The Lycian coast: a week from Fethiye
The most mile-hungry of the Turkish routes and the only one where you genuinely sail a lot in a week. The coast here is different: mountains rise a thousand metres straight from the water, there are fewer bays, and stops are forty miles apart. In exchange you get Kaş, the sunken city of Kekova and water clear enough to see the bottom at twenty metres. About 175 nm; if the crew is not up for two long days, the honest version is one-way with a transfer back.
Day by day
Fethiye
- Fethiye36.623, 29.105
Fly into Dalaman, an hour by transfer, and take over the yacht at Ece Marina or Fethiye Marina. Do the big shop in town — east of here there are no large supermarkets until Kaş.
Fethiye → Gemiler
- Gemiler36.556, 29.057
A warm-up leg across the gulf. Gemiler island holds the ruins of a Byzantine town and four churches from the 5th and 6th centuries; the path to the top takes half an hour, and the sunset from there is reckoned the best on this coast.
Gemiler → Kaş
- Kaş36.198, 29.640
The first long day, along a sheer coast past Kalkan. Kaş is a small town on a Greek street plan with a Lycian sarcophagus standing in the middle of the road; the marina is a twenty-minute walk from the centre, and the evening belongs in town rather than on the boat.
Kaş → Kekova Roads
- Kekova36.195, 29.850
This is the day the whole route is built around. Along the north shore of Kekova island a city lies underwater, taken down by an earthquake in the 2nd century: steps, walls and foundations are visible straight from the deck. Spend the night in Üçağız below the castle of Simena or on a buoy in Polemos Bükü.
Kekova → Kalkan
- Kalkan36.263, 29.414
Back west with a stop in Kalkan — a staircase of white houses and bougainvillea dropping to a small harbour. The marina is small and berths are booked ahead in season.
Kalkan → Gemiler
- Gemiler36.556, 29.057
The second long day, along the cliffs again. An early start is not optional: it regularly pipes up after lunch here, and there is practically nowhere to shelter before Gemiler.
Gemiler → Kapı Creek
- Kapı Creek36.660, 28.880
Into the Gulf of Göcek and a sharp contrast after the open coast: Kapı Koyu is a narrow bay in pine forest with a single restaurant pontoon and no road to it.
Kapı Creek → Fethiye
- Fethiye36.623, 29.105
A last leg across the gulf, refuelling and handover.
Coordinates are approximate, for the harbour or bay. Paste them into Google Maps or a chartplotter, and check the chart and pilot book before you moor or anchor.
Good to know
- Wind: the Lycian coast is exposed from the south and west, with 15–22 knots by day and a real sea, and almost no shelter between Gemiler and Kaş. Plan both long legs for the morning and only on a good forecast — that is what sets this route apart from the sheltered gulfs of Göcek and Marmaris.
- Kekova: the whole area is an archaeological reserve. Over the sunken city swimming, anchoring and stopping are prohibited and transit is only allowed along the marked channel; entry to the zone is paid. Nights are spent on buoys in Üçağız or Polemos Bükü.
- Berths: the marinas at Fethiye, Kaş and Kalkan are paid and fill up in season; Gemiler and Kapı Creek mean anchoring and restaurant pontoons. This is the most marina-heavy Turkish route — budget for berths separately from the boat.
- Formalities: the transit log and the deposit are handled at the base. Greek Kastellorizo lies two miles off Kaş, but calling there means leaving Turkish waters and clearing separately.
When to go and what it costs in Turkey
Median € per berth per week from the agent's latest check, monohulls; each month's page has both boat types, a chart and boats departing that month.
Discounted boats in Turkey
All boats in Turkey
How long is the Fethiye — Kekova route and where do you stay overnight?
8 days and about 175 nautical miles in a loop, starting and finishing in Fethiye. Overnight stops in order: Fethiye, Gemiler, Kaş, Kekova, Kalkan, Gemiler, Kapı Creek. The longest leg is day 6, 45 nm.
When is the best time to sail the Fethiye — Kekova route?
Turkey has a long season, April to November. July and August are the peak, with the highest prices; May, June, September and October bring warm water, a steady afternoon breeze and prices below the peak. October is still warm and noticeably cheaper than summer; April and November are cooler but the cheapest. By the agent's latest checks (monohulls), the cheapest month is November: a median of ≈€317 per berth per week. The most expensive is October, at €411. The most boats with 20% off or more are in October: 54%. The agent checks the current month and the next five; each month has its own page with the numbers.
How much does a yacht for this route cost?
A whole boat in Turkey for a week starts from €1,035 in the agent's current selection: the cheapest discounted week departing in the next three months. Prices per berth by month are higher up the page; the boats are under “All boats in Turkey”.
Do I need a licence to charter a yacht?
For a bareboat charter (no skipper or crew provided), yes: a skipper's licence and, as a rule, a VHF radio certificate. Without a licence, we add a skipper, paid separately from the boat price.
What's included in the boat price?
Just the boat, for a week. Usually paid separately: transit log and final cleaning, fuel, marina fees, the security deposit (or deposit insurance), a skipper, cook and hostess if you need them, and extras (SUP board, on-board Wi-Fi, coffee machine, child safety netting).
