores of the island. A cave on the island has a spring of healing hot water and mud and is a popular stop of the Blue Cruises and daily trips. The boats anchor in front of the cave and there is a small restaurant and  a motel for serving boats.

The Coves of Büyük and Küçük Çatı:

Büyük Çatı Koyu (The Big Roof Cove):  This is two miles to the south east of the lighthouse on Mersincik Point. At the mouth of the cove there is a small island that has a single tree on it. Büyük Çatı is quite impressive with its coves and its main port. In some parts of the coves there are sandy beaches and pine trees everywhere. The sea is clear and clean. In the main port area there is drinking water available. By travelling 1.5 kilometers along a dirt track you can get to the Marmaris-Datça road. It is 35 kilometres to Marmaris and 45 kilometres to Datça. From the same dirt road you can also get to the coves of Ballıcak and Boynuzlu.For the ones who wish to walk on the path between the coves there is another path leading you to the eastern part of the entrance of the coves where there is a small cove that has shallow waters. In this cove, centuries old pine trees and the liquid amber orientalis reach up to the sky. Two springs meet to form a pool and then flow to the sea together as a tiny stream. The small lake is like a private swimming pool.

It is recommended that you wear a long pair of trousers, trekking gear and sports shoes when you wander as the thick vegetation can scratch. The cove has a different beauty in the evenings. There will be no one else than you in the lake like cove, except for maybe another boat or two. And if you have a moon light at night your pleasure will be complete.

Kücük Çatı Koyu (The Small Çatı Cove):  To the east of Büyük Çatı, between the larger coves, there is a small cove that has clear water, sand on the bottom and forests surrounding it. Although it is not suitable for anchoring, you may get there by a small boat for swimming.

Both sides of the coves are steep and have maquis. The cove goes inland for 400 meters to the east. On the western side of the cove there is an ideal point for anchoring, though there is only space for two boats here. The sea bottom is sand, the water is clear and is surrounded by pine and liquid amber orientalis trees. There are some other coves at Küçük Çatı. In one of them, behind the gravel stone beach, under the liquid amber orientalis you find a sweet water lake. Its water is there for your refreshment and bathing. The path coming from Büyük Çatı reaches here and then leads all the way to up the Cove of Balıkaşıran. If you follow this path at every turn you would see another cove. It is a wonderful walking area.

Yediadalar (The Seven Islands): On the southern shores of the Gökova Gulf there is an area that has four islands in front and where a gulf of more then two miles is formed between the coastlines. In all weathers between these islands and coves there is a calm site you can anchor. The island of Martılı (Seagull Island) in the west is barren. On its southern part and northern point there are beautiful beaches at which to swim. The other islands are called Uzun (Tall), Zeytinli (Olive) and Küçük (Small). All have steep and rocky coastlines where there are no beaches. The islands are mostly barren but in the cove areas there are pine forests. The most significant anchoring points in the Yediadalar are Çamaltı Cove, the port of Bekar (Gökağaç Inlet), the port of Karaağaç, Babüş Inlet, Küfre Cove and Göllü Island. The Çamaltı Beach and the sea bottom are sandy. The shores are covered with forests. The port of Bekar is like a pool with a diameter of 150 metres. The gulets cannot enter and yachts only go there rarely. The most popular cove for boats in the area is Küfre. All the coves are linked to each other with dirt paths. There is a shabby restaurant called Yedi Adalar that serves boats at the mouth of Küfre. Right opposite Küfre there is the Göllü Island, which is ideal to moor and for swimming.

The Cove of Löngöz-Kargılıbük: This is one of the most beautiful coves of Gökova. The right-angled cove consists of tree covered hills sloping to the shores, running inland for 800 metres. As it is sheltered from the wind it is a popular site for boats to stopover for night or for a break. The cove was not much affected by a recent fire. However, even in areas that were badly burned, nature is rapidly coming back to life again. Thankfully it is renewing itself.

There are walking paths from the cove, including the Bördübet forest path that comes from Malderesi Stream goes through Löngöz.

The Değirmen Inlet: The Değirmen Inlet, which has the islands of Kara and Zeytinli at its entrance, is the largest cove of Gökova. It is three kilometers long and more than 800 meters in width. Within the cove there are some of the most popular locations for those taking the Blue Cruise, the British Port (Çanak Koyu), the Cove of Okluk where the Presidential Summerhouse is sited, and coves of Hırsız, Malderesi and Sazanlı.

