Anchorages and Harbors of the Turquoise Coast

This was the only Lycian Tomb we could get up close to

Our Strangest Anchorage was Gemiler Island

One of our interesting experiences during our cruise was the sail by a little island that had ancient churches, fallen columns and old wells but no there was reference to what had been there in our cruising guides or in travel books. We found out later that it was the tiny Christian community that prospered in Byzantine time, the tiny Gemiler Island, to the south and east of Fethiye Bay. Five churches, one of them at the summit of the hills, served the citizens, who lived and conducted business in the settlement on the northern shore. Today, the ruins of the cathedrals, with fallen columns and intricately carved crosses, the homes, shops, and cisterns used to collect water, are all still in evidence.

Our Favorite Anchorages was Ekincik

A little further is the must do picturesque anchorage at Ekincik. This is the Dalyan River. In 400 B.C., the Carian people and their neighbors, the Lycians, used the river as a major trading port. They built a grand city on the hilltops and called it Caunos. What remains of it today is one of the most important archaeological sites in Turkey. The Carians and Lycians constructed elaborate tombs, grand temples of stone for their dead, and some of the most magnificent of these in all of Turkey line the cliffs along the shores of the Dalyan River. Much of the city is intact. A theater, four temples, baths, and many other buildings and structures are among the ruins to explore, an experience that is sure to inspire the imagination. The area is also famous for its hot springs and Turkish mud baths. The day at the baths is a must, you will hear every language spoken in your hours soaking. We had lunch under a tree with 100 chickens (don’t ask me why the chickens were there), walked across a penesula to get to a beach on the other side with historic ruins that were snorkel distance from the surface and met a young boy on his camel going to the well to fetch water for his family. You would have fallen in the well if you weren’t looking, it was just a deep hole in the ground.

Plan on Spending more time in Fethiye

The major port of Fethiye is one of the most friendly and service-oriented harbors on the Lycian Coast. You experience lively market bazaars that have been part of the culture for millennia. Merchants display all kinds of handicrafts, apparel, carpets, pottery, jewelry, and foodstuffs. Freshly caught seafood is a specialty. At night, the restaurants and bars are hopping with Middle Eastern music carry all the way to the boats at anchor.
Beneath the clear waters of the Lycian Coast lies a beautiful world of colorful marine plants and fish. Rock formations, deep tunnels, penetrating caves, steep drop offs are only accessible to scuba divers. One of the more impressive dive sites is Afkule I, a small cave teeming with red shrimp at 80 feet, and then deeper still to a huge cavern with colorful walls and filled with schools of darting fish. At the mouth of the cave, sunlight filters in with a deep blue. Scuba diving is regulated in Turkey, but arranging an organized diving expedition is easy at the town of Fethiye.