Budget Mini Cruise from Reputable Travel Agency of Turkey

FETHIYE TO OLYMPOS or OLYMPOS TO FETHIYE BOAT CRUISE

 EVERYDAY DEPARTURE MINI CRUISE (4 DAYS + 3 NIGHTS)

 GENERAL INFO

These mini blue cruises departs almost everyday from Fethiye and Olympos, from the beginning of May till October but still early reservation is recommended to guaranty availability. For April and October please ask for availability several weeks before the departure date, because it is hard to know/confirm exact available dates long before the departure time.

Honestly, these mini-cruises are not very luxury and sometimes attended by back-packers and budget travelers also, whereas recommended for those people who do not have time for the weekly cruises but still do not want to miss a blue cruise experience in paradise-like coast of Southwestern Turkey.

For higher quality mini cruises you can partially join following weekly cruises (4 day/3 night) Bodrum to Karacasogut, Karacasogut to Bodrum; Marmaris to Fethiye and Fethiye to Marmaris routes.
Please see: Bodrum Weekly Cruise and Marmaris Weekly Cruise

Check-in to boats approximately between 09:30 am-12:00 at noon. The boats leave the harbors at approximately 11-00-12:00 at noon time, but the exact departure time is flexible. We recommend our guests to book a hotel in Fethiye, Olympos Village or Demre the night before the boat's departure. Please let us know if you want us to reserve your hotel, bus or plane tickets before or after the cruise.

The itinerary below is for the cruise starting from Fethiye and ending in Olympos bay of Antalya Province available from the beginning of April till the end of October. Please ask for availability in April and late October closer to departure time.

The reverse route (Olympos to Fethiye) is also available almost everyday with the same rates and conditions.

The boats actually arrive to/depart from Cayagzi harbor in Demre, from where the transfers are provided with several hours bus rides to/from Olympos village and camping area, well-known for its tree-house and bungalow accommodations.

Arrival to Fethiye: There are scheduled bus connections to Fethiye from most major cities and towns of Turkey. Dalaman (40 km) is the nearest airport to Fethiye, and there are frequent flights from Istanbul Ataturk Airport. There is also airport shuttle service of HAVAS for each domestic flight from Dalaman Airport to Fethiye Marina and Hillside Hotel, which takes 70 minutes and costs around 10 Euro pp.  Click here for the shuttle schedule of HAVAS for Dalaman airport

Arrival to Olympos/Demre: You can come to Demre (145 km to Antalya) or Olympos (80 km to Antalya) by frequent buses departing from Antalya for Kas or Fethiye. For Olympos you should ask the driver to let you off at the road to Olympos village which is 7 km south of the coastal highway. In summer, taxis and minibuses usually wait at this junction to shuttle travelers to Olympos proper for about YTL 3. There are scheduled long-distance bus connections to Antalya from all major cities and towns of Turkey. Antalya airport 10 km east of the city center and there are frequent flights from Istanbul Ataturk Airport as well as direct charter flights from major European cities in mid summer. There is also airport shuttle service of HAVAS to Antalya city center. Click here  for the shuttle schedule of HAVAS for Antalya airport.
 

Day 1 : FETHIYE-SAMANLIK BAY-BUTTERFLY VALLEY-ST. NICHOLAS ISLAND

Departure from Fethiye marina at around 11:00-12:00 o'clock noon time.  Stop at Samanlik bay for swimming and lunch. Move on to Butterfly Valley (Kelebekler Vadisi) where it is possible stop for swimming, shortly visiting the Blue Lagoon (Oludeniz) if the weather permits and arrive to St Nicholas Island (Gemiler Adasi) early in the evening where you will have your dinner and your boat will anchor for overnight. You can swim and visit Byzantium ruins in the island.
 

Yachts at Fethiye Marina	Butterfly Valley	Beach at St Nicholas Island

Fethiye is one of the most popular resorts of Turkey located on a wide bay, strewn with many islands. Fethiye is 135 kms southwest of Marmaris and has an outstanding and busy marina. The ancient name of the city is Telmessos and you will see a fortress on the hill overlooking the city which was built by Knights of Rhodes Island. Fethiye is also known for its rock tombs carved into the faces of the high cliffs by the Lycians. Among these tombs especially remarkable one is the tomb of Amnytas dating from the 4th century BC, elaborately carved in Doric architectural style. It is worth well visiting. Other historical places around the town are the Sarcopaghi and the Fethiye Tower.

