Turquoise-Swimming-In-Turkey

Liveaboard Swimming Holiday – Ancient Lycia

Discover the ancient Lycia in Southern Turkey as we explore the remote parts of this turquoise Mediterranean coast. We start our week-long luxury liveaboard swimming holiday cruise in the coastal town of Finike  and head east towards Antalya. On the way, we swim along the stunning coastline, spectacular bays, between the islands and explore the ancient ruins of Phaselis and Olympos. We enjoy delicious Turkish meals prepared by our own chef as you feel the sea breeze and enjoy the peace on our luxurious boat deck. Swim & Sail back in time on this unique Mediterranean cruise!

Trip details:
  • Duration: 8 Days (7 Nights)
  • Trip Type: Liveaboard swimming cruise
  • Average Daily Swimming: 5 km
  • Average Weekly Swimming: 30 km (20 miles)
  • Accommodation: Liveaboard cabin based on luxury gulet
Overview

All-inclusive liveaboard swimming & sailing holiday takes us along some of the warmest parts of the Mediterranean coast. The sea temperature in this part of Turkey reaches up to 23C in May and then going up to 28C during peak summertime. Apart from stunning open water swimming, we have the chance to do some great crossings and island-hopping swims. There is a group of five islands near the Cape Gelidonya located between Adrasan and Kumluca.

During our swims, we often spot loggerhead sea turtles and occasionally beautiful dolphins. For those interested in historical sites this area offers some incredible stops for short walks and sightseeing of the ancient ruins.

This swimming trip is suitable for most levels of swimmer, with two separate boat escorts for the safety and enjoyment of all guests. See our FAQs for swimming speed requirements and a swimming pace calculator. The trip is also suitable for non-swimming partners or friends as they can kayak and stand up paddleboard (SUP) along with while others swim.

Tour Highlights:

  • Swimming in the warm waters of the Mediterranean
  • Island hopping swimming between remote islands of the southern Turkish coastline in Antalya province
  • Cruising on a luxurious, traditional Turkish gulet boat
  • Enjoying the local traditional meals on the boat
  • Visiting and walking the historical sites and ruins of Ancient Olympos

Liveaboard-Swimming-Holiday-Vacation

Swimming-Ancient-Lycia-Turkey-2022

Included in the price

Fully guided tour with comprehensive safety escort (2 dinghy escort boats, kayak, 2 swimming guides, 1 local boat pilot), swim coaching, technique & stroke video analysis, 7 nights boat accommodation (en-suite bathrooms), towels and bedding, 3 freshly cooked meals a day plus tea and biscuits in the afternoon, water during meals. Each guest receives a silicone swimming cap, shared white vaseline. Should you need the right size fins, a wetsuit, or a rash vest, please bring them with you. We have some spare safety tow floats if required.

SUP board and Kayaks

Both Stand up paddleboard and kayaks are available to use free of charge.

Additional costs

Travel to and from the start location, travel visas (EU and Turkey), drinks on the boat (bar), gratuities for boat crew. Single room (cabin) supplement: 500 EUR.

 

Accommodation

The boat has 7 guest cabins. All cabins are large and spacious with en-suite showers, air-con, electric plugs, etc. 5 large double bed cabins and 2 triple (twin) bed cabins including one double bed and one single bed.

Living on the Mediterranean sea for a week is a unique experience. We use a luxurious 37-metre (120 ft) long traditional two-mast Turkish gulet which is equipped with all the comforts of home. Our gulet offers large guest cabins, lounge, dining areas on the back and front, large deck, shade, and gives us plenty of room to all have privacy for ourselves when needed. Crew and guides have separate space on the boat. Strel Swimming has been working on this boat since 2015, so we have built a great business relationship with the owners. Everyone understands the purpose of our swimming-cruise trips.

Cruise_Sailing_Swimming_Greece_Boat_08

One of the greatest features of living and travelling by boat is a flexibility which allows us to coordinate our swim times, meals and travel time as we want. We aim to do two swims a day (morning, afternoon) and move locations at least once a day. Moving locations is weather permitted and coordinated with our captain.

Food – Meals

We hire a traditional high-quality wooden gulet and crew (5 persons) for this trip. We have our own chef who cooks for us the entire week. The full board is included in our cruise and meals on board are exceptionally good, consisting of a variety of fresh salads, fruits, grilled meats, local fish and Turkish specialities. Vegetarians will enjoy Turkish mix of vegetables and mezes. Meal times are coordinated with our swim times and boat cruising.

Dinner on the deck is usually the highlight of the day; a long leisurely meal sitting under the stars listening to the water lapping at the hull of the gulet. If you wish to go off gulet and have a dinner on land there will be an opportunity to do that as well.

