g u L e T S T y L e

A cruise around the Greek islands is a dream holiday for many, and yet it’s a dream within reach of most of us, if you know where to look…

STuNNING BluE SEaS, quaint fishing villages, ancient Greek and Roman ruins, and glistening sandy beaches – a Greek Island cruise is on many a holidaymaker’s bucket list, for obvious reasons.

However, the reality of the situation may be a disappointment to many, for one main reason – the Greek islands are not suited to massive cruise ships! Many of the Greek islands and port towns are small, and so the sudden arrival of several thousand people into what is supposed to be a peaceful and picturesque destination can be overwhelming for the local services, with long queues for taxis, crowded shops and restaurants, and tourists mobbing the monuments you’re trying to get a picture of.

Not to mention the fact that these floating resorts are too big for most of the ports they’re visiting, so you will have to queue for tenders to take you to the port, further eating into your leisure time.

So, allow us to propose an alternative.

A gulet Cruise

A gulet is a traditional two or three masted sailing ship from the South East coast of Turkey, predominantly from the coastal towns of Bodrum and Mamaris. These beautiful ships offer an authentic sailing experience, with smaller wooden staterooms and cosy galley or on-deck dining.

The odd thing about the Greek islands is that many are actually distributed along the coast of Turkey, far closer to Turkey than they are to Greece. For example, Rhodes is almost 600km away from Athens, but less than 100km away from the Turkish mainland.

As a result, there are many Turkish charter companies that offer island-hopping cruises departing from Bodrum or Mamaris around the Greek islands closest to Turkey and along the Turkish coastline in these beautiful gulet sailing yachts.

These include the beautiful island of Rhodes, with the stunning citadel of Rhodes Town as its capital and the UNESCO world heritage fishing port of Lindos with a Roman acropolis on the hillside overlooking the town, the stunning island of Kos with its beautiful beaches, the unique volcanic island of Nisyros with a crater you can walk through (if you dare!), and the quaint and historic island of Tilos, to name but a few.

Take a look at Guletyacht.net, and Bluecruise.org, both of which boast a wide variety of yacht cruise experiences, from budget cabins right up to luxury yachts. Alternatively, visit Seymakaptan.com to find out about the Seyma Kaptan , a gulet with a capacity for 12 passengers available for a variety of different charter options. Or for something more luxurious try the gulet Samarkand from Luxurychartergroup.com.

True, you might not get the amenities that a vast cruise ship will offer – the staterooms, the shopping arcades, the restaurants and so on. However, what you will get is a cosy, relaxing, authentic and much more intimate cruising experience with just family and friends, without the throngs of tourists. Experiences will be tailored for your group, and your group alone, and without hordes of people and tight shipping schedules to adhere to, you will be able to enjoy each experience to the fullest, with more time and more flexibility to enjoy what you’re seeing.