Sailing in paradise - Göcek, Turkey.
In general, the easiest place to build a sailing route in Turkey is in Göcek, Fethiye, and the surrounding areas. Why? Because everything is beautiful, accessible, easy to navigate, and the winds are always pleasant. The bays are very protected, making the sea very calm and not wavy. In short, it’s paradise! So if I needed to point out some places that I think outshine the rest, they would be the following: Assuming we take a boat in the Göcek city, there are at least seven marinas in this area – all of them are friendly and have a team that helps with entry/exit. The city is full of places to shop, sea equipment stores, bakeries, meat restaurants, and more. After we arrive, organize, receive the boat, and equip it with everything good… we will sail and enjoy the atmosphere. It’s possible to set out on the road.
The top recommendation for spending a day/night and enjoying the beauty of the large Göcek Gulf, filled with charming little coves, each with its own unique character, is Yassica Island.
https://goo.gl/maps/kBxqkngiEFnKr4Hs7
https://www.navily.com/mouillage/yassica-adalari/47575
A place surrounded by several small islands that create a small, wave-protected pool, yet also open to the wide sea outside the bay. It’s really nice that you’re both sheltered and get an open sea view.
Furthermore, on the island, there is a small kiosk with ice creams and baked goods made on-site, as well as fresh produce collected from the town, potentially available for sale and brought to the kiosk in the morning.
Almost always, wherever you anchor, various types of service boats will come to you, in different sizes, and offer you their goods. From ice creams, through fresh coffee, to a huge ferry that is a superstore for everything you need.
You can drop anchor and tie to a rock or to a designated buoy on the shore for anchoring, but never to a tree! Be warned, this could result in a significant fine and emotional distress.
Additionally, pay attention to the changing depths in the area and avoid navigating between the islands where the buoys are. It’s advisable to have an updated map before arriving.
The distance from the city to this point is short, and you can also plan for it to be a mid-stop if we leave early and want to have another anchoring spot for the first day. In any case, in my opinion, this is one of the worthwhile places to stop.
And the next stop is: Wall Bay https://maps.app.goo.gl/n9keQcfxz3xiiq6D8
https://www.navily.com/mouillage/hanam/51230
Located in the southwestern part of the Göcek Gulf, everything around is green with a selection of beautiful anchorages, including several with a decent restaurant and even a nearby beach. Nested within coves, the endless beauty that unfolds there is remarkable. It’s all well-protected and fairly enclosed from all directions.
On the southwestern part of the bay, you’ll find Cleopatra Cove.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/mq59NmFFQDxREqb17
https://www.navily.com/mouillage/cleopatra-cove/42427
It’s a structure that is partly in the water and partly outside the water, allowing diving and swimming among the rooms of this ancient and unique building. Around it, there are various short and long walking trails, beautiful and leading to other bays or to the other side of the mountains to the open sea. It’s recommended to wear hiking shoes, bring water, and explore the area!
Or in two words – unique experience.
My last recommended place is Kapi Creek (https://maps.app.goo.gl/WK58eXK5m2vNvXpe6 )
https://www.navily.com/mouillage/kapi-creek-gobun-koyu/21036
A small, enchanting, and usually quiet place, unless it’s taken over by a bunch of crazies on sailboats 🙂
There’s an excellent restaurant where the payment is fixed and the dishes simply flow to the table based on the day’s fresh ingredients. The food is superb, and they also serve breakfast.
And the highlight is… right next to the restaurant, there’s Jihan. He opened a bungalow by the waterline, where he gives haircuts and shaves for a symbolic fee of course, all this while sitting on a comfortable throne chair and enjoying the view… Oh, what a view… it’s truly unmatched!
Highly recommended (say hi to Jihan for us).
Kapi Creek is also a convenient point for sailing out of Göcek Gulf. You can sail west towards Marmaris and its beautiful bays (we’ll discuss them separately), or you can sail east towards Fethiye, Oludeniz, Kas/Kalkan, and even Kekova.
