Turkey, Gulf of Gökova and the Carian coast
Bodrum is the home of the gulet and the gateway to the Gulf of Gökova: from Bodrum Marina, under the castle and 35 minutes from the airport, a week runs east into a long gulf of pine coves and protected bays, with Greek Kos only 11 NM away.
YACHT TYPES
Gulets are most of the fleet, crewed and made for groups; catamarans 40 to 45 ft for bareboat; very few sailing yachts are based here, so book a monohull early.
A typical week from Bodrum
Saturday to Saturday, east into the Gulf of Gökova, a Special Environmental Protection Area since 1988, with the afternoon breeze behind you, and the beat back west planned for the mornings.
Day 1, Bodrum to Orak Island (10 NM). Out of Bodrum, past the castle of the Knights of St John that houses the Museum of Underwater Archaeology, and east to Orak Island for clear water and a quiet first night at anchor.
Day 2, to Çökertme (12 NM). A village bay on the north shore of the gulf, with family restaurants ashore.
Day 3, to Sedir Island and English Harbour (25 NM). The longest leg, east to Sedir Island: anchor in the south or west coves in 6 to 10 m and land at the wooden pier with a ticket. The ancient city of Kedrai keeps a theatre of about 2,500 seats, the site is open 9 am to 5.30 pm, and the sand of Cleopatra's beach is protected and may not be taken away. Then across to English Harbour, İngiliz Limanı, a no-fishing zone, for the night.
Day 4, to Löngöz (3 NM). A lazy day in the inlet of Löngöz, with a taverna ashore.
Day 5, to Yedi Adalar (4 NM). The Seven Islands, a cluster of islets and lagoons on the south shore, for swimming and snorkelling.
Day 6, back west to Çökertme or Orak Island (15 to 23 NM). An early start, before the breeze fills in on the nose.
Day 7, to Bodrum (10 to 20 NM). Back to Bodrum Marina by Friday afternoon.
Two weeks add Knidos and the Datça peninsula, about 20 NM south of Bodrum across the mouth of the gulf, or Kos and the Dodecanese for crews who take on the Greek formalities.
Practical points for a Bodrum charter
Licences and paperwork
A gulet or a skippered yacht needs no licence from you. For bareboat, one person needs an ICC or a national licence and someone aboard a VHF certificate; ask the operator to confirm your licence in writing. The electronic transit log, the Seyir İzin Belgesi, lists every person aboard and is filed by the operator before departure, at about 95 to 110 euros in 2026. A skipper on this coast costs about 200 euros a day, plus food and a cabin.
Wind and sea
Bodrum sits on the Aegean side, where the meltemi blows from May to September, strongest in July and August: 10 to 20 knots on a normal afternoon, more in a blow; it builds after midday and eases at sunset. Inside the Gulf of Gökova the water is calmer and the breeze lighter than off Bodrum. The Aegean is cooler than the Lycian coast: the sea averages about 22 °C in June, 23 to 25 °C from July to September and 21 °C in October.
Moorings and fees
Nights in the gulf are at anchor, often with a line ashore, or on taverna jetties that are free if you dine. Gökova shelters monk seals and, in Boncuk Cove, the only known sandbar shark nursery in the Mediterranean; its six no-fishing zones, English Harbour, Akyaka and Çamlı among them, have had marine rangers since 2013, and snorkelling and diving are allowed. Discharging waste water is banned: pump out at marinas and keep the Mavi Kart up to date, as fines are about 32,000 lira.
Getting there
Bodrum-Milas airport is 35 km, 35 to 40 minutes, from Bodrum Marina and about 50 minutes from Yalıkavak and Turgutreis; ferries cross from Bodrum to Kos in 20 to 45 minutes. Provisioning: supermarkets in Bodrum town.
Can we sail to Kos?
Kos is 11 NM from Bodrum, but it is Greece: the operator's agreement first, then exit through a Turkish port of entry (Bodrum, Turgutreis or Yalıkavak), entry at Kos, an agent at about 160 to 200 euros, no clearance after 5 pm, and a new transit log on return.
Gulet or bareboat?
A gulet brings a captain, a cook and a crew, so nobody aboard needs a licence, and it suits larger groups; bareboat suits a crew that wants to sail the meltemi themselves.
Bodrum or Göcek?
Bodrum for more wind, a livelier town and the Gökova coves; Göcek for flat water and the shortest hops. With young children, Göcek is the easier choice.
What does Seeksail need to advise us?
Dates, group size, licence held, gulet, skipper or bareboat, Gökova or Kos, and we shortlist three boats from Bodrum with a recommendation.
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