The reality of yacht charter in Turkey – Part 2
From Dalaman to Kas:
As we opted for a one-way charter from Kas to Orhanye, through courtesy of Anil Civi of Yelkeni Yachting, a 2-hour transfer was needed. With a stop in Fethyie for dinner we were in Kas by the early evening. The dinner in Fethiye, at the Girida Restaurant was nothing short of spectacular; a hedonistic parade of fresh seafood, the crunchiest vegetables imaginable and spices that leave no doubt that you are indeed finally in Turkey.
Kas:
After a day of traveling, we can finally stop to look around. Kas is a quaint little town, as touristy as one would expect. Even with quite literally a hundred restaurants and cafes buzzing with activity, its Mediterranean charm is still intact. The architecture, the local population and smells and the feel of vacation – one doesn’t want to leave at all. After a beautiful breakfast at the new western-style Kas Marina, we parted with Kas seemingly to early but other places wait to be discovered.
Kalkan, Patara beach, the Seven capes & Oludeniz:
Finally at sea. With our coastal travels accomplished, we are now occupied with the basic sailor’s worries – where to eat next. Yesilkoy bay near Kalkan strikes me as the perfect bay to accommodate a hundred boats at anchor, yet in two days we spot only a half a dozen. It’s safe, it’s uninhabited and turquoise. Again I wish there was more time – a feeling that most of us find unsettling but also makes us appreciate the here and now.
The six hour sail from Kalkan area to Kalakoy area is a harsh one; with the impressively long yet inapproachable Patara beach and the Seven capes offering little shelter, one should plan this leg carefully.
The famous Oludeniz beach is worth visiting but for a sailor with any serious safety standards anchoring there overnight is out of question. Thus we proceed to a nearby restaurant Karacaoren offering mooring buoys for tired sailors as if all had just crossed the Seven capes and in need of rest. Not surprisingly, we stay for two days. The bay is magnificently turquoise, the hosts are as friendly as can be and the food is good enough. Seems boaters cannot help thinking if the people living and working here are indeed the lucky ones.
Once settled in the bay I set back and inspected the surrounding boats; only a few private boats, half-empty gullets and luckily a very small but highly welcome flotilla by Yildiz Yachting.
On the second morning we will depart for Gocek. The nautical hub of the Turkish coast is calling.