Butterfly Valley: At a distance of 5-7 km from Oludeniz, this interesting canyon is surrounded by approximately 350 meter high mountains. It takes its name from the butterflies called as ‘Jarsey Tiger’ and seen between June and September. It is an Earth Eden with its waterfall flows both in summer and winter, large beach, clear water, brightly shining pebbles and oleanders decorating the environs. Possibilities like a camping area with tent sites, restaurant, bar, shower cabinets, changing cubicles, etc. are offered in the valley which is the meeting place of world wanderers For thousands of years, its only habitants were the butterflies and local fauna. Still now, the valley hosts 136 kinds of butterflies and moths within the fascinating waterfalls !

Oludeniz: The Blue Lagoon is 1 of the best places in the world to do absolutely nothing but soak up the sun amid stunning natural surroundings ! The water is a brilliant sapphire blue due to the complete absence of weed on the white sandy sea bottom.

St Nicholas Island:  Byzantine and Early-Christian ruins from 5th-11th centuries lie tucked among the pine trees and partly under the water on St-Nicholas Island (Gemiler Adasi) It has a bay well-protected from the wind and a beach surrounded with pine and olive trees attracts visitors from neighborhood towns beside the people arriving with cruise boats.
 

Day 2 : KALKAN-KAS-KEKOVA BAY

Around sunrise departure to Aquarium or Firnaz Bay near Kalkan for breakfast & swimming. Cruising to Kas where you will stop in the harbor for lunch and visit this charming fishing village. Only Lycian rock tombs & sarcophagi and the Roman theatre are left from the ancient city called Antiphellos, but the charm of the town remains up to modern times! You will stop for swimming in a bay near Kekova and stay there for dinner and overnight.

A street in Kas, Antalya	Kaputas beach near Kas	Kalkan and its harbor

Kalkan is a well-maintained and quiet harbor town, located 25 km west of Kas. It is an attractive town, once a fishing village inhabited mainly by the Ottoman Greeks. It has become increasingly popular since the 1980s, with a huge holiday village covering the southern hillside. The small town centre which overlooks the bay is filled with quaint, traditional white-washed houses, shuttered windows and balconies with brilliantly-colored flowers. The marina caters for the requirements of visiting yachts, as well as several restaurant and shops in the city centre.

Kas is a small fishing, yachting and tourist town, and a district of Antalya Province of Turkey, 168 km west of the city of Antalya. As a tourist town it is relatively unspoiled. The town of Kas is on a hill running down to the sea. In ancient times it was a member of the Lycian League, and its importance during this time is confirmed by the presence of one of the richest Lycian necropolis. Kas itself is a quiet pleasant town with its blue sea and narrow streets scented with jasmine flowers. There are plenty of little guest houses, quiet cafes serving home cooking, or small bars to relax after a day's scuba diving. Kas is one of the leading spots for diving in Turkey.  If you decide to try diving in Kas you can expect to see a beautiful array of fish and other sea creatures like octopus and possibly dolphins, and also the wrecks of some ancient ships.
 

Day 3 : KEKOVA SUNKEN CITY-SIMENA-GOKKAYA BAY

After breakfast your boat will depart for visiting Sunken City of Kekova Island. This Lycian- Roman archaeological site is protected and no swimming or snorkeling is allowed, so you will only see the ruins here from the boat while cruising very slowly over the sunken city. We will sail on to Kalekoy (ancient Simena) located at the mainland opposing the Kekova Island which is a typical Turkish fishing-village with no access for cars from the land. You can visit the Byzantine/Ottoman castle after lunch. In Gokkaya Bay, once the haven for pirates, water sports are available at your own expense. You can relax after dinner or party the night away at the Smugglers Inn discotheque which provides transfer for boat guests (at your own expense).

A Lycian tomb near Simena, now half-way under the sea

Simena is the ancient Lycian name of Kalekoy which is a village of the Kas district in the Antalya Province of Turkey on the Mediterranean coast. Lycian League consisted of a group of city states (Xantos, Patara, Myra, Pinara, Tlos and Olympos) dating back to 13th century BC which was self-governed most of the time although it has been under the control of greater empires of Romans, Greeks and Persians. Kalekoy faces the island of Kekova, and can be reached only by sea. The village lies amidst a Lycian necropolis, which is partially sunken underwater. Kalekoy is overlooked by a Byzantine castle, built in the Middle Ages to fight the pirates which nested in Kekova. The castle contains a small theatre. Kalekoy is a popular yachting destination.

