Turkey-Sea-Swimming-Vacation

Our 2019 swimming trips have started in Kas, Turkey and on our Swim-Sail cruise and here are some of the things we did during the first weeks.

Day 1 of the trip did not disappoint! During the first swim, everybody saw a sea turtle and were able to admire it as it swam by. We had two fantastic swims along Kas peninsular with a calm sea and shining sun. Our boat crew treated us to a delicious lunch on the sea with different hot and cold Turkish dishes prepared freshly on the boat. After lunch, guests relaxed on sun loungers and some tried out our stand up paddleboard. We saw more turtles from the boat while we relaxed after lunch.

Following lunch and some ‘down time’, swimmers got back into the water and did another swim. People enjoyed the clarity of the water and calm conditions.

After swimming, we had Turkish chi (tea), some fruit and snacks before returning back to the harbour.

We enjoyed the day a lot and are happy to have started our 2019 season!

Day 2 took us to swim Ufakdere bay. We traveled there by boat in about 40 minutes and started the morning swim from the outer east side of the bay. The groups swam in and out of the small bays and saw interesting rock formations in the cliffs they swam under and also beneath them in the water. The stand-up paddleboard was in use again today at lunchtime and people enjoyed practicing and being able to explore the coastline on it.

Lunch, as always, was delicious where the chef, Nimet, had prepared many delicious dishes, while the Captain Osman barbecued chicken skewers. Following lunch, guests went for a short but steep walk to get a good view of the morning swim route. The afternoon took us swimming past some caves and another turtle, ending on the other side of the bay. Another sunny, beautiful day of swimming.

Swim-Between-Greece-Turkey-Border
Swim-Between-Greece-Turkey-Border

On Day 3 we woke up to great conditions in the morning, ideal for a swim at the Blue Cave. A longer boat ride in the morning of about 1.5 hours got us to our swim location by about 10:30. We see Kaputas beach, which is well known in Turkey for white sand and turquoise sea. We started swimming here, made about 300m before reaching the cave.

Blue Cave, or Mavi Magara, is a naturally formed cave in the cliffs. Not always accessible if the sea is rough, it is fun to swim into and look back towards the entrance, as the sun shines in through the entrance and lights up the water. After swimmers saw the cave and took some photos we continued with the swim, made a short crossing from the mainland to an island and finished the swim at around 2.3km in a stunning bay. Another fabulous lunch was prepared in the kitchen and BBQ.

During the afternoon we returned to Kas and swam on the peninsula. At the end of the swim, we swam over two dive sites, a concrete model of a shark and a tank. Even though these are on the sea floor, we are able to see them as the water clarity is great.

Swimming-Holidays-Turkey-Boat-Gulet
Swimming-Holidays-Turkey-Boat-Gulet

Day 4

The morning swim on day 4 was a favorite of many swimmers. We swam to connect 5 islands off the Turkish coast, swimming up to 2.7km in total. This is great, as swimmers experience swimming in shallow water and then for sections between islands over a deeper blue. Stunning scenery envelopes you, above and below the water.

We had another grilled lunch that again was superb followed by and afternoon swim around Limanagzi bay, totaling around 2.2km. This swim is special, as we often see turtles in this bay and also at the end we finish under a cliff containing ancient ruins, which you can see from the water. Altogether this was a great day that for most people was difficult to beat.

Day 5

On day 5 we went to Aperlai, which was a Lycian city dating back to the 5th century BC. Parts of the ruins are now submerged following changes in the land and sea levels. At the end of a 2.3km swim, swimmers are able to appreciate the ruins and look at them from the sea. Following more amazing food at lunch, the guests went for a short hike to see Kekova on the other side of the peninsula. The hike shows you typical Turkish terrain in the region and a spectacular view of a different bay.

In the afternoon we swam from İnönü bay and out along the cliffs.

Link to our 2019 season swimming trips in Turkey.

Photo gallery of the trip

 Video clips of swimming the Mediterranean in May