An unforgettable sailing holiday that explores Turkey's lesser-known spots
I woke up to the humming of the motor slowly rocking us awake, as the harbour of Kormen grew smaller through the porthole. Out on deck, the captain stood behind the wooden wheel and was especially cheery for 5am, for not even the sun had risen yet. A stillness swept over the pine and olive mountains of Datça as we moved towards the open sea and it felt for a moment that the world was ours alone. The early bird had caught the worm.
We were on the final stretch of a sailing trip along the coast of Bodrum, heading eastward from the town’s harbour and down towards the more remote Datça peninsula, where the glitzy resorts and superyachts had faded. Travelling at sea is exhilarating: on the one hand, one feels a calmness we all crave; and, on the other, the adrenaline of being self-sufficient and gliding through this vast expanse, driven only by the wind. You must be adaptable as the weather throws you into the present, spontaneously changing your course to places even more beautiful than you had imagined.
This is especially true when travelling under sail rather than by motor on a modern yacht. Ours was a 26-metre wooden gulet named Salamander, typical of this region of south west Turkey and historically used by fishermen, sponge divers and merchants. Gulets have been adapted from trade to luxury travel since the last century. Harking back to times of slower travel, they offer the most scenic way to explore the more remote coves and wild landscapes, while avoiding the crowds on land.
By the time we reached Aquarium Bay near Bodrum later that morning, the crew had prepared a breakfast spread on the dining table on deck. The sun, now fully up, warmed our windswept faces. The water was impossibly turquoise and clear to its depths as swarms of silver fish glistened all around us on their morning swim.
Several days of sailing had brought us to the ruins of Kissebuku, a Byzantine settlement with the remains of an impressive church spread along the beach, which is thought to have been abandoned at the onset of the Arab raids in the 7th Century. We floated around Orak island and the scenic coast of Yaliciftlik nearer to Bodrum. The ancient Greek city of Knidos was another important stop on the Datça peninsula. (Those with more time can sail further into Greece itself as part of one of the Turkish itineraries on Salamander.)
The boat’s layout allows just enough space for the group to disperse across the front and back decks for quiet moments, coming together for meals around the main table. Inside, the chef whips up fresh Mediterranean dishes in the open kitchen, and, down a set of steps, there are four cabins with en-suite bathrooms, sleeping up to 12. There is perhaps not a more intimate and engaging way to travel, where the journey and the destination are one.
Ways and Means
Arta Ghanbari travelled with the gulet-charter specialist Salamander Voyages, which offers itineraries from Greece’s North Dodecanese to the Dalmatian Coast of Croatia and Turkey’s Fethiye. A seven-night trip from Bodrum costs £1,979 per person, based on 12 guests, including four crew, daily breakfast and lunch, and five dinners.
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Natali Afsar3/7The bay of Cokertme is a favourite mooring for enjoying traditional Turkish food with sea views.
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