Bodrum & the Gulf of Gokova

Bodrum is the centre of Turkish charter sailing. The town's crusader castle — the Castle of St. Peter, built by the Knights Hospitaller using stones from the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus — stands above a harbour that functions as a permanent boat show. Gulets, the traditional wooden motor-sailors that define Turkish chartering, line the quays alongside modern bareboat fleets. The charter industry here is mature and price-competitive, with more operators per square metre of waterfront than almost any other Mediterranean port. The Gulf of Gokova extends east from Bodrum, a deep inlet between the Bodrum peninsula and the Datca peninsula to the south. The gulf's northern shore is indented with bays — Cokertme, Yedi Adalari (Seven Islands), and English Harbour among them — where pine trees come down to the waterline and small restaurants serve grilled fish to visiting yachts. The southern shore, along the Datca peninsula, is wilder and less developed, with the ancient city of Knidos at its western tip offering a dramatic anchorage between twin harbours. The traditional gulet charter — a week aboard a wooden vessel with captain, cook, and crew — remains the most popular format. Crews eat aboard (the cook is part of the experience), swim from the stern platform, and move between anchorages at a pace that rarely exceeds five knots. Bareboat charters are equally available for those who prefer to sail themselves; the standard fleet is modern European-built yachts from 35-50 feet. The meltemi reaches the Bodrum area from the north-west, funnelling down the Aegean coast. Inside the Gulf of Gokova, the mountains provide shelter, and the wind is typically lighter than on the exposed peninsula. July and August are windiest; May, June, September, and October offer gentler conditions and significantly lower charter rates. Provisioning in Bodrum is excellent and inexpensive by European standards. The town market sells fresh produce, spices, and olives; the fish market provides the evening's main course. On the gulf, several anchorages have small restaurants but no shops — provisioning before departure is advisable. Fuel and water are available at Bodrum's marinas and at a few points along the gulf.