New history voyage along the Turkish Riviera

Salamander Voyages, a small luxury gulet and yacht charter company owned and run by the Cooke family, has announced its fascinating new History Voyage, launching in June 2024.
 
This new seven-night itinerary will be a fantastic opportunity for guests sailing the Turquoise Coast to delve into the incredible history of the region and learn about the many intriguing ancient sites along the way.

Tessa Wills (nee Cooke) comments: “For more than 20 years, my family and I have been sailing and exploring the stunning Turkish Coast. There is no better way to discover its historic past than by boat, allowing unique access to some of the country’s most fascinating sites, with history spanning the centuries from the Byzantine Empire and Ottoman Empire to World War I and the founding of the Turkish Republic. There is so much to capture everyone’s imagination."
 
The voyage of discovery begins at Bodrum Castle, built on the ancient ruins of Halicarnassus. The jewel in the crown is the Museum of Underwater Archaeology, which is housed within the castle and displays shipwrecks and their contents from as far back as 3,500 years ago. While in Bodrum, guests will also have the opportunity to visit the Halicarnassus Amphitheatre, one of the more significant surviving remains of the ancient city. From Bodrum, guests will sail onto Gumusluk (ancient Myndos), where they can explore this settlement and walk across the ancient sunken walls to Rabbit Island.
 
From here, it is on to Ancient Knidos, a largely unrestored ancient city dating back 3000 years and variously occupied and extended by the Carians, Ancient Greeks, Romans and Byzantines until overrun by Arab invaders. Although it was largely destroyed by two earthquakes in the 7th century AD, work is currently underway to restore some of the lower parts of the city, including temples, an amphitheatre, a marketplace and churches. The final port of call before sailing back to Bodrum is the magical Sedir Adasi (Cleopatra’s Island), which sits at the top of the beautiful and unspoiled Gulf of Gokova. Legend has it that Mark Anthony had the extraordinary golden sands shipped to this small island from North Africa for his lover Cleopatra.
 
The History Voyage is available on all Salamander Voyages’ private charters out of Bodrum. In keeping with Salamander Voyages' inclusive offering, there is no extra cost for this new itinerary.
 
To find out more, visit www.salamandervoyages.com