Antalya Turquoise Coast Gulet Cruise

The Turquoise Coast around Antalya unfolds from the deck of a traditional wooden gulet as the boat threads between sea caves, pine-covered headlands, and secluded bays that have no road access. Departing from Antalya's Roman-era harbour, the two-day cruise heads west along a coastline that once served Lycian and later Ottoman maritime traders. On the first afternoon travellers drop anchor in a sheltered cove for swimming and snorkelling over Posidonia seagrass meadows; the water is clear enough to make out the sandy bottom at six metres. A cook on board prepares meals with local catch, mezze spreads of roasted peppers, white cheese, and herb salads eaten at the stern table as the sun drops toward Olympos. The second morning brings a slow motor past the ruins at Phaselis, visible from the water as crumbling stone piers extending into the shallows. Guests can wade ashore from the ship's dinghy and walk the pine-shaded ancient street for an hour before the gulet continues to a final bay for a long swim before returning to port. The cruise runs April through October; bring a light layer for evenings at sea even in summer, reef-safe sunscreen, and shoes that can get wet when boarding the dinghy.