A week from Göcek: Kapı Creek, Dalyan, Gemiler
The Gulf of Göcek holds two dozen bays within ten miles of the marina, and you could spend a week here without ever reaching open water. This route adds two trips outside it: west to Ekincik, where boats run up the Dalyan river to the rock-cut tombs of Kaunos, and east to Gemiler island with its Byzantine ruins. About 95 nm, of which one day is genuinely long.
Day by day
Göcek
- Göcek36.753, 28.940
Fly into Dalaman — Göcek is twenty minutes away, closer than any other Turkish base. Take over the yacht at one of the village marinas and provision at the Migros on the main street.
Göcek → Kapı Creek
- Kapı Creek36.660, 28.880
The first evening comes ten miles from the marina. Kapı Koyu is a narrow bay in pine forest with a single restaurant pontoon; there is no road to it, and after sunset there is nobody here but the boats alongside you.
Kapı Creek → Ekincik
- Ekincik36.825, 28.555
Out of the gulf and west past the Köyceğiz headland. Ekincik is a south-facing bay with a few pontoons; it matters not for itself but as the gateway to Dalyan.
Ekincik: Dalyan and Kaunos
- Ekincik36.825, 28.555
A day without a passage. Local boats run from the pontoon through the river mouth and up through the reeds: Lycian tombs cut into the cliff on the way, the ancient city of Kaunos with its theatre, the mud baths and İztuzu beach, where loggerhead turtles nest. Yachts do not go up the river — the depth and the reserve's rules both rule it out.
Ekincik → Gemiler
- Gemiler36.556, 29.057
The longest day of the route: east along the coast past Göcek and on to Gemiler island. On the island are the ruins of a Byzantine town and four churches from the 5th and 6th centuries, a path to the top and the sunset people come here for. Spend the night at anchor in the channel between the island and the shore.
Gemiler → Wall Bay
- Wall Bay36.672, 28.895
Back into the Gulf of Göcek. Duvar Koyu, or Wall Bay, is a long inlet under a sheer face with ancient stonework running along it. Boats anchor and take a line ashore, and the water stays clear until evening.
Wall Bay → Göcek
- Göcek36.753, 28.940
A very short final leg across the gulf: fuel, handover and a last dinner on the Göcek waterfront.
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: 8–15 knots by day inside the Gulf of Göcek and almost no sea — one of the mildest areas in Turkey. Beyond the headland, on the way to Ekincik and Gemiler, it blows noticeably harder, so plan both trips outside for the morning.
- Dalyan: the yacht stays in Ekincik and you go up the river in a local boat — arrange it at the pontoon the day before, leaving around nine in the morning and back by evening. Entry to the reserve and to Kaunos is paid separately.
- Berths: inside the gulf almost every bay means anchoring with a line ashore, and restaurant pontoons are free with dinner. The Göcek marinas themselves are among the most expensive in Turkey — take a night there only for the handover.
- Conservation: the gulf is a protected area, some bays have buoys, and anchoring on seagrass or discharging grey water is not allowed. The base issues the current zone map, and it changes from season to season.
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 Göcek — Dalyan route and where do you stay overnight?
7 days and about 95 nautical miles in a loop, starting and finishing in Göcek. Overnight stops in order: Göcek, Kapı Creek, Ekincik, Ekincik, Gemiler, Wall Bay. The longest leg is day 5, 40 nm.
When is the best time to sail the Göcek — Dalyan 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).
