Sailing holiday in Greece, North Dodecanese cruise
| country: | Greece, Turkey |
| departures: | 2010: 5 Jun |
| price: | From £1890 (8 days) excluding flights. Price includes: Full board accommodation on boat, all road transfers, all crew services on boat, entrance fees and tips on land, archaeological excursions. |
| more info: | Single supplement £475 |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
introduction to Sailing holiday in Greece, North Dodecanese cruise
This week-long cruise takes us through some of the most beautiful and evocative of the Greek islands, and also provides a tantalising taste of the Turkish coast that they cluster along.
Far from the Greek mainland, but in clear sight of Turkey, the location of these islands has bequeathed them with a legacy of spectacular fortifications and religious sites of all periods and beliefs, which we will explore at leisure. Sailing south from Samos through to Kos, we will combine these site visits with some relaxed strolls through the modern towns, with their winding streets, magnificent views and traditional Greek architecture. We will also take full advantage of the secluded coves and sandy beaches that are perfect for swimming, but seldom visited, and dine out occasionally in traditional Greek tavernas.
This tour is designed to be a perfect complement to the subsequent Sailing to Ephesus tour. Independently, they will introduce you to some of the most beautiful aspects of the respective cultures; together, they will introduce you to all aspects of one of the most complicated historical fault-lines of the eastern Mediterranean.
While our gulet cruises in Turkish waters are restricted to 14 guests, in Greek waters boats are restricted to 11 guests, so this is a very small group tour in the company of a leading expert.
Featured activities:
Sailing Swimming Visits to archaeological sites Trips to museums
Far from the Greek mainland, but in clear sight of Turkey, the location of these islands has bequeathed them with a legacy of spectacular fortifications and religious sites of all periods and beliefs, which we will explore at leisure. Sailing south from Samos through to Kos, we will combine these site visits with some relaxed strolls through the modern towns, with their winding streets, magnificent views and traditional Greek architecture. We will also take full advantage of the secluded coves and sandy beaches that are perfect for swimming, but seldom visited, and dine out occasionally in traditional Greek tavernas.
This tour is designed to be a perfect complement to the subsequent Sailing to Ephesus tour. Independently, they will introduce you to some of the most beautiful aspects of the respective cultures; together, they will introduce you to all aspects of one of the most complicated historical fault-lines of the eastern Mediterranean.
While our gulet cruises in Turkish waters are restricted to 14 guests, in Greek waters boats are restricted to 11 guests, so this is a very small group tour in the company of a leading expert.
Featured activities: day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Our boat is about an hour from Izmir airport, in the yacht harbour at Kusadasi. Welcome drink and dinner on board. |
| Day 2: | We set sail in the morning and travel south-west out of the gulf of Ephesos to Samos, where we visit the rich archaeological museum in Vathy before strolling through the town of Pithagorio to have dinner in a local Greek taverna. |
| Day 3: | We explore the most evocative ruins of ancient Samos, the temple of Hera and the tunnel of Eupalinos, before sailing south to the beautiful Greek island of Patmos. |
| Day 4: | A morning visit to the Monastery and cave of St John, where the Book of Revelations was written, followed by an afternoon’s cruise to the pretty island of Leros. |
| Day 5: | We head to the 11th century castle of the Virgin Mary and its breathtaking views over the island, then visit the Leros archaeological museum before sailing south past the island of Kalymnos to Kos, one of the most significant of all the Greek Dodecanese. |
| Day 6: | Inland to one of the greatest healing sanctuaries of the ancient world, the Asclepieion of Kos, and then a chance to explore the castle of the Knights of St John and stroll through the ruins of the ancient capital city. |
| Day 7: | We cruise north east to explore Halicarnassus, site of the Mausoleum, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, and the castle of St Peter, now one of the most important museums of underwater archaeology. A chance for some last minute shopping. |
| Day 8: | Transfer from our gulet to Bodrum airport, some 40 minutes away. |
small group adventure holiday
Typically you will be sharing your experiences with between 4-20 like minded travellers (depending on the trip, operator and how many others are booked on the trip) and you'll have a group leader with you. Whether you are travelling alone or with friends its good value, and a great way to meet new people! While itineraries are pre-planned there is some flexibility and you'll have plenty of privacy. This trip will appeal to travellers of all ages who enjoy meeting new people as well as seeing new places. how this holiday makes a difference
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Environment
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. Since we are 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. We have been using the same gulet for the majority of our trips ever since we started organising tours in Turkey. We charter the gulet for almost the entire season, providing important employment and income to the boat’s crew and owner. 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 Throughout this tour we work with the local people on the Greek islands, from guides to drivers, location managers to restauranteurs. We eat dinner in a number of the local tavernas, which are family run. As a result this trip puts money directly into the pockets of local islanders, so it is the local community, often quite remote and isolated, that benefits. We make it clear to our customers that the archaeological and historic remains we visit must be treated with care and attention. We consider archaeological tours to be of great benefit. Uncovering the past enhances our travellers’ ability to understand Greece’s modern situation – its culture and religion, as well as the environmental history of fragile island ecosystems. We travel in a small group (maximum 11) to minimize our impact on the environment. We believe that escorted small group tours are the best way to organise sustainable tourism, allowing travellers to discover the ancient heritage and modern culture of the Greek islands, while at the same time keeping our impact as low as possible. |
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. |
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