Turkish Riviera Itineraries: Day Charters and Multi-Day Routes
The Turkish Riviera’s compact cruising ground between Kaş and Kekova packs extraordinary diversity into short passages: ancient cities, a sunken settlement, world-class diving, cliff-framed beaches and remote pine-forest anchorages. The 3-day and 4-day itineraries below cover different ground and can be combined into a 7-day Lycian coast voyage – or extended west to Fethiye for an 8-day grand tour – without repeating a single stop.
Day Charter Routes from Kaş
Kaş to Kekova and Simena: The Sunken City
Depart Kaş harbour mid-morning and cruise east to Kekova – roughly 20 nautical miles, 90 minutes at cruising speed. Your captain edges slowly along the northern shore of Kekova Island while you watch the sunken Lycian city slide past beneath the crystal surface: stone walls, stairways, door frames and building outlines at 2–5 metres depth. Continue to Kalekoy (Simena) and tender ashore to climb to the Crusader castle and the tiny rock-cut Lycian amphitheatre. Lunch at a simple waterfront restaurant with tables over the water, or return to the yacht for a chef-prepared feast on the aft deck. Snorkel in the surrounding bays, then cruise back to Kaş as the sun drops behind the mountains. Duration: 8–10 hours.
Kaş to Kaputas and Kalkan: The Gourmet Route
Cruise west from Kaş to Kaputas Beach – roughly 10 nautical miles, 30 minutes. Tender ashore at this cliff-framed strip of turquoise perfection for a morning swim, skipping the 187 stone steps entirely. Return to the yacht and continue to Kalkan – a further 8 nautical miles west. Anchor in the sheltered bay and tender ashore for a late lunch at one of the hillside town’s celebrated rooftop restaurants: Korsan Fish Terrace for grilled sea bass with panoramic bay views, or Eski Ev for Ottoman-inspired dishes in a restored trading house. Browse the cobbled lanes and artisan shops, then cruise back to Kaş for sunset. Duration: 7–9 hours.
Kaş to Meis (Kastellorizo): The Greek Island Hop
The Greek island of Meis is just 2 nautical miles from Kaş – a 10-minute crossing. Clear customs (your captain handles the paperwork in advance), and spend the morning exploring the island’s colourful waterfront, tiny lanes and handful of tavernas. Take a small boat into the Blue Grotto – a sea cave where sunlight refracting through a submerged entrance turns the water an electric blue. Swim in the deep bay, lunch at a waterfront taverna, and cruise back to Kaş by mid-afternoon. Duration: 5–7 hours.
3-Day Turkish Riviera Yacht Charter Itinerary: Kaş, Kekova and Gökkaya
Day 1: Kaş to Kekova and Kalekoy
Board your yacht at Kaş harbour by mid-morning. Cruise east along the dramatic Lycian coast – pine-forested mountains plunging into deep blue water, with no road and no development visible for long stretches. Arrive at Kekova by midday and cruise slowly along the sunken city’s northern shore, watching the 2nd-century ruins glide past beneath the surface. Continue to Kalekoy and tender ashore: climb the stone path through the village (no roads, no cars – everything arrives by boat) to the Crusader castle at the summit. Pause at the tiny Lycian amphitheatre, carved into the rock with just seven rows of seats and a capacity of roughly 300. The views from the castle ramparts – across the island, the sunken city and the open Mediterranean – are extraordinary. Descend to a waterfront restaurant for grilled fish and simple Turkish meze, or return to the yacht for dinner on the aft deck. Anchor overnight at Kalekoy.
Day 2: Üçağız, Tersane Bay and Gökkaya
Morning cruise to Üçağız, the rustic fishing village opposite Kekova Island. Lycian sarcophagi stand in the shallows near the village – an otherworldly sight that captures the coast’s layering of ancient and modern. Explore by tender, then cruise east to Tersane Bay on Kekova Island itself – a natural harbour sheltered by the island, with ancient ruins (including a Byzantine church apse) on the shore and warm, clear water. After lunch, continue east to Gökkaya Bay – one of the most dramatic anchorages on the Lycian coast: a deep, narrow inlet flanked by sheer cliff walls, with sea caves, a pirate-hideout atmosphere, and swimming in water so deep it looks midnight blue. Anchor overnight in the bay’s sheltered inner reaches, where the silence is broken only by birdsong and the splash of fish.
