Turkey: Aegean Sea & Istanbul

Arrival in Bodrum. Meet the group early afternoon for a briefing, followed by a walking tour of Mausoleum, the Castle and Underwater Museum. This is the best underwater archaeology museum in the world, with earliest ship wrecks ever found. The Castle of St. Peter was built beginning in 1402 by the Knights of St. John, the material was recycled from the Mausoleum, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Enjoy the welcome dinner and settle in our first hotel.

In the morning we will go to Halikarnas Rowing Club a gear check and then rowing! We will row from a bay past Bodrum Castle. We will be joined by local rowers. Midway, we will raft up and coffee will be served on the open sea! Lunch on the beach and then row back to the club. In the afternoon, we will have time to see more of Bodrum.

We leave Bodrum to take the ferry to Datça. It is a 2 hour journey with views of the Greek island of Kos. A shorter drive takes us to Datça where our boats will be waiting. We will rig and launch from there and row to Kargi, where we will leave the boats and return to spend the night in our beautiful hotel overlooking the bay. Datça is a charming town which attracts retired Turkish intellectuals. It is a port of entry to Turkey and has a small marina. Datça is the modern Knidos and famous for the best almonds in the world, great honey and olive oil. If we want more kilometers of rowing today, the Aegean is ready for us.

From the beach at Kargi Cove the first section is an 10 km row around a point to Pigs Bay. Inaccessible by road, the beach will be perfect for a rest stop. Then 7 more km to Hayıtbükü and our next beach hotel. It is quite remote, with hidden rocky inlets, trees on hills plunging into the water and more beaches. A perfect antidote to the hustle and bustle of the city and resort town.

Our exploration of the coast continues as we continue to row westwards along the narrow Datça Peninsula. Our destination, 13 km away, is Palamutbükü, where we will spend two nights. Along the way we will stop at Ovabükü beach. The beach at Palamutbükü is called a golden shingle, a stunning contrast with the crystal blue water. Development is slower here, and almond and olive trees still dot the hillsides. This is where we kick back and relax in a tranquil setting. Our beach hotel is just perfect for this. Ah, that feels good. And for the energetic, we can organize hiking in the hills behind the village.

When was the last time that you rowed to an archeological site? Knidos was established by the Greeks at the tip of the peninsula, where a double natural harbour made for a perfect port town and safe haven. Apparently St Paul, en route to Rome for trial in AD 50 or 60, was one of many maritime passengers forced to wait out a storm here. We will take our time to immerse ourselves in the history and landscape. Before our guided visit to the extensive ruins, we will load the trailer and bid farewell to our Bodrum support crew.  Then time to return to our beach hotel, anticipating a beautiful sunset to round out the day.

After a leisurely breakfast we will make our way to Dalaman airport – the drive will give us a chance to see more of the Turkish landscape. An early afternoon flight takes us to Istanbul. 

We will row on the Golden Horn with local rowers. The Golden Horn is one of Istanbul’s defining features. Approximately eight kilometres in length, the Haliç is an inlet of the Bosphorus dividing the European side of the city. We can see the city walls, towering Ottoman mosques, 19th century churches and the iconic Galata Tower. We do some sightseeing in the neighbourhood around the boat club, before some afternoon free time to explore Istanbul. In the late afternoon we will board a private boat for a stunning cruise up the Bosporus, before travelling to our farewell dinner location with a view of the last bridge before the Black Sea.

All good things come to an end. We hope you will have enjoyed a wonderful Turkey rowing tour!

Consider adding an extra day in Istanbul and enjoy Alper’s classic Old City walking tour, including the Roman Hippodrome, Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, Topkapı Palace. Lunch, licensed guide and transportation included. You will need to book an extra night in Istanbul.