Chartering a gulet in Turkey
Gulets are still built on this coast. In Bozburun, south-west of Marmaris, about twenty families build wooden hulls of up to 37 metres in their gardens and fields, and each takes from six months to two years. A crewed week gives your group a boat of its own, with a captain, a cook and crew, moving most days from one bay to the next. Our boats run from gulets for six guests to a 58-metre sailing yacht.
What a week includes
Crews run from three to five on a smaller gulet to more on the larger boats, and they look after the cabins, linen and towels through the week. Each boat has its own set of water toys, from snorkelling gear, kayaks and paddleboards to jet skis and Seabobs on some of the larger yachts. The rate covers the boat and its crew, and on most boats fuel for four hours' cruising a day.
Weeks run Saturday to Saturday on most boats. You board in the afternoon, often between three and five, and step ashore after breakfast on the last morning. A typical day starts with breakfast at anchor and a short passage while the sea is calm, then a swim stop and lunch, and either another short hop or a slow afternoon in the same bay. The last night is normally spent in a bay near where you leave the boat, with a short run in the next morning.
Gulets mostly travel under engine and raise sail only in a good wind, and some carry little or no rig, so if sailing matters to you, tell us when you enquire.
The best months to go
Our boats charter from April to the end of October. Sea temperatures below are the Turkish State Meteorological Service's long-run averages for the Aegean, which takes in Bodrum, and the Mediterranean, which takes in Fethiye; Marmaris sits between the two.
| Month | Season | Sea, Aegean | Sea, Mediterranean | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| April | Low | 16°C | 18°C | Empty bays, though rain is still possible and many shoreside restaurants have yet to open. |
| May | Low | 19°C | 21°C | Quiet bays and a warming sea. Kurban Bayramı, a national holiday, falls on 16 to 19 May in 2027, so ask early if you want that week. |
| June | Mid | 22°C | 24°C | The summer wind, the meltem, begins. Mornings are calm and the breeze builds from late morning. |
| July | High | 24°C | 27°C | Hot, with the meltem at its strongest, typically 11 to 21 knots on open water by mid-afternoon. |
| August | High | 25°C | 28°C | The warmest sea of the year, and the busiest weeks, when Europe's school holidays overlap. |
| September | Mid | 23°C | 27°C | A degree or two cooler than August, with emptier bays as Europe's schools go back and a gentler meltem. |
| October | Low | 21°C | 25°C | Quiet bays again, and on the Mediterranean side the sea is still warmer than in June. Rain is more likely than in summer. |
Off Bodrum itself, the sea has run a degree or two warmer than these long-run averages in recent years, most of all in September and October. If school holidays decide your dates, the Gulf of Fethiye is the sheltered choice in July and August, its afternoon wind often no more than a light breeze.
Where the boats go
Each boat has a home port, but our boats can cruise most of this coast, and starting somewhere else is often possible if you ask. We confirm where you board when you book. Milas-Bodrum airport, about forty minutes from Bodrum, serves the western end, and Dalaman serves Marmaris and Fethiye, an hour to an hour and a half away. The coast is described gulf by gulf on our Coast page, and for Bodrum we have set out two sample weeks, one round the Gulf of Gökova and one south to Knidos.
What it costs
A week runs from about €8,000 on one of our smaller gulets early or late in the season to well over €200,000 at the far end of the fleet. Every boat's rate is lowest in April, May and October and highest in July and August, with June and September in between.
Rates are quoted before VAT, which in Turkey is 20%, and before food, which on most of our smaller gulets starts at €595 a person for the week on half board. At the end of the week it is customary to leave the captain a tip for the crew, typically 10% of the charter fee. The larger yachts usually charter on MYBA terms instead, where food, drinks and running costs are paid from an allowance agreed in advance rather than at a set price per head.
How booking works
Let us know your dates, who is coming and what you would like from the week: quiet bays or village evenings, long swims, good food, time under sail. We'll reply within three hours, or first thing if you write overnight.
From there we'll send you a shortlist of boats we think are the right fit for your group and the week you have described. Once you have a favourite, we'll put together an itinerary built around what you have told us.
When you are ready to book, we'll send you the charter agreement for the boat. Half the charter fee is typically due on signing, and the rest four weeks before you board.