MARMARIS-SOUTH DODECANESE-MARMARIS

Day 1: MARMARİS Boarding starts by 15:30 from Marmaris Harbour. Guests who arrive early may leave their luggage at the Barbaros Yachting Office. On the first day, our boat will be anchored in Marmaris Harbour for dinner and an overnight stay. Marmaris, which was built upon the antique Caria city; Physkos has been under the governorship of many different civilizations. The most valuable work of art that you will see today is Marmaris Castle dating from 1577. There is also a mosque and an 8-room caravansaray covered with arches from the Ottoman Period. The ruins of the Antique times lie on Asar Hill; a small hill located on the northern side of the city. Being one of the best-known touristic places of Turkey Marmaris also has a large marina.

Day 2: SERÇE – BOZUKKALE (LORYMA) After breakfast, you will be informed about the cruise itinerary and then we will set sail for Serçe Bay after the customs formalities are completed. In this beautiful bay you can see the Byzantine shipwreck from the 11th century, which is exhibited in Bodrum Museum. We will anchor at Bozukkale for the an overnight stay. In the ancient city of Bozukkale (Loryma), there is a castle which stretches out in a rectangle with its city walls and 9 towers. The name Bozukkale means ‘crooked castle’ and might be associated with the fact that one side of the castle is missing. Because of its geographical situation and the narrow port entrance, the port was also used by the Greek naval forces during the Peloponnese Sea Battle. Karor, the Commander of Athens gathered all his ships here before the Cnidus War in 395 B.C., and Demetrius; the son of Antigonos used this port for preparations before attacking Rhodes in 305 B.C.

Day 3: BOZBURUN – DİRSEKBÜKÜ – BENCİK Early in the morning we start to cruise to Bozburun which is a small fishing town. This area was popular and suitable for sponge-diving but nowadays the people of the island are no longer interested in sponge-diving as it is not financially benificial and it is dangerous. In the recent years sponge-diving has been replaced by gulet tourism. We will anchor at Dirsek Bükü for lunch and a swimming break. Today, our last stop will be at Bencik Bay; which has a very narrow entrance but a unique view once you get inside. Bencik is located at the narrowest part of the peninsula that divides the Hisarönü Gulf from the Gökova Gulf but it is located on Hisarönü side. In 550s B.C. the Cnidus people wanted to dig a tunnel in the narrowest land piece of the peninsula between the Hisarönü Gulf and the Gökova Gulf as a defence line against the Persians. In that way, they would make two peninsulas one island and the defence would be easier. They started with diligence and put in a lot of effort; however, in the end they could not manage and the city was conquered by the Persians. For dinner and an overnight stay, we will anchor at Bencik Bay.

Day 4: AKTUR – DATÇA Today our first stop will be Aktur Bay. After lunch and a swimming stop, we will cruise to Datça. Food and water will be supplied for the boat from Datça Harbour. Datça was founded by the Dorians who came from the Aegean Sea to the southern coast of Ionia in the 7th century B.C. The island has no humidity at all and has fresh air with plenty of oxygen. The historian Strabon was right when he remarked of Datça’s weather:

Day 5: SYMI After customs formalities are completed, we will set sail to Symi Island and anchor at a near bay to Symi Harbour for lunch and a swimming break. We will anchor at Symi Port early in the evening. You can see the shoreline with its neo-classical houses and the peripheral districts. You are going to adore Symi Island for its pine and oak forests and unique bays. You can hire a vehicle to go to the Monastery of Panormitis located in a well-protected bay at the southern part of Simi.

Day 6: RHODES We will cruise to Rhodes early in the morning. Rhodes is the largest of the Dodecanese Islands. The island is quite a popular holiday destination as it has one of the best-preserved and the largest European Medieval cities and has warm weather for 300 days of the year. Rhodes has been the cradle of many civilizations; starting with the knights of St. John in the Middle Ages, then Ottomans and Italians. Thus, the island has a unique historical harmony and beauty. The main port of Rhodes is Rhodes City which bears the same name as the island. The other very touristic areas of Rhodes island are; Lindos and Kamiros. This city, which is still surrounded by a 12 meter thick city-wall which gives you the feeling of travelling back to Medieval times especially when you walk around its narrow, stone-paved roads. After dinner, we highly recommend you to enjoy in Rhodes Town night out.

Day 8: MARMARİS The guests will leave the boat with precious memories by 10:30 after breakfast.