Swimming-Vacation-Trip-Boat-Gulet

Combining a vacation trip with swimming in open water is a great way to travel, see new places and meet new friends. One great thing about swimmers is that they LOVE water and especially swimming in the open water. Therefore it was to our advantage that we had not just a sea full of water but extra water falling from the sky for our first day of swimming! Luckily a drop or two of rain won’t stop us swimming and we were able to enjoy a morning swim straight from the gulet along Yildiz island (Marmaris) and a calm afternoon watching the fish play among the sea grass in Kumlubuk bay.

Swimming-Vacation-In-Ocean
Swimming-Vacation-In-The-Ocean

An early morning drive allowed for the sunrise to be enjoyed in full (or the gentle rock of the boat to lull some of us into an extra half hour in bed). The weather had cleared to reveal glassy water that gave us a stunning swim into Bozukkale bay (Loryma) with the sun smiling down on us. After a hearty breakfast on the gulet deck, we stretched our legs by going up to the castle overlooking the bay. Kale (in Turkish castle) or ancient fortress was an important strategic place and guarding base for Rhodes. It was built around 10 centuries BC. The castle walls cannot easily be seen from a distance because they blend into the rocky cape, but once you get there, you feel the magnitude of the size and structure. Amazing views are captures up there and we all loved the one hour walk around. From there we sailed to Kizil island near Bozburun and swam around the south side where we could see out into the open sea. At the end of the swim, we had a photoshoot – getting some underwater clips for swimming analysis and some jumping off the boat clips for bragging rights!

Swimming-Vacation-Trip-Boat
Swimming-Vacation-Trip-Boat

The day broke crisp and clear and the morning swim down from the northern tip of the island gave us crystal clear waters and our first turtle sighting! Before lunch, we went into Bozburun village to do some souvenir shopping and coffee drinking. The sun was out in force and so the visibility was still outstanding for our afternoon swim which took place around the scooping expanse of Dirsek Buku bay. After a delicious dinner, we all enjoyed ‘movie night’ (aka video stroke analysis of swim footage) and gained lots of new tips to try out in the coming days.

Liveaboard-Gulet-Swimming-Cruise
Liveaboard-Gulet-Swimming-Cruise

One of the guests said in the evening: “Every day just gets better, no matter where we go, sail or swim!”

The swimming vacation story from the Mediterranean continues with the next chapter!