Welcome to our Turkey sailing tour diary, giving you a taste of this incredibly fun adventure.
October 21st
Turkish Sailing Staycation is underway!
One of the best parts of sailing the western coast of Türkiye on our Gulet (a traditional Turkish wooden sailboat) is that we can explore the Greco-Roman history, with small archaeological sites scattered along the coast that are hard to visit without a boat. Taylan took us to the Ancient Greek city of Knidos to enjoy a little history and some very well-preserved architecture.
Our Turkey Sailing Staycation has been afloat for a couple of days and we are enjoying an extended summer on the Mediterranean. My friend @taylantasbasi has arranged a Turkish Gulet, a traditional wooden sailboat, that has cabins to house 10 passengers. We started our sail in Bodrum, and will continue along the southwestern corner of Türkiye for a week. So far we’ve swam in the unreal turquoise water, visited an Ancient Greek city, learned backgammon, and dined on fresh, healthy food for every meal prepared by our on-board chef named Muhammad Ali.
Our tours are usually action-packed, but this one is just a lovely, slow paced vacation. Personally, I am enjoying a delay to the reality of winter approaching, since it’s in the mid 70’s every day.
October 22nd
In this instalment of our Turkey sailing tour diary, did you know that the future is in your coffee?
Our Turkish tour guide, Taylan, has a knack for the tradition of fortune telling with the grounds of a Turkish coffee. The coffee here is made with a sludge at the bottom that you don’t drink, which leaves intriguing patterns in the cup. Listen as Taylan tells me a bit about things to come…
October 23rd
It may be just about Halloween but it sure doesn’t seem like it here in southern Turkey. We are in the Mediterranean, sailing between the Turkish coast and Greek islands (Rhodes, for one) and the water is an unreal color. What color you see in these pictures is real, a brilliant turquoise, like the stone named for the Turks that sold it centuries ago.
Seas have been calm and the water is perfect for swimming, kayaking or just for a lazy float.
I was asking our captain what his favorite time of year is for a trip like this and he said NOW, since we are often the only ship in the hidden coves, docking wherever we like for a swim or an overnight.
I’m a summer girl. I grew up on a beach in Southern California. Winter’s approach is always a bit melancholy for me, especially as we rarely see sun in Seattle after November 1. So, I’m happily chasing summer for just a few more days before the season ends and I’m piled high in sweaters, dreaming of next season’s adventures. Days like this are the memories that keep me warm when my feet are freezing in the darkness of December.
Join us in 2025!
