Aegean Island Cruising aboard a Turkish Gulet

  • A 1-week Greek Island cruise on a 6 or 10-cabin gulet, with the option to extend your holiday on land in either Samos or Turkey.
  • Bodrum to Kusadasi:
    30 May to 6 June, or
    19 September to 26 September.
  • Kusadasi to Bodrum:
    6 June to 13 June, or
    26 September to 3 October.
  • £1815 per person, including flights from/to Gatwick.

A gulet cruise on board a traditional Turkish boat is a wonderfully relaxing experience. With just six or ten double cabins, these handsome vessels have a truly personal and informal ambience, and can visit hidden coves and tiny harbours that the large cruise ships cannot reach.

Whilst gulet cruises have become a popular holiday choice along Turkey's Lycian coast, it has been hard to find a comparable holiday in the Greek Islands, so we are delighted to be able to offer these special Aegean Island cruises in cooperation with our local partners in Bodrum.

Itinerary:

Bodrum to Kusadasi: 30 May to 6 June, and 19 to 26 September 2015

Day 1 – Boarding from Bodrum (dinner off board)
Flight from Gatwick to Bodrum, and transfer to Bodrum harbour to board the boat, unpack and settle in your cabin. The boat will remain in Bodrum Marina overnight and not sail until morning.

Day 2 – Departure/Direction Kalymnos island (dinner off board)
While you are breakfasting we will be completing the custom and passport procedures for Greece. We will arrive in Pseriomos Island in less than two-and-a-half hours where we'll take the time to have lunch and swim. Around late afternoon we will reach Kalymnos Island which we will be able to explore once the custom and visa controls are over. The boat will remain moored overnight so you can enjoy dinner in one of the local tavernas.

Day 3 – Departure for Leros island (dinner off board)
After breakfast we will head to Kalymnos island's Palionisos Bay. From there, we continue to Lakki harbour, just 3 km from Pandeli and Leros's main district Agia Marina, where we will arrive late afternoon. Lakki, Agia Marina and Pandeli have a rich variety of taverns and elegant restaurants offering the best choices for the traditional Greek cuisine. After dinner you can enjoy the local nightlife, dancing and listening to the bouzouki music in one of the many bars and night clubs around. Don't forget to taste the local goat cheese 'Mizithra' or 'Touloumatyri' while you are in Leros and in Arki.

Day 4 – Departure for Patmos Island (dinner off board)
We will be heading to Lipsi island just after breakfast. Lipsi is worth visiting because of its many little surrounding islands, and clear and clean bays and beaches. We will stop at Kapsadia Beach in Lipsi for a swim and lunch. Those who wish to have a walk may reach Lipsi Town just 1.5 km from the beach. After lunch we will move off to Scala harbor in Patmos island, famous for its St. John Monastery and St. John cave. Chora, where the monastery is situated, is a picturesque village with typical white houses, narrow streets and wonderful views to the Aegean Sea. A guide and a vehicle will be awaiting us at the harbour to take us to Chora. You can have dinner in a restaurant or taverna in Chora or in the harbour of Scala. Scala used to be one of the main commercial harbours of the region in the 1700s where the pirates used to come to dispose of their booty. Nowadays it is the liveliest harbour of the region with its restaurants, taverns and gift/souvenir shops.

Day 5 – Departure for Arki and Marathos Islands (dinner off board)
We will be in Scala until noon time, then reach Arki island's harbour with a one-hour sail. After lunch we will go to swim to the Marathos island just next to Arki. In the afternoon we suggest a walk up the hill to the little church on the top and enjoy the wonderful view to the surrounding islands and the sea. We will have dinner in Pantelis, the most popular tavern of the area.

Day 6 – Departure for Fourni Island
A 2-hour sailing will take us to our destination. We will have a quiet and peaceful day among the different little Fjord-like bays of Fourni. Today's lunch and dinner will take place on board. You can have a stroll on the island to visit the small fishing village of Fourni. It will be a relaxing day dedicated to swimming, sunbathing and water sports.

Day 7 – Departure for Samos Island - overnight in Pythagorio (dinner off board)
Depending of the weather, our captain may decide for an early morning departure to cover the 30 nautical miles, a 3-hour sail, to reach Pythagorio Harbour in Samos Island. We will stop for a quick swim in the south of Samos Island before heading towards the harbour of Pythagorio harbour in the east, named after the mathematician Pythagorios. The harbour, known as being the oldest manually built Mediterranean harbour, is listed as one of the World Cultural Heritage sites by UNESCO. We will happily assist in providing a vehicle for those who would like to reach this historical site situated in the village of Vathi, some 11 km away. For your final evening, you can chose from one of the many seafront restaurants and bars in Pythagorio.

Day 8 – Kusadasi
An early sail of 2 hours will take us to the Turkish port of Kusadasi. After the completion of the customs and passport procedures we will disembark between 10 and 11 am. Transfer to Izmir Airport for your flight back to Gatwick. If you have a late flight home, there is the possibility to take an optional excursion to visit Ephesus and the House of the Virgin Mary.

Kusadasi to Bodrum: 6 to 13 June, and 26 September to 3 October 2015

As above, in reverse.

Price: £1815 per person, including:

  • Flights from Gatwick to Bodrum, and Izmir back to Bodrum, or vice-versa, depending on the itinerary.
  • Airport transfers.
  • One-week cruise (7 nights on board), based on two people sharing a double cabin with en-suite shower/wc and air-conditioning.
  • Daily breakfast and lunch on board (drinks not included), plus one dinner (remaining dinners taken on land and payable locally).

Extend your trip with a stay on land

For those wishing to extend their holiday, we can arrange a stay on the Bodrum Peninsula prior to boarding at, or upon your return to, Bodrum, staying at the Tamarisk Beach Hotel in Ortakent or 4reasons Hotel in Yalikavak. At the other end of the cruise, you can add a few days at Selcuk in order to explore Ephesus at lengths, or spend time relaxing on Samos, staying at one of our hotels or apartments close to the beach. For those wishing to explore the bustling metropolis of Istanbul, we can also arrange a stop-over there on the way out or back.
Please contact us on 020 8847 8700 to discuss potential extensions in more detail and for a personalised quoted.

What to expect and what to bring?

Life on board a gulet is relaxed to the extreme. The crew are there to look after both the boat and its passengers, leaving you free to enjoy the experience. Breakfast and lunch are prepared and served by the crew, as will be dinner on one evening during the week (for the other evenings, the boat will remain moored close to local tavernas and restaurants to allow you to enjoy a variety of dinner venues). The crew also operate a well stocked and reasonably priced bar on board and it is usual for guests to use this facility rather than rely totally on their own limited duty frees. Please remember to advise us of both your dietary and liquid requirements well in advance and we will do our best to ensure that you are properly catered for. To ensure the safety of all passengers, the planned itinerary may occasionally need to be adapted, at the Captain's sole discretion, to allow for weather conditions and other local circumstances. Cabins are compact, but all have their own en-suite shower rooms and WC as well as air-conditioning, and guests tend to spend most of their time on deck or socialising in the comfortable communal lounge area. As storage space on board is limited it is advisable to bring as little luggage as possible, packed in soft bags. Dress is casual in the extreme and swimwear and shorts are generally the order of the day, although you may wish to pack a sweater for the evenings.

For any additional information, or to discuss making a booking, please call us on 020 8847 8700.