General Description of Blue Voyage on the Aegean and Mediterranean Seas

CevatSakirKabaagacli, a famous Turkish author, used to pack some watermelons, ice, bait, and fishing gear and go on the sponge divers’ boats, wooden sailboats called gulets, with his friends to explore the coastline in Gokova Bay near Bodrum. The year was 1925. He was in exile for three years in Bodrum for publishing a story about the Turkish army fugitives. What an exile!He was spellbound by the nature and the people in Bodrum and ended up spending 25 years there. He started to write about Bodrum, its people, and the beautiful coves with turquoise waters surrounded by pine trees. He used a pen name, “Fisherman of Halicarnassus” (Halicarnassus is Bodrum’s ancient name.

Thanks to him, his leisurely coast-exploring with his intellectual friends later turned into an international tourist attraction: Blue Voyage/Blue Cruise in Turkey. And the sleepy town of Bodrum became the Turkish Riviera.

Cruising on the Aegean and Mediterranean Seas is about invigorating all of your five senses. The smell of the sea, the taste of the salty seawater in your mouth, the gentle touch of the water on your body, the sound of the laps of little waves on the rocks, and the spectacular views of landscapes, all shades of green and blue, cooling waterfalls, perfect sunrises, calming sunsets, and incredible night skies… these things are hard to describe until you’ve experienced them yourself.

The entire coastline of the Aegean Sea and the Mediterranean Sea is dotted with historic sites. Depending on the route you choose, you may be able to visit:

• Cleopatra’s Beach at Sedir Island in Gokova,
• The Mausoleum of Halicarnassus (Bodrum), one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, and St. Peter’s Castle built by the Knights of Hospitaller in the 14th century in Bodrum.
• The ancient Greek city of Knidos (Cnidus) perched on a hill at the tip of Datca Peninsula with breathtaking views of the Aegean and Mediterranean Seas.
• The sunken city of Simena in Kekova where your boat hovers above sunken houses and staircases and tombs.
• Caunos, where you can walk around the 4th century Lycian city and its royal rock tombs carved into the rock cliffs,
• The ruins in Ciftlik Bay, dating back to 1200 BC
• The citadel from the Hellenistic era in Bozukkale (Lorymar)
• The Hippocrates’ tree in Kos (Cos)
• The famous Pietaof the Virgin Mary, holding the crucified Christ, in Lipsi.
• The active volcano in Nisiros, and
• The medieval old town in Rhodes

Of course, Blue Voyage is not just about swimming, eating, resting and visiting historical sites. You also experience the flora and fauna. When summer hits, purple, white, red and orange bougainvillea hang over the rooftops of white-washed houses while white jasmine fills the air with its intoxicating smell. Colorful geraniums adorn the windows. You wake up to the smell of wild thyme. Going into the summer, you can enjoy the mulberries, apricots, peaches, cherries, andfigs. These figs are three times the size you buy anywhere else and the taste is incomparable to anything.When fall comes closer, you can enjoy a pomegranate the size of a pomelo, and grapes of all varietieshanging down from the pergolas. You may pluck off some of these fruits from the trees on the sidewalks or at ancient sites such as Ephesus and Pamukkale.

As far as the fauna goes, you are always reminded of being one of the species amongst the peacocks at the Rodini Park in Rhodes, endangered 250-pounds CarettaCaretta turtles at the Iztuzu Beach, bees buzzing around the boat, goats bleating on the rocks, and sheep grazing around the villages.

If you are lucky, you may be able to see yakamoz, which has been the friend of fishermen for thousands of years. Yakamoz means “phosphorescence”, emission of light by bioluminescent planktons. They are the fire flies or the stars in the water. When they are disturbed, they create a wonderful luminescent effect. If you see any sparkle in the water, just put on your swimsuits and start swimming. You will be swimming with the stars in the water. Wave your arms. Those little creatures become tiny stars on your arms, your legs, and your hair. It is an incredible phenomenon. It is magical.

Today, the fishermen still follow the yakamoz paths created by schools of fish.

And you have your turquoise-blue Mediterranean never leaving you for a moment during your Blue Voyage. Have a blissful one!

Please see the Blue Voyage routes we offer.