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It all began in 1925 with Cevat Sakir Kabaagacli (1886-1973), a novelist & short story writer who was sent to Bodrum in exile for a period of 3 years. During his time here, he enjoyed the simple life spending most of his time with fisherman & found that by only having a fishing boat as means of transportation he started exploring the nearby coasts, deciding to stay in Bodrum once his exile period was over. Cevat then went on to write several articles about all he had experienced & his love for his lifestyle & Bodrum gave him the name “The fisherman of Halicarnassus”.
As time went on he started inviting friends to share everything he experienced & one of his closest friends that was always there was the writer & an art historian, Sabahattin Eyuboglu (1908-1973) & it was him who made travels a tradition & named them “Mavi Yolculuk” in Turkish or the “Blue Voyage”.
Along the stunning coastline, you will get to quietly enjoy the sun rising into the clear blue skies whilst cruising a treasure chest of coves & bays, dive into the crystal clear water & experience the fish swimming with you then enjoy the glorious sunsets & long evenings that carry you into spending your nights anchored under the clear starry sky & shimmering moonlit sea but the most fascinating part of the Blue Voyage is in discovering the tremendous historical heritage that goes back to the Carian, Dorian & Lycian age.
Beginning at the ancient town of Halicarnassus, which is today's Bodrum, the coastline has many bays & historical sites like Dorian city of Knidos where Praxiteles created his masterpiece, the Aphrodite statue. Sailing south from here, you reach Marmaris town, which stretches even further south & midway you find the amazing Caunus City before reaching Fethiye. At Fethiye you will uncover countless bays & with the attractive towns of Gocek & Fethiye, the famous tomb of Amyntas is a giveaway of things to come. Whilst sailing from Fethiye to Oludeniz there is an ancient Lycian port & Byzantine settlement to be seen. Sailing from here brings you to the coastal towns of Kalkan & Kas, which are true treasures of Turkey that are surrounding by other ancient Lycian cities such as Letoon & Patara. From here you sail to Finike where you will see Kekova, which is another important Lycian territory & within a 6 miles radius you can visit ancient cities like Simena & Myra & from here you sail to Antalya, again with a number of bays but contains relics such as the fascinating city of Phaselis.
With everything that is on offer to you whilst travelling the sapphire waters, the peace & tranquillity of the unspoilt coastline really is the jewel of the Mediterranean & will be an unforgettable way of experiencing the real beauty of ‘Hidden Turkey’. This is a wonderful getaway from the stresses of ordinary life where time becomes meaningless & you soon forget that a modern world exists beyond the horizon.
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