Ekincik is a small anchorage village at the mouth of the Dalyan river delta, positioned at the point where Turkey rugged pine-covered hillsides meet the reed beds and wetlands of the Koycegiz-Dalyan Special Protection Area. The four motor yachts based in this region use Ekincik as a starting point or day-anchorage, with the shallow river channel behind it accessible only by flat-bottomed tender or local boat. This combination of deep-water motor yachting and exceptional nature excursions makes Ekincik unusual among Turkish charter destinations. Motor yachts at Ekincik range from 35-metre displacement vessels to faster 42-metre semi-planing hulls, all with experienced local crews. The deep blue water of Ekincik Bay allows good swimming directly from the stern platform, while the river excursion upstream to Kaunos ruins and Iztuzu Beach takes most of a morning by chartered wooden boat. Iztuzu is a protected nesting beach for loggerhead sea turtles and one of the longest undeveloped beaches on the Turkish coast. Charter rates for motor yachts in this area start at around 30,000 euros per week for a well-fitted 35-metre yacht and rise toward 120,000 euros for larger or faster vessels in peak season. The advance provisioning allowance of 25 to 30 percent covers fuel, food and marina costs. Fethiye, Göcek Bay and Marmaris all lie within a day cruise and are natural additions to an Ekincik itinerary, expanding the range to include lively marina towns balanced against quiet delta anchorages.
