Sailing Turkey & the Aegean Coast

The turquoise coast — where history meets the sea

Turkey's Aegean and Mediterranean coastline — the Turquoise Coast, or Türkiye Sahili — is one of the most dramatically beautiful sailing grounds in the world. From the ancient ruins at Ephesus near Bodrum, south through the Göcek–Fethiye region and on to Kaş, Antalya, and beyond, the coast offers an almost unbroken succession of deep turquoise coves, pine-forested hillsides, and Lycian tombs carved into cliff faces above the water.

Bodrum is the classic starting point — a cosmopolitan harbour town with a 15th-century Crusader castle guarding the marina. From Bodrum you can head north into the Greek-Turkish Aegean (Kos, Rhodes, and the Dodecanese are minutes away) or south into the Gulf of Gökova, one of the most sheltered and scenic stretches of Turkish sailing. Further south, Göcek has grown into the region's main charter hub, with six marinas sheltered inside a bay ringed by islands. Fethiye, accessible by gulet or yacht, sits on the edge of the sunken city of Kekova — you can sail over submerged Lycian ruins in crystal-clear water. Kaş is beloved by sailors for its relaxed pace and easy access to Kekova and the surrounding islands.

The best sailing season runs from May through October. July and August bring the Meltemi — a strong northerly that can make the open Aegean lively — while June, September, and October offer lighter breezes, fewer charter boats, and pleasantly warm temperatures. Water temperatures reach 28°C in August. Most international skippers hold both their home-country certificate and Turkish coastal authority papers.