The
coasts and islands of Greece and Turkey are popular yacht charter
destinations. The innumerable Greek islands cover a coastline
of 15 000 km together with the mainland. The mesmerizing shores
offer a myriad of cozy enclaves, which make for convenient natural
docks. The power of ancient history looms over these lands. The
best yacht charters in Greece are those covering the Dodecanese,
Cyclades, Saronic, Argolic, Northern Sporades and Ionian territories.
A sailing holiday along the enchanting coasts of Turkey will provide
insight into the ancient Lycian, Carian and Greek cultures and
lifestyles, tinged with the exotic modern-day flavor of the Orient.
Mesmerizing pine mountains rise above beautiful harbors and lucid
blue bays. Moreover, this is a fine opportunity to sample Turkish
cuisine, one of the best in the world. Sailing trips to the Carian
coast, the Ionian coast, and the West and East Lycian coasts are
available.
Greece and Turkey are excellent sailing destinations, because
you can sail throughout the year. Generally, sailing trips are
best in the tourist season so you can take advantage of the sunny
weather. The strong winds in July and August may affect your sailing
holiday.
After you have decided when to take a trip, you need to select
a type of vessel. Gulet, flotilla, crewed and bareboat charters
are on offer. Gulet charters are top-class luxury cruises. Gulets
are popular choices along the coasts of Turkey and in the east
Aegean Sea. These big wooden motor yachts are a combination of
modern naval architecture and traditional Turkish sea vessels.
You can opt for a flotilla if you are not very experienced and
will be needing assistance. This is one of the safest options,
also allowing for a great deal of privacy. You will be the skipper
on your yacht, but the leader of the flotilla will be watching
you. If you feel a flotilla to be too restraining, you can go
for assisted bareboat charters, a well-balanced mean. A regular
bareboat is appropriate for those experienced in the art of sailing.
Bareboat charters exclude a captain and crew. This choice gives
you and your group full independence.
The main charter bases in this region are Athens, Corfu, Lefkas,
Rhodes, Kos, Samos, Preveza, Bodrum, Antalya, Paros, Marmaris,
Syros and Fethiye. It is recommended that one-way charters between
these bases be downwind – generally speaking north to south.
We now proceed to the routes. The Dodecanese is the name of approximately
12 large and 40 small islands to the southernmost of the Southern
Sporades, just off the southwest coastline of Asia Minor. The
larger islands are Leros, Kos, Symi, Rhodes, Kasos, Patmos, Nisyros,
Tilos, Lipsi, Kalymnos, Karpathos, Astypalea and Khalki.
The Cyclades islands are spread in a circle around Delos, a sacred
island and a famous attraction. Myth has it that the god Apollo
was born here. The northern Cyclades consist mainly of marbles,
Cretaceous limestone and gneisses, while some southern ones are
made up of volcanic materials.
The Northern Sporades or simply Sporades are comprised of the
fertile, isolated islands of Pelagos, Alonissos, Kira Panayia
and many more. There are some uninhabited islands here, such as
Skantzoura, Psathoura, Yioura and Peristera. You can visit the
remote Eastern Sporades, including the islands of Chios, Lesbos
and several others near the coast of Turkey.
The most famous of the Ionian Islands is the paradise-like Corfu.
Other islands include Paxos, Ithaka and Kefalonia. They are typified
by lush vegetation and a mild climate. The Ionian is perfect for
gulet and bareboat charters. This area is as lovely as it must
have been in antiquity. The Carian coast of Turkey borders with
the Ionian coast to the north and the Lycian to the east. This
green, mountainous coastline stretches from Gümüslük to Marmaris.
You will relish the view of golden beaches, warm sapphire-blue
bays, ancient rock tombs and the monuments of Gökeva, Mersinçik
and Digirmen Bükü.
The Lycian coast takes its name from the myriad of Lycian towns
upon its shores. The east Lycian coast covers Antalya, Kas and
Fethiye. It is far less indented that the Carian coast, but there
are some beautiful bays and enclaves between Finike and Kalkan.
You can see ancient tombs here, including ornate sarcophagi, temple
tombs, pigeonhole tombs, pillar tombs and house tombs.
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