Text size:

TURKEY: Take a swim, see the ruins

BY DIONNE SEARCEY | Dionne Searcey, a former Newsday staff writer, is a freelance writer.

May 1, 2005

When I envisioned exploring the rich coastline of Turkey, renting a car seemed like the best solution. But my long hours commuting on the Long Island Expressway made me hesitate to spend my vacation driving. So, when my husband mentioned he'd always wanted to sleep on a boat, we thought of the perfect idea: a floating road trip.

We booked a five-day cruise on a small wooden sailboat that skimmed along the Mediterranean coast of southwest Turkey from Fethiye to Olympos.

The trip offered unusual and up-close views of the ruin-covered coastline and unlimited swimming opportunities in some of the world's most beautiful blue-green waters.

We arranged our trip only two days before it was to begin with the help of the proprietress of the Australian-New Zealand Guest House in Selçuk, who phoned the V-Go Tourism Travel Agency in Fethiye to reserve a spot for us.

The price was quite reasonable, and even more affordable than staying in hotels and dining at restaurants on solid ground. For about $40 a day each, we were provided three meals and one of eight small cabins onboard. We had to bring our own water and drinks, which we stored for free in an onboard refrigerator.

Three local men operated the boat and were helped by a British tourist who had arrived in Fethiye several months prior and was so charmed by the town - and by one of the Turkish sailors - that she decided to stay. She served as a sort of social director, like Julie on Love Boat. Although her knowledge of the area was peripheral at best, her value as the only English-speaker among the crew was indispensable.

Our first stop was to be Butterfly Valley, inhabited by 136 types of butterflies that flit about the trees and waterfalls, but choppy waters caused us to divert our course.

We headed instead to Ölüdeniz, home of Turkey's Blue Lagoon.One by one, we jumped into the cool water, made sapphire because the white sandy sea floor is weedless. We slithered over smooth rocks and entered the middle of the lagoon. We floated on our backs. We turned somersaults. We dog paddled. We created synchronized swimming routines using the boat's foam swimming noodles.

Then, we swam to the beach about a mile away and plopped down to rest on chairs, only to be quickly shooed away by workers who said they were reserved for cruise ship passengers. We scooted off to rest instead on the warm white sand before swimming back to the boat.

"Sailing cruise" turned out to be somewhat of a misnomer for the trip. Our boat rarely set sail. Conditions weren't right, we were told. Instead the captain relied on the small motor to push us along with its gentle hum. We probably burned more gas than had we taken a road trip. At least we were sharing the ride with 14 others.

The boat made several stops to allow us to explore ancient cathedrals on land and, in one instance, a bizarre stone tunnel system leading to the sea. We wandered through the Byzantine and early Christian ruins tucked in the pines on St. Nicholas Island. Shops in small, bustling Kas offered free Turkish Delight - enough to give us a well-worthwhile bellyache.

Swimming was integral to our daily routine: We'd wake to a morning swim, eat a breakfast of bread, olives, feta cheese, yogurt, tomatoes and cucumbers. We'd swim some more. Eat a lunch of pasta and fruit. Swim again. Maybe explore a cave or snorkel a bit or read in the hammock onboard. Then dive off the boat to swim. Dinner was chicken, or beef or fish caught that day by the boat crew. After dinner, the passengers would drink and smoke. And swim.

Nighttime was the best. The crew liked to crank out Euro-disco music from the stereo onboard. After a bit of gentle persuasion, they aimed the speakers at the front of the boat so I could read in peace with my flashlight. The cabins were too stuffy to sleep in and smelled like stale smoke. So most everyone dozed on blue pads that lined the front of the craft. The night air was chilly, but perfect to curl up under a wool blanket. And with the streetlights far away, we could see the brilliant stars reflecting off the still, black water.

COASTAL CRUISES

We reserved our places on the cruise when we arrived in Turkey, but you also can wait to get to Fethiye and then walk along the harbor to choose from among the dozen or more tour companies and reserve immediately.

We booked with V-GO Blue Cruise and Excursions (www.boatcruiseturkey.com.)

Other options include the more upscale Boating Turkey (www.boatingturkey.net), which offers private chartered yachts and catamarans for steeper rates.

St. Nicholas Blue Cruise Turkey offers affordable trips on a handcrafted wooden gullet through the coves and bays of the Turkish coast. Its Web site: www. bluecruisekekova.com.

- Dionne Searcey