Turkish Coast and Greek Islands – The Southern Dodecanesian Islands

Bodrum • Kos • Nissiros • Tilos • Rhodes • Symi • Datca • Bencik • Selimiye • Loryma • Knidos • Cokertme • Bodrum

Day 1 – Bodrum / Kos
Embark on your yacht in the beautiful town of Bodrum, quietly sail to the Greek island of Kos, founded in 400 B.C. And the birthplace of Hippokrates. Dinner will be served in Pserimos bay (of Kos), where you can enjoy your welcome aboard cocktails in the view of a breathtaking sunset.

Day 2 – Kos / Nissiros (lunch) / Tilos
Your breakfast will be served in Pserimos (southern bay of the island of Kos), where you can enjoy the warm waters of the Empros baths. After a most delightful breakfast on board and a nice swim, we will sail over to the island of Nissiros, a notable mention in the Iliad by Homer, to have lunch. The island of Nissiros is said to be born after a series of successive eruptions of its volcano, Loutra, which is still considered active; you may visit its easily accessible craters, a church built in the 1600s, or swim in Mandraki. You will spend the night in a quiet anchorage here, or sail to the island of Tilos for dinner.

Day 3 – Tilos
Your breakfast will be served in Playio Bay of Tilos, then head over to Livadia Bay for some snorkeling and lunch. If you fancy an early evening walk, we will take you to Megalo Chorio, the island capital, where surrounding the central plaza you will see the remains of ancient walls, a necropolis, a museum, monasteries and the ruins of a castle.  The island of Tilos is one of the least populated Greek islands, a delightful and characteristic one that has retained its traditional atmosphere. The island is known for its vistas of high cliffs, rocky inlets, and valleys of cypress, walnut and almond trees. It was here that one of ancient Greece’s female poets, Irini, lived in the 4th century B.C. .

Day 4 – Chalki
You will arrive in Chalki after breakfast in Tilos. The setting in Chalki is delightful, pretty houses scattered around a picturesque harborside, fishing boats at anchor, and a backdrop of rugged mountains. Nimborios is the only settlement in this little island and it is home to Venetian style, 2 and 3-story tall, renovated mansions that make this island’s architecture among most unique in the Dodecanesian. Chorio is the island’s ancient capital, lying at the foot of an ancient castle with a history of more than two thousand years. The island is also home to more than 360 country chapels awaiting your visit.

Day 5 – Rhodes / Lindos (historical bay in southern Rhodes)
After breakfast in Chalki, you will sail to the island of Rhodes and anchor in the historical bay of Lindos around noon time. The famous island of Rhodes, founded before the Hellenistic epoch, built by the Knights of St. John, offers you various options. On your first day, you can visit the old town embedded in the walls of the castle separating it from the modern city of Rhodes; take time for the Archeological Museum, the manor houses, the famous acropolis in Lindos, climb the Monte Smith to enjoy the panoramic view, or take a short trip to visit the natural wonder of the Butterfly Valley. You can also spare time for the thermal bats of Kallitheda. You will be delighted once again when you lie down on your yacht’s aft seating after dinner, relax and gaze at the horizon lit by moonlight.

Day 6 – Lindos / Rhodes, main harbor
You will enjoy a relaxing day on your yacht; in the evening, you can stroll through the ancient lanes of Rhodes under the shadow of the arcades, and watch the minarets and church towers peacefully enjoy the summer breeze of the Mediterranean. Before dinner, just relax on board and then stroll around the streets with the bars, casinos and theatres of the awaking nightlife of the town.

Day 7 – Symi
Arrival at the island of Symi after a short cruise. A short swimming break and lunch before reaching the picturesque, tiny harbor surrounded by the neo-classic buildings. Just relax sitting at the typical cafes around the harbor, stroll around in the lanes watching the donkeys carrying their loads, or visit the Monastery of Panormitis at the southern part of the island. Overnight in the quiet anchorage of Marathounda Bay.  

Day 8 – Datca / Bencik (Turkish Coast)
You will leave Greece and enter Turkey through the town of Datca, only an hour distance from Symi, and this is where the Aegean Sea meets the Mediterranean. Datca is an idyllic and authentic fishing village, offerin exciting snorkeling. After lunch, you will sail into to the bay of Bencik, a lush, sheltered area that carves 3 km into the Datca peninsula. The coves and inlets in Bencik make ideal anchorages, offering breathtaking views of the lush forests melting into crystal blue waters.

Day 9 – Gerence / Selimiye
Cruise to the bay of Gerence for breakfast and then head on to visit the ancient church at Kamelya Island. For an afternoon of relaxation and swimming, you will sail over to Selimiye bay, where you may see a team of archeologists excavating a 9th century shipwreck. In Selimiye, you may also walk among the ruins of the ancient city of Hyda. Overnight in Selimiye.


Day 10 – Selimiye / Bozburun
You will wake up to a delicious breakfast in Selimiye; after a nice swim, you will cruise over to the Bozburun archipelago. In Bozburun, a traditional seaside village, you can peacefully stroll among souvenir shops by the water. Bozburun is also famous for the ancient city of Tymnos and its boatyards that gave birth to traditional gulets, such as the one you are travelling on. Overnight in Kiseli Island.

Day 11 – Bozukale / Loryma
Your breakfast will be served at a small fishing village named Bozukale. For the afternoon, your yacht will sail over to the antique city of Loryma, a hilltop crowned with a citadel dating from Hellenistic times, where ruins of the ancient harbor & castle can only be reached by boat. Loryma was primarily a harbor of refuge and not a trading harbor, the acropolis for the city now harbors several restaurants, but there is no other modern settlements moved in after the ancients left. Overnight in Loryma.

Day 12 – Loryma / Knidos
After breakfast and swimming in Loryma, your yacht will cruise over to the ancient Carian city of Knidos, described by Strabo as "a  city that was built for the most beautiful of goddesses, Aphrodite, on the  most beautiful of peninsulas." Knidos was founded by the Dorian Greeks in the 7th century B.C., and is renowned for its statue of Aphrodite (by one of the greatest Greek sculptors, Praxiteles) and as the birthplace of Eudoxos, one of the founding fathers of Greek geometry.You will anchor in a nearby inlet called Mersincik for the night after dinner is served in the view of a late sunset on the horizon.

Day 13 – Cokertme / Bodrum
Leaving Knidos, you will sail early towards the Bodrum peninsula and arrive in time for breakfast in Cokertme: a bay surrounded by pine and olive trees, sheltered against the winds. You will spend the day swimming and enjoying the azure waters of the Aegean, in the early evening, you may choose to visit the town of Bodrum – the ancient Halicarnassus, an extremely popular resort. Bodrum is renowned for its nightlife and somewhat bohemian atmosphere, perhaps due to the large number of exiled artists and poets who once lived here, and consequently left their lasting mark on the town. Close to Bodrum is the bay of Bitex which, with its prevailing winds, is a popular resort for windsurfers.

Day 14 – Bodrum
Breakfast on board, in the Cokertme or Bodrum harbor before saying goodbye.

NOTE: The Captain is authorized to change the above itinerary caused by weather conditions. Daily programs can be reorganized upon request of the guests.