Kekova Island, famous with the ancient sunken city is a small Turkish island near Kas district of Antalya province which faces the villages of Kalekoy (ancient Simena) and Ucagiz (ancient Teimioussa). Kekova has an area of 4.5 km² and is uninhabited. On its northern side there are the ruins—partly sunken—of Dolchiste/Dolikisthe, an ancient town which was destroyed by an earthquake during the second century A.D. Rebuilt and still flourishing during the Byzantine Empire period, it was completely abandoned because of Arab incursions.

Gokkaya bay near Kekova is surrounded by many small islands which resembles a lake and is a magnificent place for swimming.

Day 4 : DEMRE-OLYMPOS

After breakfast you can take a look at the Pirate's Cave before cruising to Cayagzi (Andriake) harbor near Demre arriving there at around 14:00. From the harbor you will be transferred to Olympos Village by bus with no extra payment, arriving around 4-6 pm approximately. But, if you prefer you can take a bus to Antalya from Demre bus station or stay there another night and visit the ruins of ancient Myra, and St Nicholas Church in Demre.
 

Kadir's Tree Houses in Olympos	Boats at Olympos bay	Lycian tombs in Myra, Demre

Cayagzi is reached by a 5 km asphalt road along the river from Demre (Myra). Cayagzi has one of the best beaches in this region, and it is important as the opening point of Demre town to the Mediterranean sea. It houses the ancient city of Andriake, which was the most important port during antic Lycian civilization. There are also few ruins from Roman and Byzantium periods in the old city.

Olympos is a green valley at the southern coast of Turkey, 90 km southwest of Antalya city near the Town of Kemer. The ancient city was founded in the Hellenistic period dating back to the 2nd century BC, sharing its name with the nearby Mount Olympos.  Near Olympos, located in the neighboring village of Cirali and about 200 meters above sea level, where the eternal flames called the Chimaera may be seen issuing from the ground. The source of the flames is actually natural gas, mostly methane, seeping through cracks in the earth. The mythical Chimaera - or Chimera - was a savage beast who sprouted fire from its mouth. The Olympians worshipped  the god of fire Hephaestos (Vulcan), probably connected to the eternal flame.

Apart from the ruins, modern time Olympos village is well known for its simple tree-house camps, where most tourists stay, and a natural environment thanks to forests and vineyards near to a beautiful beach. The Olympos village is located some distance from the shore in the heart of the Olympos national park by the banks of a small river. The surrounding area of the village offers best opportunities for trekking, mountain biking, canyoning and rock climbing.

Demre is the Lycian town of Myra, the home of Saint Nicholas of Myra the original Santa Claus; located 25km west of Finike and 48km east of Kas, Myra was one of the most important cities in antique Lycia. Coins have been found dating back to 300 BC but logically the city must have been founded centuries earlier. The city thrived as part of the Roman Empire and many public buildings were constructed. The earliest church of St. Nicholas at Myra was built in the 6th century. The present-day church stems mainly from the 8th century; a monastery was added in the second half of the 11th century. The ruins of the Lycian and Roman towns are mostly covered by alluvial silts. The Acropolis on the Demre plateau, the Roman theatre and the Roman bath (eski hamam) have been partly excavated. The semi-circular theater was destroyed in an earthquake in 141, but rebuilt afterwards.
 

PRICE LIST

2010 PRICE LIST

LOW SEASON: April 15 May 14 & Sept. 16-October 15
180 Euro per person in double cabin, 260 Euro pp in private single cabin*

HIGH SEASON: May 15- September 15
205 Euro per person in double cabin, 330 Euro pp in private single cabin*

Discount: 5 % discount will be applied for participants more than 3 pax.

Attention: Cabin share for single guests and twin beds for double bookings are not guaranteed.

Prices include:
* All taxes and harbor charges*
* Transfers from/to neighborhood Fethiye and Olympos hotels, if requested*
* 3 nights accommodation in private cabins with en-suite baths on board*
* Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner during the cruise period*
* Basic snorkeling equipments and board games*
* Bed sheets, towels etc are provided. But it is still recommended to bring your own personal towels and of course swimming and sun bathing materials.

Prices do not include.
*Airport transfers from/to boats.*
*Drinks are not included but available at the boat with reasonable prices.*
*Any tours & excursions recommended by the crew during the cruise. (not compulsory)*
*Possible surcharges in case of credit card payments (Visa, MasterCard and American Express)*
 

PAYMENT AND RESERVATION