The Turkish poet Bedri Rahmi Eyboğlu once described the alluring a power of sailing around Turkey’s picturesque coastline as “a fairy tale, never told, never written, never depicted.” He called it the Blue Voyage, and to this day it remains one of the most alluring getaways in one of the Mediterranean’s most alluring countries.
There are few better places in the world to set off on a Blue Voyage than Turkey. Surrounded by sea on three sides, the country is the perfect place to enjoy the never-ending turquoise-blue of the Aegean and Mediterranean seas during the day and then to sleep under the stars at night. It is an experience where everything is a possibility but it is up to the traveller to tell, write and depict his own fairy tale.
The country’s southwest coast is perhaps its most well-known destination to experience the beauty of the country’s coastline in all its glory, with a large variety of tall sail boats available to charter for multi-day voyages to historical ruins, remote islands and untouched beaches.
One of the most popular routes for a Blue Voyage is between the towns of Bodrum and Marmaris. If your idea of a perfect holiday is to stretch out on deck immersed in the perfect combination of sunshine, ocean breeze and a swim over to your own private cove, then this is the journey for you.
If you prefer nature walks and history and want to move about instead of basking in the sun all day long, go for the stretch from Marmaris to Antalya.
With a schedule as flexible as you want it to be, the journey eastwards to the former Roman port’s old harbour is one filled with stop-offs at ancient castles where the deep history of the country (and the region) remains preserved, visits to eco-protected beaches to witness the hatching of newborn turtles, and countless options to spend your days walking the narrow streets of picturesque Turkish seaside towns, stopping for souvenirs, coffee and freshly caught fish.
A Blue Voyage trip is also of particular interest to diving enthusiasts, chiefly between the towns of Kas and Uluburun where the oldest shipwreck in the world was excavated. While the diving areas are restricted, it is permitted at Aperlae – a popular spot to see the underwater ruins – and the nearby submerged city of Kekova a once magnificent city destroyed by an earthquake.
Blue Voyage trips have been both the secret and the bedrock of this spectacular region’s tourist industry. With such a vast variety of options available to suit all tastes and paces, it really offers a fairy tale ready for you to write.