Blue Cruise Tour in Turkey - Elegant Sailing on a Gulet Boat

Tours" and "Blue Cruise" are yacht tours that sail along the Turkish Mediterranean coast and the Aegean Sea. These unique tours are carried out on the scenic and comfortable traditional Turkish "Gulets". Turkish galleons were originally built for fishermen and sponge divers. Nowadays, they are luxuriously designed and specially designed for renting holidays. Its wide, clear deck is perfect for sunbathing and dining.

These elegant motorized sailors are constructed of pine wood, with pointed toes on the bow and round stern. They are traditionally built in the Bodrum region of Turkey, so they are called "Bodrum-type" yachts or Gullets, and sometimes called "chiefs". Each Gulet cruiser is equipped with one or two masts, but due to their weight, they are actually more suitable for sailing than sailing.

The Gulet tour has excellent sailing quality and is very comfortable, with a spacious living area, a large terrace, a spacious cabin, a bathroom/shower room, and a terrace with a furnished seating area.

General rules for weekly cruises:

• The embarking usually starts after 15:30 and the service begins with dinner in the first day. You can leave your luggage at our local agents' office if you come earlier until check in time.
• The yachts stay at the original departure place in the first and last night of the cruise, thus check in and check out time can also be flexible for each participant
• Captain and the staff organizes the meal times based on general desire of the participants.
• The captain can make changes with the route because of weather conditions, for the safety of the guests.
• No changes are made in the itinerary for the personal preferences of the participants.
• It is not allowed to bring drinks to the boat from outside, which are provided with reasonable prices.
• The cabins will be cleaned during breakfast time. There will also be a general cleaning in the mid week.
• Unless there is a very special situation, the bed sheets are used weekly.
• The yacht remains insured by the owner during your charter, however we advise all charterers to consider cancellation and curtailment insurance. You may also consider Personal Accident or Medical Insurance plus Personal Effects Insurance, which is generally not included in the Charter Fee.

What Is It Like On A Blue Cruise?

A traditional cruise in a gulet is nothing like taking a cruise on a large cruise ship. The blue cruise does not involve any open sea cruise. It is an outdoors event, which combines the sea, sun, nature, history, people, fun and great food. The gulets cruise by motor and rarely set sails. The cruising time is usually limited to 2-3 hours per day. 

Gulets cruise very close to the shore and most of the time in bays or coves, so you rarely encounter rough waters. The gulet usually anchors overnight in tiny coves about 20-30 meters from the shore.

During a normal one- week cruise 2 or 3 nights are spent docked in the marina of a coastal town where you can shop, dine at restaurants or enjoy the nightlife. During the blue cruise, you will have plenty of time to enjoy the scenery, swim and snorkel in the clean blue waters, sunbathe or go to the shore and trek or explore ancient ruins around. Water sports are available for an extra fee such as water ski, jet-ski, windsurfing and banana boat. 

In the daytime, we cruise for a few hours and may sail if the wind allows. Near lunch and dinnertime, we approach the shore and drop anchor in a solitary bay, near ruins, a small village or off an island. There will be at least two interesting stops each day where there is the opportunity to swim, fish, snorkel, windsurf, sunbathe, take a trip ashore or just read under the shade of the sun awning.The main goal is relaxation and recreation. 

The evening on the gulet will start with a delicious dinner or sometimes a grill. Often the captain and crew plan some surprise entertainment, such as competitions, music and song, so that the guests can have fun and get to know each other better. Gulet cruises are open to people of every nation, and likely you will meet people from a different country or countries while taking the blue cruise.

Which Season Is Best?

Between the end of July and the beginning of September, Turkey is extra busy with the height of summer bringing thousands to the coastal regions. July and August days are long and hot and the nights are warm. June, the beginning of July and all of September offer a better combination, with warm days and cool evenings. The water in September can be especially warm in places. The months of May and October offer excellent sailing conditions and the opportunity to go trekking or fishing.