Turkey’s turquoise coastline is one of the birthplaces of crewed sailing yacht charter. The gulet tradition began here in the 1970s, and the coast retains its appeal for anyone who values wind-dependent passage-making, swimming in unpolluted inlets, and the proximity of extraordinary ancient sites to the waterline. Four sailing yachts in the charter fleet cover the main itineraries between Bodrum, Marmaris, and the Datca Peninsula.
The Aegean coast of Turkey provides consistent northwest winds through July and August, known locally as the meltemi, which fill in by late morning and ease at sunset. Sailing yachts can make the most of these patterns, setting sails on the downwind legs south toward the Datca Peninsula and tacking back north on days when the anchorages deserve a slower approach.
Weekly charter rates for sailing yachts in Turkey range from 15,000 to 40,000 euros before the advance provisioning allowance. Provisioning from Turkish ports is competitively priced, and marina fees are substantially lower than in Greece or Croatia, making the effective all-in cost one of the more accessible in the Mediterranean.
The Bozburun Peninsula south of Marmaris, the ruins at ancient Knidos at the tip of the Datca Peninsula, and the Gulf of Gokova east of Bodrum are the three classic sailing circuits. Each rewards unhurried exploration: the bays along the Bozburun coast rarely see more than a handful of boats at anchor, even in August.
