Archaeological cruise sailing holiday in Turkey
| country: | Turkey |
| location: | Turquoise Coast |
| departures: | 2010: 5 Jun, 4 Sep |
| price: | From £2445 (15 days) excluding flights. Price includes full board accommodation on boat, all road transfers, all crew services on boat, entrance fees & tips on land, archaeological excursions. Single supplement £495 |
| more info: | 2010 price: £2885 |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
the amazing things you'll be doing
This archaeological cruise and cultural tour explores the virtually untouched coastline of ancient Lycia, on Turkey’s breathtaking turquoise coast.
Behind the soaring Taurus mountains an extraordinary culture and a fiercely independent people developed. Their funerary architecture, unlike anything else in the world, still litters their once prosperous ports. We step back in time, to see how these towns evolved from Greek, Roman and Byzantine times to the present day. Their location, history, and state of preservation make for some of the most fascinating archaeological sites in the world.
Sailing aboard a luxurious gulet is simply the best way to explore the maritime civilisation of the Lycians. We can reach otherwise inaccessible places in relaxing and stylish fashion without even the need to change hotels. There are frequent opportunities to swim in the crystal waters of the Turquoise coast, windsurf, kayak, or go for a hike and admire the flora. Once a day we visit one of the antique cities that adorn Lycia’s timeless coast. We stroll along ancient roads lined with wild herbs, and through olive trees strewn with rock tombs.
We have the chance to snorkel over sunken harbours and climb rocky fastnesses for unrivalled vistas. From soaring aqueducts to the best preserved Roman theatre in the world, each site is an archaeological adventure, part of a historical puzzle that reveals a remarkable story of human civilisation.
Featured activities:
Sailing Swimming Visits to archaeological sites Windsurfing, Kayaking Trips to museums
Behind the soaring Taurus mountains an extraordinary culture and a fiercely independent people developed. Their funerary architecture, unlike anything else in the world, still litters their once prosperous ports. We step back in time, to see how these towns evolved from Greek, Roman and Byzantine times to the present day. Their location, history, and state of preservation make for some of the most fascinating archaeological sites in the world.
Sailing aboard a luxurious gulet is simply the best way to explore the maritime civilisation of the Lycians. We can reach otherwise inaccessible places in relaxing and stylish fashion without even the need to change hotels. There are frequent opportunities to swim in the crystal waters of the Turquoise coast, windsurf, kayak, or go for a hike and admire the flora. Once a day we visit one of the antique cities that adorn Lycia’s timeless coast. We stroll along ancient roads lined with wild herbs, and through olive trees strewn with rock tombs.
We have the chance to snorkel over sunken harbours and climb rocky fastnesses for unrivalled vistas. From soaring aqueducts to the best preserved Roman theatre in the world, each site is an archaeological adventure, part of a historical puzzle that reveals a remarkable story of human civilisation.
Featured activities:
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Our gulet is about 30 minutes from Dalaman airport at Göçek, a pretty harbour beneath mountains at the head of the Bay of Fethiye. Welcome dinner on board. |
| Day 2: | A chance to unwind sailing in the Bay of Fethiye. |
| Day 3: | South east to Gemiler Island, a key pilgrimage centre, where Japanese archaeologists have been working on a number of superb Byzantine churches. It’s a perfect area for swimming and snorkelling. |
| Day 4: | On to Kas, a beautiful village of white-washed houses covered with purple bougainvillaea. Ancient Antiphellos is littered with tombs and a theatre with a magnificent sea view. |
| Day 5: | East to picturesque Üçagiz, old Teimiussa, one of the most evocative of all Lycian burial sites. |
| Day 6: | On to the mountains to Arykanda, where archaeological excavations have revealed a prosperous monumental city. |
| Day 7: | On to Phaselis, seat of pirates who terrorised the region’s rich trade routes. Its three harbours and civic monuments now lie serene amid pine trees. |
| Day 8: | To Antalya, the south’s most vibrant city, with a fortified harbour and archaeology museum full of marble statues. Roman Perge is a vast treasure house of ruins. A real highlight of this archaeology tour. We stroll through colonnaded streets and shops, marbled bath-houses, a stadium, and vast Hellenistic fortifications. |
| Day 9: | We visit Aspendos’ mighty aqueduct and extraordinary theatre, the best preserved Roman theatre in the world. |
| Day 10: | South to Olympos, a pretty little archaeological site scattered amongst trees beside a sparkling stream. On an ancient sacred way we visit the Chimaera, a natural phenomenon where flames burst from the ground, and legendary home of the mythical beast. |
| Day 11: | We visit Myra, famed for its Roman theatre and rock hewn tombs. Walking through its port, Andriake, we uncover a giant cistern and granary built by the Emperor Hadrian. |
| Day 12: | West to Kale, site of ancient Simena, perched beneath a melee of Lycian tombs, and an Ottoman fort. One of the most romantic settings of the holiday. |
| Day 13: | We set off for pretty Kalkan, and inland to Xanthus, capital of ancient Lycia, where French archaeologists have been excavating for over half a century, uncovering more and more wonders every year. |
| Day 14: | A last dip, then to Fethiye to visit its magnificent cliff tombs and a final chance to shop. |
| Day 15: | Transfer from our gulet back to Dalaman airport. |
how this holiday makes a difference
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Environment
Travelling by boat, the amount of water available is limited and needs to be used sparingly. Only showers are provided, not baths, and we advise customers to reduce their use of water by taking short showers, and avoiding leaving the tap running for long periods. As a result the amount of water used during our cruises is significantly less than if travellers were staying in a typical large resort hotel. To help protect the environment, if we discover litter and detritus on a beach, path, etc. we pick it up, and then dispose of it properly. We regularly organise litter picking parties to tidy up a beach we are moored by and so help keep the coasts of Turkey and Greece and the Mediterranean beautiful, free from detritus, and safer for native animals. The gulet we use is locally owned, and the crew is Turkish. By chartering such boats, we provide important employment and income to the boat’s crew and owner. As well as the boat, we have used the same locally owned ground-handling agent, employing Turkish staff, since 1996. This ensures that money goes directly into the pockets of local people, so it is the local community that benefits. From an office perspective, we use green electricity and aim to use as little as possible. We reuse and recycle materials (such as paper, cardboard, glass, tins and food waste) whenever feasible. We try to keep our paper waste to a minimum, and all our printing is done using recycled paper and/or on paper approved by the FSC, the Forestry Stewardship Council. Community On this trip, we have lunch with the guardian of a remote archaeological site that we visit high in the mountains of Lycia. We have been coming to eat at the guardian’s home, and sample local foods cooked (and often grown) by his wife and family, every year for the past 10 years. We think meeting and spending time with local people helps foster cultural exchange, interaction, and mutual understanding, promoting a better understanding of different worlds and culture. At the same time we provide vital income to a family living in a very rural area. We visit small villages along the coast, some of which are only accessible by sea, such as Kale which has no road access. We provide much needed business to local cafes and shops in these places, thereby supporting local families, artisans, and village crafts. Throughout this tour we employ local guides and location managers. We also use local drivers and vehicles to visit sites, which are often owner operated or run by a local cooperative. This ensures that money goes directly into the pockets of local people, so it is the local community that benefits. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |