Turkey Mediterranean Cruise: 5 Best Routes and What to Expect

A Turkey Mediterranean cruise is the easiest way to see the best of the Turquoise Coast: you sleep on a traditional wooden gulet, wake up in a different bay every morning, and swim straight off the back of the boat into water so clear you can count the pebbles. People also call it a “blue cruise” (mavi yolculuk in Turkish), and once you have done one, the idea of seeing this coastline from a hotel pool feels a little sad. I have sailed this stretch more than once, so here is the honest version: what a cruise actually is, why it beats a land trip, and the five starting ports I would send you to first.

What is a Mediterranean cruise in Turkey?

In plain terms, it is a multi-day tour along Turkey’s southern coast on a boat, usually a gulet. A gulet is a handmade wooden sailing yacht with broad decks, and most of them carry between 8 and 16 guests across 4 to 10 en-suite cabins. You get a captain, a small crew, and a cook who feeds you three meals a day made from whatever was fresh at the morning market.

The route, the length, the boat, and the price all change from one operator to the next, but the rhythm is the same everywhere. You cruise for an hour or two, drop anchor in a quiet cove, swim and snorkel, eat, move on, and tie up somewhere new for the night. Some days you go ashore to walk through Lycian ruins; other days you barely leave the deck. That flexibility is the whole point.

There are two ways to book it. A cabin charter means you buy one or two cabins on a boat shared with other travellers, which is the cheaper, more sociable option. A private charter means you and your group take the entire gulet, which costs more but gives you full control of the route. Solo travellers and couples almost always go the cabin route.

Why go on a Turkey Mediterranean cruise?

Because no road on this coast comes close. The Turquoise Coast is a tangle of pine-covered headlands, hidden bays, and tiny harbours, and most of the prettiest spots simply cannot be reached by car. Butterfly Valley near Oludeniz, for example, is only accessible by boat or a steep, exposed hike. From a gulet, it is just another swim stop.

The pace is the other reason. There is no packing and unpacking, no checking in and out, no traffic. You unpack once, and the scenery comes to you. Mornings are for swimming before breakfast, afternoons for napping on a beanbag on the upper deck, evenings for dinner under the stars in a bay with maybe two other boats for company. If you have read my take on the classic Turkey blue cruise, this is the same idea applied specifically to the Mediterranean leg rather than the Aegean.

It also slots neatly into a bigger Turkey trip. Plenty of people fly into Istanbul, spend a few days in the city, then head south for a week on the water. If that is your plan, my list of cities worth visiting in Turkey and these reasons to visit Turkey will help you fill the rest of the itinerary.

Turkey Mediterranean cruise routes and starting ports

The honest answer to “which route is best” is: it depends on how much time you have and what you want to see. The single most popular voyage on the Mediterranean side is the four-day, three-night run between Fethiye and Olympos, which departs twice a week from mid-April to the end of October. But there are good reasons to start elsewhere. Below are the five ports I would actually recommend, and what each one is known for.

Fethiye

Fethiye is where most people begin, and for good reason. It sits at the western edge of the Mediterranean coast, has its own airport region nearby (Dalaman), and is the gateway to the showpiece scenery: the Blue Lagoon at Oludeniz, Butterfly Valley, and the cluster of bays known as the 12 Islands out in the Gulf of Gocek. A typical Fethiye day cruise swings past Bedri Rahmi Bay, where the Turkish painter Bedri Rahmi Eyuboglu left a fish painting on a rock that is still there, plus the natural pool at Cleopatra’s Bath and the ruins on St Nicholas (Gemiler) Island. For longer trips, Fethiye to Olympos is the classic. The town sits in Mugla province, so if you want a night on land before or after, my Mugla hotels guide covers the area.

Kas

Kas is my personal favourite starting point. It is smaller and more low-key than Fethiye, and it puts you right next to Kekova, the highlight of the entire coast. Kekova is home to a sunken city, the ruins of a Lycian town that slid into the sea after a 2nd-century earthquake; you can still make out staircases and foundations through the clear water, and many cruises hand out sea kayaks so you can paddle over them. Round-trip cruises from Kas range from a relaxed three-night loop out to Kekova and back, up to eight-day voyages that add the ancient city of Myra, Simena Castle, and a section of the Lycian Way coastal walk. Kekova region is protected, so swimming directly over the main ruins is restricted, but the kayaking is the best part anyway.

Kemer

Kemer sits just south of Antalya and works well if you are flying into Antalya airport and want to be on the water fast. It is a popular launch point for longer Kemer-to-Kekova runs, often eight days and seven nights, that trace the coast past Olympos and Cirali. The marina is large and modern, the surrounding Taurus mountains are dramatic, and it pairs nicely with a few days on land. If Antalya is your base, see my notes on things to do in Antalya and where to stay in my Antalya hotels guide.

Marmaris

Marmaris is the busiest, most resort-style of the five, with a huge marina and the widest choice of boats and budgets. It is the classic western anchor for the popular Marmaris-to-Fethiye route (often four days, three nights), which threads through the Gulf of Gocek and its island-studded bays. If you want plenty of departure options, easy flights, and a lively town to return to, Marmaris is a safe bet. It sits in Mugla province too, on the dividing line where the Mediterranean meets the Aegean.

Alanya

Alanya is the eastern outlier on this list, well past Antalya, with its medieval castle on a headland and long sandy beaches. The cruises here lean more toward day trips and shorter coastal tours than the multi-day gulet voyages you get further west, so it suits travellers who are based in an Alanya resort and want a taste of the water rather than a full blue cruise. Set your expectations accordingly: great for a day on a boat, less ideal as a week-long sailing base.

What is included on a Mediterranean cruise in Turkey?

This trips people up, so here is the breakdown. On a standard cabin charter, the price almost always covers your en-suite cabin, full-board meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner cooked on board), and the cruise itself. The day-to-day on board is swimming, snorkelling, sunbathing, kayaking where boats provide it, and going ashore to walk through ruins or grab a drink in a harbour village.

What is usually not included: drinks (you pay for alcohol and sometimes soft drinks separately), site entrance fees, optional extras like scuba diving or paragliding, and your transfers to and from the boat. Budget for those on top so the final bill is not a surprise. Tips for the crew are customary too; think of a modest amount per person for the week.

As for cost, prices move with the season. At the time of writing, cabin charters in 2026 run roughly EUR 650 to 900 per person in early season (May), around EUR 850 to 1,250 in June and September, and EUR 1,050 to 1,450 or more in the July and August peak, typically full board. May and late September are my sweet spots: the sea is warm enough, the bays are quieter, and you pay noticeably less than in high summer.

If you would rather take the whole boat with your own group, a private gulet charter is the way to do it, and our own team can arrange one on the Aegean and Mediterranean coast through Su Yatcilik’s Bodrum yacht charter, which is a natural launch point for sailing the wider Turquoise Coast. For broader inspiration before you book, my overviews of yacht tours in Turkey and the lighter Turkey Aegean tour are both worth a read.

Is a Turkey Mediterranean cruise worth it?

Yes, and it is the kind of trip people repeat. The combination of clear water, empty bays, real ancient ruins you can swim up to, and a crew that handles everything is hard to match anywhere else in the Mediterranean. Pick Fethiye or Marmaris for variety and easy logistics, Kas for the best scenery and Kekova, Kemer if you are coming through Antalya, and Alanya only for a shorter taste. Go in the shoulder season if you can, book a cabin charter if you are travelling light, and bring more sunscreen than you think you need. The rest takes care of itself.

Note: The images on this blog post are stock photos and they may or may not be from the actual cruises discussed here.