İngiliz Limanı (the British Port): This is a port where no weather can affect its calm. Until the 1970s it was a cove where there were thick pine trees coming all the way down to the waterside. This played a role in its being named the British Port. In World War Two a few British warships sought refuge here. At night they would leave and attack the German held islands and enemy ships and return to the cove to hide. During the day, the crews would cover the ships with branches so that they were not noticeable. The region was badly affected by fires in 1970 but pines have begun growing again. Thankfully the last fire only slightly touched the region.

Okluk Koyu (Okluk Cove): This region became famous after the late President Turgut Özal built a presidential summerhouse here. The pine quay where the building is located is between the coves of Okluk and Malderesi. The southern part of Okluk Cove is flat with its gardens. The cove has a quay. Those who do not want to tie up at the quay can anchor in a quiet cove and moor their boat to a tree. There are restaurants, markets and facilities to meet all demands. This region is linking to Marmaris by a 25 kilometre long road, two kilometres of which is a dirt track. There are very beautiful walking routes that go all round the cove.

A reminder: The yachts and boats are not allowed to get close to the Presidential Summerhouse and Malderesi Cove.

At the entrance to Okluk Cove you will be surprised to see a statue of a mermaid on the rocks. This monument is a gift from the owner of the boat Kısmet, Sadun Boro, who travelled all over the seas around the world. The statue is his gift to Okluk and Gökova where he comes to anchor after every one of his voyages. The sculptor of the statue is Tanku Öktem and the inscription by Sadun Boro reads: "The mermaid, in order to realize her dream, has travelled over so huge a sea, crossed the horizons. She went through continents, islands and coves until she got to GÖKOVA."

Karacasöğüt: The cove of Söğüt (Willows) is a round port with a diameter of 800 meters. In the middle of the cove there is a T shaped quay. The quay and the restaurant there are run by Setur Travel Agency. Water and power services can be provided to visiting boats. There are also showers, toilets, a laundry and a market.

Other than this quay, there is the wooden quay of the village. Here too all services are available.

There are many restaurants, shops and a bakery. There is also ice for boats that need it. The port of Karacasöğüt is 12 kilometers away from Marmaris. The road is asphalted and there are minibuses running regularly. The Blue Cruise boats organise a tour of Marmaris for customers that want make the visit.

The village of Söğüt is in a fertile valley and there are greenhouses and bee keeping.

You can walk in the forest paths. Those following the path leading to Okluk on the hill on the western point of the cove will see the remains of an old castle. The scenery is impressive.

Şehir Adaları-Sedir Adası: The group of islands of Sedir, Orta and Küçük are known as the Şehir Adaları (City Islands). Information on Sedir Island, which attracts thousands of people every year due to its golden sandy beaches and the ancient city of Kedrai, will be covered in detail in the Marmaris section of this book. Transport to the island is from Çamlı Cove by motor boats. On the island there are restaurants, showers and toilets.

The Port of Gökova-Akyaka: This is at the end point of the gulf, heading towards the east and gradually narrowing. There are two streamlets that run down into the sea, one in the village of Akyaka and the other in opposite (see the Akyaka and Ula pages).

The Port of Akbük: The port is in a wide and deep cove on the northern shores of the gulf. It is in the municipality of Yerkesik, with Muğla 48 kilometres away. By land you travel along a dusty road from Akyaka. However, let us warn you that the road is rough. Those travelling between Akyaka and Akbük by sea would not find a cove to shelter in but the view of the Kıran Mountains that drop into the sea from a height of 1,000 metres, its grey rocky nature and pine trees are worth seeing.

The Akbük Cove is beautiful and wide, with the scene decorated by the Kıran Mountains falling into the sea with pine forests and olive trees on the lower slopes. The region is one of the Special Environment Protected Areas and construction is not allowed. On the waterfront you see restaurants, a quay, a long beach and along the coastline a path to walk through the pine and olive trees. In the southern part of the cove there are smaller and bigger inlets, which have white sand on the bottom and are like pools. You can get to these by boat or on foot.

Ören: Between the points of Kerme and Ören the bay of Çamaltı stretches like an arrow. The shores are lined with beaches. Beyond the coast there are houses with gardens and pensions. The town of Ören is inland. For more information on the remains of the ancient city Keramos see the pages on Milas.