The Lycian Coast

This Lycian Coast sailing itinerary begins in Fethiye, Turkey’s spectacular sailing hub.

Boarding is mid-afternoon at Ece Marina. Before slipping the lines, walk ten minutes up the hillside behind the town to the Tomb of Amyntas, a temple front cut straight into the cliff in the 4th century BC and best seen in the low evening light.

Then sail south to Gemiler Island for the first night. On an island barely a kilometre long sit the ruins of five Byzantine churches built between the 4th and 6th centuries, joined by a stone processional walkway over 300 metres long, with dozens of chapels and over fifty tombs scattered across the hillside. Archaeologists believe this was the original burial place of Saint Nicholas, the man who became Father Christmas, before his remains were moved in the 7th century. Anchor on the north side in 15 to 20 metres and take a line ashore. Climb to the church at the summit for sunset and the old water cisterns near the top.

Skipper’s note: Provision fully in Fethiye, where the supermarkets near the marina are large and the Tuesday market is superb. The Gemiler north anchorage is busy with day boats until late afternoon and the best line-ashore spots are on the northwest side. Arrive by mid-afternoon and you will have the ruins to yourselves by evening.

The first long sail of the week, a fine open run southeast along the coast past Ölüdeniz and the cliffs of Butterfly Valley to the harbour town of Kalkan. This is a proper sailing day with the afternoon westerly behind you. Kalkan itself is a steep little town of whitewashed houses and bougainvillea above a small, well-equipped marina, a good place for a town dinner and to take on water and fuel. It also sits within reach of two of the great inland sites, which are the focus of the following day.

Skipper’s note: Kalkan marina is small and popular, so call ahead or arrive by late afternoon to be sure of a berth. The leg from Gemiler is exposed open coast, so an earlier start gets you in before the afternoon breeze builds to its strongest.

A day ashore among ruins, with the boat staying in Kalkan. A short taxi inland brings you first to the Delikkemer aqueduct, a remarkable Roman inverted siphon that carried water to Patara across a valley on a line of fitted stone blocks, still standing in the hills and almost always deserted. Then on to Patara itself, one of the most important cities of ancient Lycia and the birthplace of the real Saint Nicholas, now a vast site half buried in sand dunes behind one of the longest beaches in the Mediterranean: a triumphal arch, a colonnaded street, a council chamber, a theatre, and the lighthouse said to be among the oldest in the world. Lunch at Durak restaurant by the ruins is a fixture for anyone who has done this properly.

Skipper’s note: Take a hat, water and decent shoes. Patara is enormous and exposed, with very little shade, so go early and be off the site before the heat of the afternoon. The beach is a protected loggerhead turtle nesting site, so it closes to the public at dusk.

Sail east towards the Kekova Roads, the sheltered channel that is the archaeological heart of this coast. The afternoon’s first stop is Aperlai, tucked at the head of Asar Bay on the Sıçak peninsula and reachable only from the sea, which is precisely why almost no one goes. Anchor in 4 to 7 metres in calm weather and swim ashore over the submerged city walls. Aperlai was a Lycian port that grew wealthy on royal purple, the dye worth more than its weight in silver, extracted from murex sea shells in workshops that now lie underwater in the bay. Ashore and in the shallows are city walls, a ruined castle, a Christian church and Lycian sarcophagi standing where the sea has half-claimed them. Swimming and snorkelling are allowed here, unlike at Kekova, so this is the one sunken city you can actually explore.

From Aperlai, carry on the short distance into the Kekova Roads to Kaleköy, ancient Simena, with its little crusader castle on the hill and Lycian sarcophagi standing in the shallows below. Berth alongside at one of the village jetty restaurants for the night.

Skipper’s note: Asar Bay is open to the west, so it is a settled-weather stop only and best taken in the calm of early afternoon before the sea breeze fills in. There is no road to Aperlai and no facilities, so it is purely a swim-and-explore stop before moving on to Kaleköy for the night, where you can take a line alongside, usually in exchange for dining ashore.

A highlight of this Lycian Coast sailing itinerary, this anchorage is truly special.

A day among the two great set pieces of the Kekova area, with the boat based at Kaleköy or Üçağız. In the morning, sail slowly along the northern shore of Kekova island to see the Batık Şehir, the sunken city, where the staircases, foundations and harbour walls of a Lycian town drop straight into the clear water, drowned by an ancient earthquake. Anchoring and swimming directly over the ruins are not permitted, but the view down through the water as you pass is extraordinary. Then a short taxi from the Kekova villages or Çayağzı reaches Demre, ancient Myra: one of the finest Roman theatres in Turkey, a cliff above it packed with Lycian rock tombs cut to look like timber houses, and in the town the Church of Saint Nicholas, built over the tomb of the bishop who became Father Christmas. It closes the loop with Gemiler at the start of the week.

Skipper’s note: Myra and the sunken city together make a full day, so start early and see the tombs in the morning light before the coach parties arrive from Demre. If you would rather split them, the sunken city is lovely in the soft light of late afternoon when most of the day boats have gone.

Begin the long turn back west, with the option of a morning stop in Kaş, a likeable harbour town with an ancient theatre of its own and good provisioning, before the open run back along the coast. Aim for a final night either back at Gemiler, to see it without the crowds, or in one of the quieter anchorages near Ölüdeniz. This is the big sailing day of the return, so make use of the westerly and break it with a swim stop along the way.

Skipper’s note: This is the longest leg of the week against the prevailing westerly, so leave early while the morning is calm and the wind is light. If the breeze is up and the going slow, Kalkan makes a perfectly good intermediate stop to break the return into two easier days.

An easy final morning back up the coast and into the gulf to Ece Marina, with time for a last swim on the way. Hand the boat back on Friday evening. For most crews the week ends as ours did, with a wander through Fethiye’s markets and, for the willing, the 450 year old hammam in the old town.

Skipper’s note: Keep the last day short and unhurried so there is no pressure on the return. The run from Gemiler or Ölüdeniz into Fethiye is sheltered and straightforward, an easy end to a week that has covered a lot of history.

A Note on the Weather

This coast is gentler than the islands to the west. There is no Meltemi here. The pattern is typically calm mornings followed by a westerly sea breeze of 5 to 15 knots building through the afternoon, which helps you heading east in the first half of the week and asks for early starts on the way back west. The heat is the real consideration, since this is an itinerary spent climbing around exposed ruins. July and August regularly pass 35 degrees. May, June, September and October are our strongly preferred months: warm enough for the water, cool enough for the archaeology, and far quieter at every site.

Practical Details

Provisioning: Full shop in Fethiye before departure. Kalkan and Kaş both have good shops, water and fuel for topping up mid week. Most overnight stops have a restaurant ashore.

Site access and fees: Entry fees apply at Gemiler, Patara, Myra and the Saint Nicholas church, payable in Turkish lira. Taxis to Patara, the aqueduct and Myra are arranged locally from Kalkan and the Kekova villages.

Documentation: A Turkish transit log and cruising paperwork are arranged as part of the charter. Carry passports ashore, as the coastguard presence is routine along this coast.