7-day Gulet Cruise Fethiye to Kekova: Blue Lagoon & Sunken City

The Sunken City sits just below the surface where you swim.

A 7-day gulet cruise from Fethiye along Turkey's Mediterranean coast, sailing between the Blue Lagoon, Kekova's submerged Lycian ruins, and remote anchorages where you swim, snorkel and explore ancient sites from the water. The boat is a traditional wooden gulet carrying mixed-age travelers. Breakfast and dinner are served daily, with Wi-Fi and unlimited water included. Check-in starts at 9 or 10 am on day one. Disembarkation is between 12:30 and 1:30 pm on day seven.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Fethiye to Blue Lagoon cruise

• Check-in between 9 and 10 am
• Cruise to Blue Lagoon for swimming and snorkelling
• Evening anchor at St. Nicholas Island
• Explore ancient chapels and ruins
• View sunset from Byzantine amphitheatre

Day 2: Aquarium Bay and Kas visit

• Cruise early to Aquarium Bay
• Breakfast and swim at Aquarium Bay
• Explore Kas old town and harbour
• Visit ancient theatre in Kas
• Sail to Kekova coast and anchor at Kocakari Bay

Day 3: Sunken City and Simena Castle

• Breakfast at Kocakari Bay
• Sail over Sunken City of Kekova
• Visit Kalekoy village and Simena Castle
• Enjoy local ice cream in Kalekoy
• Evening at Gokkaya Bay for swimming and dinner
• Attend Smugglers Island night out

Day 4: Demre and Turtles Bay

• Morning swim and breakfast
• Cruise to Demre Cayagzi Harbour
• Farewell and welcome passengers
• Cruise to Karemlik Turtles Bay for snorkeling
• Visit Demre market and local café
• Afternoon cruise to Kalekoy via Sunken City
• Anchor at Gokkaya Bay for overnight
• Optional Smugglers Inn party night

Day 5: Kekova to Firnaz Bay

• Cruise to Limanagzi Bay for swimming and snorkeling
• Cruise to Kas for shopping and cafes
• Visit Antiphellos Amphitheatre and Kucuk Cakil beach
• Finish day at Firnaz Bay for swimming and dinner

Day 6: Butterfly Valley and St Nicholas Island

• Morning at Butterfly Valley with swim or hike
• Cruise to Oludeniz Blue Lagoon for swimming
• Visit St. Nicholas Island ruins and Sunset Point

Day 7: Tarzan Bay to Fethiye

• Cruise to Samanlik or Tarzan Bay for swim and breakfast
• Return to Fethiye Harbour by early afternoon
• Disembark and farewell

The experience

The cruise departs Fethiye heading straight for the Blue Lagoon at Oludeniz Beach, Turkey's most photographed stretch of coast, where turquoise water meets white sand and the cliffs of Babadag Mountain rise behind. You'll have time to swim and snorkel before the gulet anchors at St. Nicholas Island for the night. The island holds the ruins of early Christian churches dating to the 4th and 5th centuries, linked to the legend of St. Nicholas. A path climbs to Sunset Point for views across the bay as the light fades.

Days two through five trace the Kekova coast, a sequence built around water and history. You'll sail over the Sunken City, a 2,400-year-old Lycian settlement that vanished beneath the waves after earthquakes in the 2nd to 8th centuries: its ruins visible just below the surface as you swim overhead. The gulet stops at Kaleköy, a village of fewer than 50 houses where Lycian tombs rise directly from the water, some reachable by swimming. Simena Castle crowns the hillside above. The climb rewards you with views of islands stretching across the horizon. Between these stops, the boat anchors in quiet bays (Kocakari, Gokkaya, Limanagzi), where the water is clear enough for snorkelling and the pace is set by swimming and meals. On day three evening, other gulets gather at Smugglers Island, a remote open-air bar accessible only by boat, for music and dancing under the stars. Day four brings a crew change at Demre Harbour. You'll cruise to Karemlik Turtles Bay to see Caretta caretta turtles in their natural habitat, then return via the Sunken City. Kas, a 2,400-year-old town with marble streets and a Roman theatre overlooking the harbour, appears twice, once for exploration, once for shopping or coffee in a harborside café.