We will sail east to Fethiye, where there is one highly recommended place in my opinion. It’s an incredibly luxurious spot, a superb and star-adorned hotel with two pools, a jacuzzi, a sauna, and massages. A royal haven for sailing, including a helpful crew for mooring and everything a boat loves – electricity, water, sheltered space, a floating dock, and more…
It’s necessary to book in advance. If you have dinner at the hotel’s restaurant by the sea, which is obviously the recommended and right thing to do because the food is amazing, then you only pay fifty percent of the anchoring fee (can it get any better?)
https://maps.app.goo.gl/vrPmeDfAPmzV86wn6
https://www.navily.com/port/yacht-classic-hotel/1972
After leaving Fethiye, we’ll continue eastward to another dreamy destination, filled with protected bays and wonderful anchorages. It’s hard to decide where you’d like to spend the night among these fantastic options!
Located at its center is Gemiler Island, an island once inhabited by pirates. Ancient ruins on the island, such as structures used for weapons and food storage and old canals, still exist today. It is said that behind it, pirate ships would hide, waiting to raid those coming from the south, Egypt, and the surrounding areas. The advantage this island provided to the ships is that it’s not visible from the sea due to the large mountains behind it. This allowed the ships to remain hidden without being detected and to launch an attack when approaching vessels came near the shore. Was this response better or worse? Better Worse Same
A beautiful place to explore, with a nominal fee for its caretakers. You can reach it by dinghy.
Anchor the boat on the northern part of the island, or any other chosen spot around. The bays are close, inviting beaches surround, and the waters are clean and amazing.
Pay attention to the depths (anchor at a depth of 20 meters and use plenty of chain).
The ice cream man will also come here on the boat, or the one with the bread, etc… and everything is accessible and enjoyable.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/DLVPbcpTDjAi6xqT9
https://www.navily.com/mouillage/473e05a6867ead7d5d55ab36f3542572/24378
The next recommended place in the area is called Oludeniz.
In Turkish, the name means “Dead Sea.” In short, the legend tells of a sailor who sailed in a stormy sea with his son toward this hidden lagoon to seek a hideout. When they couldn’t find it, they returned to the stormy sea, and it swallowed them. Hence, the Dead Sea.
It’s a small, enclosed sea, surrounded by nature, trails, trees, lots of greenery… and a few cafes on the beach. A beautiful place!
Adjacent to it lies the largest paragliding site in the entire area. Anyone looking up will see numerous people soaring with parachutes – you can join them too!
A short dinghy ride away, you’ll find yourself on the shores of a charming town with plenty of stalls offering paragliders.
Even if you don’t make it there and remain on the boat, chances are high that they’ll come to you to offer you this enjoyment 🙂
Anchoring spot:
(https://maps.app.goo.gl/B2SQp7ECG4t5vaSR6)
https://www.navily.com/mouillage/2c6b8341dff054123803aebf1caa05e4/40992
Here as well, the depth is about 20 meters, and it’s recommended to lower an ample length of chain. Additionally, keep in mind that there’s a swaying motion there at night, even if the sea is very calm, which is a phenomenon I couldn’t quite understand. Nevertheless, it’s still a place worth stopping at.
Access to the Oldenese Lagoon is only permitted for sailing with dinghies with oars, excluding motorized vessels and noise, which I find quite pleasant.
For those seeking adventure, you can reach up to Kalkan,https://maps.app.goo.gl/G4kDFGB2mXRDyopF7)
https://www.navily.com/port/kalkan/1658
Kas, and even Kekova (https://maps.app.goo.gl/G4kDFGB2mXRDyopF7)
https://www.navily.com/port/ucagiz-harbour/22265
Charming vacation towns with various natural anchorages, local moorings, and even one large and luxurious natural marina in Kashttps://maps.app.goo.gl/BrxjrM7SzUB3mXHL8
https://www.navily.com/port/setur-kas-marina/1645 .
I’d be happy to elaborate on them in a separate post…
And everything, of course, depends on time, wind, and sea conditions 🙂
And most importantly… Enjoy ⛵
For questions and advice, feel free to contact us right down below, and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can, so together we can pursue your next dream.
The author is Oded Freidin – the founder of the Facebook group “Sailing Greece” who lives on his yacht in Piraeus 
