CARIAN ODYSSEY

12-Day Hiking, Sailing & Cultural Adventure Along the Ancient Routes of Turkish Aegean Coast

Caria was one of the ancient countries of southwestern Turkey and it has fascinating antiquities and dramatic landscapes. The color of the water along its coast ranges from turquoise to indigo. Ancient Caria had two of the most famous works of art in this geography: The Mausoleum of Halicarnassus and the nude Aphrodite statue of Cnidus. We spend seven nights on board sailing along this beautiful and spotless coast.

                                                                              
Tour Cost

^{DAY 1}    Arrive in Istanbul    

Welcome to Istanbul! Trip members on the designated group flight are met on arrival at Istanbul’s Ataturk International Airport and transferred to lovely Erguvan Hotel or a similar accommodation in Istanbul’s fascinating Old City, the Sultanahmet. We come together for an orientation meeting and welcome dinner in a favorite local restaurant.

^{DAY 2}    Istanbul    

We start exploring this exotic city that was capital to three great empires – Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman. We visit world famous sites such as the Roman Hippodrome, the exquisite Blue Mosque and Topkapi Palace, the home of Ottoman Sultans for 400 years.  We visit the Harem, the Treasure and the other sections of the Palace.  In the afternoon we see the great church of Haghia Sophia and Justinian’s Basilica Cistern. After a short resting at the hotel we walk down through the Spice Market and take an early evening boat trip along the beautiful Bosphorus. We have dinner at a fish restaurant at the sea front. Overnight at Erguvan or a similar hotel .

^{DAY 3}     Izmir, Selcuk   

This morning we fly to Izmir and drive to the city of Selcuk near Ephesus where we visit the ruins of the great Temple of Artemis, the largest ancient temple ever built and one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. We then continue to the forested hills above Ephesus to visit the House of the Virgin Mary. The present structure dates from the Byzantine period but was built over the foundation of an older building believed to be Mary’s last dwelling place.  Lastly we visit the Ephesus Museum with its statues of Artemis and gladiatorial artifacts.  Overnight at Nilya in Selcuk or Kismet Hotel in Kusadasi.

^{DAY 4}     Ephesus, Myndus    

Starting in the morning,  we tour Biblical Ephesus, one of the best preserved ancient city in the world.  Ephesus was the capital city of Roman Asia. We see the marble paved avenues, wonderfully preserved homes, temples, theaters, baths, markets, brothels, libraries and gymnasiums which bring us back to the splendor of the ancient world.  Afterwards we drive to the Lake Bafa Nature Preserve for lunch at the charming Club Natura Oliva then continue on to the village of Gumusluk, the ancient city of Myndus, at the tip of Bodrum Peninsula. The village is now a lively small fishing port. Here we board our private gulet, a traditionally built wooden yacht designed to run under sail or motor and the ideal way to explore Turkey’s breathtaking “turquoise coast”.  Overnight in the ancient harbor of Myndus.

^{DAY 5}     Myndus, Bodrum   

After breakfast we hike up to the ancient acropolis of Myndus and visit the remains of city walls of the Lelegians, the earliest known inhabitants of the region. We then sail to Adabogazi Bay and stop at the “Aquarium”. Located at the end of a long headland, hidden coves faced by a sheltering island create an area of such pristine waters that the locals named it the “Aquarium”.  Here we swim, kayak, relax and have lunch. In the afternoon we sail on to Bodrum, the ancient city of Halicarnassus. We visit the remains of the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, another of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, and the famous medieval Bodrum Castle which is now home to a fascinating nautical museum of the ancient world. We overnight in a quiet cove outside the town.

^{DAY 6}    Mersincik, Cnidus   

This morning we sail across the Gulf of Gokova and anchor in Mersincik Bay, a beautiful natural harbor surrounded by olive and almond orchards. In the late afternoon we hike to a mountain pass where we meet a vehicle for a short drive to the village of Mengen to have a drink in an old olive press restored to a café.  We then drive to the isolated end of the Datca Peninsula and meet our gulet in the ancient harbor of Cnidus. Cnidus was a Greek city famous for it’s nude Aphrodite statue by Praxiteles (360 BC), which later became the model of Aphrodite for the ancient world.  Sostratus of Cnidus designed and constructed the Pharos, the Lighthouse of Alexandria in 279 BC. The site had a very strategic position in antiquity as a shelter for ships going northward. Two beautiful ancient harbors are still serving the boats today.  We tour the site and swim in crystal-clear water of Cnidus. We overnight  in the ancient harbor of Cnidus.

^{DAY 7}    Kargi Bay, Datca, Kuruca Buku     

In the morning,  we sail to Kargi Bay near Datca, swim and have lunch there.  In the afternoon we visit the town Datca to shop and re-supply then sail to the bay of Kurucabuku, an isolated natural cove. We overnight in Kurucabuku.

^{DAY 8}    Kameriye Island, Maiden Reef, Turgut Cove, Bencik   

A short cruise takes us to Kameriye Island  where we visit a Byzantine church overlooking the deep blue water of the strait below. We then continue to Kizkumu to walk on the water. Kizkumu is a reef, believed to have been created by a beautiful maiden while she was running away from the pirates in old times. In the late afternoon we sail to Turgut cove and hike to an ancient Carian tomb and may be up to the castle crowning  the hill above Turgut village. We overnight in Bencik cove, another beautiful natural harbor.

^{DAY 9}    Dirsek Cove,  Loryma  

After breakfast we sail to Dirsek Buku cove where we swim, kayak and have lunch. In the afternoon we cruise to the southern part of Bozburun Peninsula to start a one-hour hike accross the peninsula. We meet our gulet in Serce cove and continue to the ancient harbor of Loryma in one of Turkey's most scenic regions with rugged peaks, deep valleys and delightful seascapes, still barely touched by tourism.  In ancient times Loryma was primarily a harbor of sanctuary and we explore the remains of the Hellenistic fortress that still stands at its entrance.  We overnight at Loryma.

^{DAY 10}    Gerbekse Cove,  Kadirga Bay  

In the morning we sail to the pretty cove of Gerbekse, at the end of which lie the ruins of a trade point of medieval times.  We visit a Byzantine church and an olive press and enjoy swimming in the wonderfully clear water of the cove. After lunch, we continue to Kadirga Bay where we overnight.

^{DAY 11}    Marmaris, Istanbul  

After breakfast we sail into the harbor of Marmaris where we leave our gulet. Marmaris, one of Turkey's premier vacation resorts, is surrounded by rugged pine-clad mountains. We explore the old town and visit the picturesque castle rebuilt by Suleyman the Magnificent over the foundations of an ancient fort in 1522  . We then leave the town and drive to Dalaman Airport for an afternoon flight to Istanbul. Overnight at Erguvan or a similar hotel in the old quarter of Istanbul.

^{DAY 12}    Depart    

Transfer to airport for homeward flights.

Optional 3-day pre-trip or post-trip Cappadocia extension.