Things to Do in Antalya – Gulet Cruising on your Antalya Holiday:

Antalya has a warm Mediterranean climate and with 300 days of sunshine, unspoiled bays and beaches, it sees itself as the Turkish Riviera.  So, one of the pleasurable things to do in Antalya is to take a yacht cruise, especially in one of the beautiful and picturesque Gulets – a Turkish style wooden vessel.  A gulet cruiseis also the best way to see the beautiful coastline of Antalya.

Antalya Yacht Cruises

Take a stroll to the Antalya Kaleiçi Marina and you’ll see pleasure boats of all types moored at the marina. The boat owners have people soliciting business for them and you can be sure of being approached even before you can say ‘Jack Robinson’.

For day trips, there are many different boat tours on offer, ranging from 1 to 6 hours’ duration so before you haggle on a price, make sure you know what you are getting for your money. As an indication, our 2-hour private group gulet cruise took us to the waterfalls where we had time for a swim. The price was about USD25 or EUR 20 (2011 prices) with a light lunch included. 

There are many operators set up side by side at the Marina so you’ll be able to compare prices.

Daily boat tours depart from Antalya Kaleiçi Marina to the waterfalls and to the ancient city of Phaselis. You don’t have to book in advance as there are boats going in and out regularly. But if you have time, consider checking out the boats the day before to make sure you like the look and feel of the cruise. Ask the operator what types of passengers he normally carries, i.e. groups or individuals. One boat we saw had a group of young women who were out to party and if you prefer a more relaxing cruise, then a give the party boats a miss.

To convince you to get on board, the owners will try to assure you that the boat is leaving right away but the truth is the boat will only leave when the there are sufficient numbers to make the trip profitable.

Morning cruises tend to be calmer than afternoon cruises. It is also possible to take tours departing from the Kemer Türkiz Marina.

For anyone looking for gulet holidays, Blue Voyage Cruises is one of the yacht cruise companies that provide gulet cruises ranging from a couple of days and longer. These cruises go around the unspoiled bays and beaches where you are less likely to be inundated with crowds of sun-seeking holidaymakers.

How about you, what do you think?