And my story would smoothly turn into an inspired hymn to the tenderest sun, the scent of pines, the fruits of a pomegranate, bursting right on a branch ... In the hymn to the sea - piercingly turquoise, silvery like the back of a dolphin, sunset-alom ... In the hymn to the wind-neposide - Casanova, tirelessly caressing the steep hips of yachts. In a story about the spirit of freedom that permeated the coastal rocks. People who live here, like the sea for at least two millennia. Here they know how to build ships. They were built by mysterious Libyans, who left in the mountains burial grounds, like boats, upturned keel. Built here ships ("gulets") served the pharaohs, covered themselves with glory in the Battle of Salamis, carried flags of the Ottoman Empire ... Today's direct descendants of fishing and pirate ships are the pride of Fethiye, Bodrum, Marmaris. Why the high art of building a yacht-gulet was born and flourishes here? It's simple: the length of the Mughla coast, cut by the bays (the province in which these favorite cities are located) is more than a thousand kilometers!
Love at first sight
In the yacht-gulet you fall in love at first sight. Unequivocally you give her heart, seeing her swan bend on a light wave of the marina Bodrum. The local marina (mooring for yachts) is huge, it accommodates hundreds of yachts and boats under the flags of dozens of countries. Gulets are worthy rivals and snow-white "American women," and toasted English boats, and the pride of man-made genius - to ocean-going boats. I naively believe that I see the largest of the marines of Mugla, I began to flick the camera with concentration. And afterwards I was surprised to learn: this one is not the largest, not the newest, just the most famous one. Along the picturesque coast of Mugla there are dozens of marinas. Each is good in its own way. It is not for nothing that the personal courts of the British royal family, Bill Gates, Arab sheikhs and Russian oligarchs are moored here. I saw with my own eyes a yacht under the Ukrainian flag!
As for the Arab sheiks, they are buying gulets. Why? I understood this by visiting the Fethiye shipyard. Gulet is a work of art created by hand. Thirty-six meters of smooth beauty with mahogany trim, teak decked and spacious oak cabins. For a whole year the hands of the masters cherish the gulet, and afterwards you look and understand: she was born to give joy.
Somewhere the islands are waiting for you ...
But if you think that a sea walk on a gulet is a pleasure, accessible only to the sheikhs, you are deeply mistaken. Every day from Fethiye, Bodrum, Gedjik go to the sea dozens of pleasure yachts filled with admiring tourists. Pleasure is quite affordable. Picturesque bays are dozens. And each is unique. Only have time to turn your head and admire, and envy yourself!
The choice is huge, but I highly recommend a walk to the Twelve Islands. The ultramarine waves smoothly sway the boat floating past the Bedri Rahimi bay, past the Syralibyuk harbor to the Monastery bay. Its hospitable waters will be admired by bathers, avid divers, fans of extreme riding on inflatable boats. And do not want to swim - bliss in the blue chaise longue under the tender rays of the sun, enjoy the honey sweetness of melons, ripeness of pomegranates and the aroma of unsurpassed coffee in Turkish. Try and make sure: there is happiness!
To notepad
To get to the province of Mugla you can fly from Istanbul to Dalaman. Entry visa is issued upon arrival at Dalaman airport. Choosing for recreation the region of the province of Mugla, you will get the opportunity to swim immediately in two warm seas - the Aegean and the Mediterranean.