Bodrum bareboat route from Milta Marina - 2 weeks

The Gokova & Hisaronu Gulfs with a Bodrum yacht charter

This bareboat route takes you south from Bodrum’s Milta Marina. The marina is home to a number of Bodrum yacht charter companies. Sailing east into the Gokova Gulf you’ll visit some of the many pine sloped inlets at the south east end.

Kormen, the obvious stopping off point as you head for the end of the Datca peninsula, is currently suffering the construction of a new marina so we head for Akyarlar instead before heading for the Hisaronu Gulf.

Sailing south of the Datca peninsula, the itinerary includes the Hisaronu Gulf and a visit to the Greek island of Symi. (There may be extra charges for entering Greece. Check the latest situation with your yacht charter operator before you leave the yacht charter base). Otherwise it’s a mixture of small towns and villages and classic Turkish “one restaurant” bays.

There are so many places to see, you might want to call in to some of the other places on the map for lunch stops. bThere’s no shortage of options with a Bodrum bareboat charter.

View the route on a map
See About the maps for Key and more information. You can see photos of the area in the Carian gallery.

Itinerary – Bareboat from Bodrum Milta Marina, 2 weeks

Day	Miles
1: Sat	0	Check in. Bodrum Bodrum is a popular tourist destination, though many visitors will rarely leave their resorts scattered around the peninsula. In the town itself, there’s plenty to see from cultural attractions such as the Castle, Mausoleum and Amphitheatre, to the many shopping opportunities in the bazaar and elsewhere. The place heaves with restaurants and bars though as is often ... Read more
2: Sun	35	Amazon Creek / Kucukgunluk Koyu This charming inlet offers a beautiful, tranquil and well sheltered anchorage. It is devoid of habitation except for the camp site. The camp site’s restaurant and bar are open to visitors, as are the showers, toilets and camp site shop. And that’s all there is by way of civilisation, which is really the attraction of ... Read more
3: Mon	20	Degirmen Buku / English Harbour & Okluk Koyu A lush green sloped bay which offers great shelter. The popular anchorage at English Harbour is uninhabited, but on the opposite side of the bay there are a couple of restaurants in the Okluk Koyu inlet. It’s a very tranquil spot but for the more energetic, as well as being a great place for a swim ... Read more
4: Tue	9	Akbuk Koyu (Gokova Gulf) A beautiful tree lined bay in a superb setting at the foot of the mountains. The bay is ringed by a long beach, unfortunately not sand but still a great launch spot for a dip in the cool green waters. One suspects that before the yachts came there was nothing here but a few fishing boats ... Read more If you need provisions, visit Akyaka at the head of the Gulf en route.
5: Wed	14	Yedi Adalar Details coming soon Read more
6: Thu	15	Cokertme Set amongst pines and olive groves this tiny village boasts three restaurants. The small carpet shop actually makes them on the premises so you can see the skill and care involved. It’s a great place for a swim. Although the beach is pebbles rather than sand, there’s plenty of it, and being well off the main ... Read more
7: Fri	26	Akyarlar Koyu This small resort on the south west corner of the Bodrum peninsula is one of the nicer places in the area. Akyarlar is a market town with a small but decent beach (though it does get crowded). A cobbled street leads down from the coast road, lined with shops and ending with an array of ... Read more
8: Sat	32	Ova Buku / Hayit Buku A lovely spot with a sandy beach, rocks to snorkel around and a great restaurant, run by one of the area’s characters, Ogun. The restaurant offers more variety than most including fresh fish caught by Ogun’s cousin. You may get some free post dinner games thrown in too. These may involve someone getting wet, though ... Read more
9: Sun	27	Bozburun This small laid back town is a great place to stock up, clean up, and unusually, see traditional Turkish boat building first hand. With several anchorages nearby, there are some good opportunities for a swim too. In a land where most quays are built by local restaurants, Bozburun actually has a traditional town harbour. The harbour itself is ... Read more
10: Mon	16	Loryma / Bozukkale / Bozuk Buku The barren bay of Loryma is a fantastic natural harbour. The ruins of the Citadel that look out across the harbour attest to it’s naval past and there is documentation of settlements here going back to Roman times. In fact recent excavations suggest that there was habitation here 3000 years ago. The bay is sufficiently large ... Read more
11: Tue	22	Selimiye Once a sleepy village, Selimiye has become a place to be seen, with an up market feel attracting well heeled Turks from far afield. It’s kept it’s charm though and with a good choice of restaurants and several mini markets one wonders how it ever coped before the quay was extended. Selimiye has also welcomed home ... Read more
12: Wed	16	Symi Town Once a major shipbuilding and sponge fishing centre, Symi is now primarily a tourist destination. The island has had a chequered history but after much restoration (heavily controlled by the authorities) its multi coloured buildings now make a spectacular sight. The harbour of Symi town (also called Yialos) includes a small nautical museum and is connected ... Read more
13: Thu	30	Knidos Knidos is an ancient Greek city. It is located at the end of the Datca Peninsula though the current site is probably a sucessor to the original city, thought to have been located near present da Datca. Knidos: Roman ruins, looking across the north bay towards the lighthouse Boasting two amphitheatres and other significant ruins including the ... Read more
14: Fri	24	Bodrum Bodrum is a popular tourist destination, though many visitors will rarely leave their resorts scattered around the peninsula. In the town itself, there’s plenty to see from cultural attractions such as the Castle, Mausoleum and Amphitheatre, to the many shopping opportunities in the bazaar and elsewhere. The place heaves with restaurants and bars though as is often ... Read more
15: Sat	0	Disembark
Average	22

Sailing Conditions

Winds are typically force 3-5. It’s usually fairly windless first thing. During the morning the strength increases reaching a peak after lunch. There’s little variation until early evening when the wind dies to next to nothing, often quite suddenly. So if you like your yacht charter easy, leave early!

The prevailing winds are from the north or north west. Winds back along the southern coasts, becoming westerly as you head from Knidos along the south of the Datca peninsula in to the Hisaronu Gulf.

So your Bodrum yacht charter will offer plenty of chance for you to practice your sail setting as the winds bend around the the coastline.

You will also notice quite a difference in sea state, depending on your direction of travel. As you head east it seems fairly flat but turn around and there can be quite a short chop. This is particularly so around headlands where it can be a bit lumpy but only for a short period.

Bodrum Yacht Charter Choices from Milta Marina

Charter yachts available range from 30 to 55 feet. In recent times a number of bareboat charter companies have moved from Milta which by Turkish standards is quite an expensive marina. This has reduced the number of yachts available.

Some operators have moved to Orhaniye. This is well located for the Hisaronu and Gokova Gulfs but a longer transfer time. Others are to be found in Bodrum’s Turgutreis or Palamarina (Yalikavak) marinas which are not so well located for sailing the area south of Bodrum.

So if you want maximum choice for your Bodrum bareboat charter, book early!