Day 3: Diving and Return to Kaş
Rise early for a morning dive (or snorkel) at one of Kaş’s headline sites. The Canyon – a trench descending to 20 metres, its walls carpeted in colourful sponges and soft coral, with moray eels and grouper in the crevices – is the classic choice. Alternatively, explore the Uluburun Archaeopark’s replica Bronze Age shipwreck in the sheltered waters of Hidayet Bay. After the dive, cruise west to a quiet anchorage for a late-morning swim and a farewell lunch on the aft deck – perhaps a full Turkish breakfast spread: sucuklu yumurta, fresh clotted cream, honeycomb, tomatoes still warm from the sun, and strong çay. Arrive back at Kaş harbour by early afternoon.
4-Day Turkish Riviera Yacht Charter Itinerary: Kalkan, Patara, Kaş and Kekova
Day 1: Kaş to Kalkan and Kaputas
Board at Kaş harbour by mid-morning and cruise west toward Kalkan. Stop en route at Kaputas Beach – a narrow strip of sand squeezed between sheer cliffs, with water so turquoise it barely looks real. Tender ashore for a morning swim in the sheltered bay. Continue to Kalkan – roughly 18 nautical miles from Kaş in total, an hour at cruising speed. Anchor in the calm bay and spend the afternoon exploring the hillside old town: whitewashed Ottoman-Greek houses, cobbled lanes draped in bougainvillea, and artisan shops selling hand-painted ceramics and local textiles. As the sun drops, settle into a rooftop restaurant – Salonika 1881 for romantic views and refined Turkish-Mediterranean cuisine, or Korsan Fish Terrace for the freshest fish on the coast. Dinner as the lights of the bay twinkle below.
Day 2: Patara and Xanthos
Cruise west from Kalkan to Patara – roughly 12 nautical miles, 40 minutes. Anchor offshore and tender to Patara Beach: 18 kilometres of unbroken white sand, protected as a loggerhead turtle nesting site and remarkably uncrowded even in peak season. Swim, walk the deserted sand, and feel the scale of a beach that seems to stretch to the horizon. After a morning on the beach, visit the ancient city of Patara – the principal port of the Lycian League and birthplace of St Nicholas. Walk through the monumental gateway (reconstructed in the 1st century AD), the bouleuterion (Lycian parliament building, one of the earliest democratic assembly halls in history), the theatre and the ancient lighthouse. For those with extra time, the UNESCO-listed site of Xanthos (the former Lycian capital) and the sanctuary of Letoön are a short drive inland and well worth the excursion. Return to the yacht for a chef-prepared lunch, then cruise back east toward Kaş, arriving by late afternoon.
Day 3: Kaş, Meis and Diving
A morning excursion to Meis (Kastellorizo) – the tiny Greek island just 2 nautical miles from Kaş. Cross the strait in 10 minutes, clear customs, and explore the colourful waterfront and the Blue Grotto, where sunlight refracting through a submerged entrance turns the cave’s interior an electric blue. Swim in the deep bay, enjoy a Greek coffee at a waterfront taverna, and return to Kaş by midday. After lunch, arrange a dive at one of Kaş’s premier sites: the Canyon for sponge-draped walls and marine life, or the Dimitri Wreck (a steel cargo vessel at 15–40 metres, home to grouper, moray eels and barracuda). Non-divers can snorkel the amphora fields, where 2,000-year-old pottery fragments litter the seabed. Dinner ashore at one of Kaş’s waterfront restaurants – Bi Lokma for creative Turkish-Mediterranean small plates, or Chez Evy for harbour views and grilled seafood.
Day 4: Kekova, Kalekoy and Return to Kaş
Cruise east to Kekova for a final morning with the sunken city. This time, approach from the east and cruise the full length of the submerged ruins in the low morning light, when the underwater walls cast long shadows and the detail is at its most vivid. Tender to Kalekoy for a climb to the castle and a late breakfast at a waterfront restaurant: eggs, fresh bread, honey, olives and Turkish tea, with the sunken city as your view. Return to the yacht and cruise west, stopping at a quiet cove between Kekova and Kaş for a farewell swim and a chef-prepared lunch on the aft deck. Arrive back at Kaş by mid-afternoon with time for a final stroll through the amphitheatre, the Lycian sarcophagi and the artisan lanes.
Guests looking for a longer voyage can combine the 3-day Kaş–Kekova–Gökkaya route with the 4-day Kalkan–Patara–Meis–Kekova route for a 7-day charter covering the full Turkish Riviera without repeating a single anchorage. For an even grander itinerary, add a westbound leg from Kaş to Fethiye (45 NM) via Butterfly Valley, creating an 8-day Lycian coast epic from Patara to Göcek.