Day six reverses northward. You wake at Butterfly Valley, a cove framed by 350-meter cliffs where rare Jersey Tiger butterflies appear in summer. An optional hike leads inland to a hidden waterfall. From there, the route passes the Blue Lagoon again before a final night at St. Nicholas Island. The last morning is unhurried: a swim and breakfast in Tarzan Bay or Samanlik Bay before the gulet reaches Fethiye Harbour by early afternoon. The crew speaks English throughout. Wi-Fi and unlimited water are available aboard, though meals beyond breakfast and dinner, entrance fees to ancient sites, and alcoholic drinks are separate.

What’s included

• Accommodation in a traditional wooden gulet for 7 nights.
• breakfast and dinner daily.
• Wi-Fi aboard.
• unlimited drinking water.
• English-speaking guide.
• swimming and snorkelling at the Blue Lagoon, Butterfly Valley, Kekova's Sunken City, and Karemlik Turtles Bay.
• visits to St. Nicholas Island, Simena Castle, Kaleköy village, and the town of Kas.
• access to the Smugglers Island night out on day three.

Before you book

Days and timesSaturdayDeparts at 09:00Last departure this season: 31 Oct

Book up to4h before

AgesAdult (6 and older) · Under 6: can't be booked

GroupUp to 16

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 6 days before the start.Between 2 and 6 days before the start, 50% refund.After that, no refund.

Paid on siteUS$ 7.95

Prices and times updated 3 days ago

Good to know

Moderate physical effortPublic transport nearby

Operated by Farout Cruises - Blue Cruise & Sail Turkey

Is this one for you?The 7-day length means you sail the full Kekova coast and return to the Blue Lagoon, visiting sites you'd miss on a shorter cruise. If you have only 4 or 5 days, a different departure date carries a different itinerary and fewer stops.

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Top questions

What is the Sunken City of Kekova and how do you see it on this cruise?

The Sunken City is a 2,400-year-old Lycian settlement that sank beneath the Mediterranean after earthquakes between the 2nd and 8th centuries. The gulet sails directly over it so you can see the partially submerged ruins just below the water's surface while swimming and snorkelling. You'll also pass it again by paddleboard on day four to view the Lycian Tombs standing in the water nearby.

Do you stay on the boat every night, or do you sleep on land?

You sleep aboard the traditional wooden gulet every night of the 7-day cruise. The boat anchors in different bays each evening, St. Nicholas Island, Kocakari Bay, Gokkaya Bay, Firnaz Bay, so you wake to a new location each morning without packing and moving hotels.

What meals are included, and what do you need to pay for separately?

Breakfast and dinner are served daily aboard the gulet. Lunch is not included, so you'll either eat at restaurants in towns like Kas and Demre or arrange food on the boat separately. Alcoholic drinks are also not included. You pay for any you order.

Is there a night out or social activity built into the cruise?

On day three evening, the gulet joins other boats at Smugglers Island, a rustic open-air nightclub on a remote island accessible only by boat, with music, dancing, and a one-of-a-kind atmosphere under the stars. You have the option to return there on day four if you wish.

What is Butterfly Valley, and what can you do there?

Butterfly Valley is a cove on day six framed by 350-meter cliffs, named for the rare Jersey Tiger butterflies that appear during summer months. You can swim in the crystal-clear water, relax on the beach, or take an optional hike up a shaded trail to a hidden waterfall surrounded by greenery.

How physically demanding is this cruise?

The operator recommends at least a moderate level of physical fitness. Most days involve swimming and snorkelling from the boat, and there are optional activities like hiking to a waterfall at Butterfly Valley or climbing to Simena Castle and Sunset Point at St. Nicholas Island. You can skip these and rest aboard if you prefer.