Water on board is included during meal times, but not alcoholic drinks. You can buy additional drinks on-board for normal rates and pay on location in cash in any currency (USD, EUR,GBP). Please see the beverage list and prices attached for your information.

PDF – Bar prices.

Gulet Boat Design

Gulet-Boat-Deck
Gulet-Boat-Deck
Gulet-Deck-Liveaboard-Swimming-Holiday
Gulet-Boat-Deck
Gulet-Boat-Deck
Sun-Deck-Area
Dining-Table-Liveaboard-Swimming-Holiday
Dining-Table
Boat-Deck-Liveaboard-Swimming-Holiday
Boat-Wooden-Deck
Liveaboard-Swimming-Holiday
Liveaboard-Swimming-Holiday

Boat technical details
Category: High-End quality gulet
Gulet type: 2 masted handcrafted ketch
Flag: Turkish with International permits (Greece)
Length: 37 m (120 ft)
Beam: 8 m
Draft: 3.9m
Engine: 2 x 450 HP Iveco
Year Built: Fethiye boatyard, Year 2006
Year Renovated: 2011
Wood: Mahogany with teak deck
Power: 24V/220V
Fuel Capacity: 6000 lt
Water Capacity: 15,000 lt
Air Conditioning: All cabins
Showers: All cabins en-suite
2/3 sails
Crew: 5 persons
Swimming guides: 2

Facilities & Amenities
Bar, BBQ, Deck Shower, DVD Player, Freezer, Fridge, Ice Box, Ice Machine, Indoor Lounge, the Internet for limited use, MP3 Player, Sea Ladder, TV / Plasma,

Leisure & Equipment
Windsurfer, Canoe/Kayak, Snorkelling Equipment and limited Fins

Electric / Power Plugs
There is 220V power on the boat, so you can charge your devices. The socket is standard European.

Note! Due to greater demand for these trips on some dates we occasionally decide to use two main boats on the same trip and the second boat may not be exactly the same model, but it will offer the same comfort and purpose for the trip.

Cabins (Double and Twin)

Liveaboard-Swimming-Holiday-Double-Room
Double-Room
Liveaboard-Swimming-Holiday-Twin-Share-Room
Twin-Share-Room
Liveaboard-Swimming-Cruise-Twin-Room
Twin-Room

Boat Layout

Liveaboard-Swimming-Holiday-Boat-Layout
Liveaboard-Swimming-Holiday-Boat-Layout

 

Itinerary

Day 01-Saturday

We meet in the small town of Finike in southern Turkey. After we base ourselves on our gulet boat we present you with the week’s plan ahead. Dinner on board.

Day 02-Sunday

Our captain starts the boat cruise early this morning, all the way to Suluada island where we do our first-morning swim before breakfast. Usually, there are no other people around this stunning, small island which is often described as the Maldives of the Mediterranean. We enjoy our breakfast looking at the white sand and turquoise water.

Afternoon sail to Adrasan bay. Here, we take the chance in this sheltered bay to do a great video clip of your strokes for later stroke analysis. Everyone should benefit something from our stroke improvement session. For our afternoon swim, we drive with our escort boats out of the bay and swim back. Dinner on board while enjoying amazing views of this place.

Liveaboard-Trip-Turkey
Liveaboard-Trip-Turkey

Day 03-Monday 

Morning swim before breakfast from Cennet bay (on the eastern side) back to Adrasan. Boat cruise to Olympos for our next overnight stay. Before lunch, we go off the boat to explore these ancient ruins of Olympos in the most unusual setting along the river banks in the canyon. After we walk up to the village and visit several historical sights, we return back to our boat for lunch and afternoon rest.

Afternoon swim along the Cirali beach. Dinner on board.

Swimming-Holidays-Liveaboard

Day 04-Tuesday 

Our morning crossing swim is from Ucadalar islands back to Beycik bay. Breakfast in the Beycik bay and boat cruise to Phaselis.

We explore the ancient ruins of Phaselis with the whole amphitheater, arches, and three harbors. You feel the age of this place which dates back to the 2nd century BC.
Afternoon swim right there around the Phaselis peninsula. Overnight in Porto Ceneviz bay. Dinner on board.

Day 05-Wednesday

Our captain starts the onward journey early in the morning to get us to our island–hopping swim at the Gelidonya lighthouse cape. We start the swim at the Devecitasi island number one, swim past the second one and then the third one until we reach the finish of our 3km swim at the Gelidonya lighthouse. Well deserved breakfast on board.

Afternoon rest and boat cruise back to Çayağzı bay near Demre village. For the second swim of the day, we choose our lovely bay and start swimming straight from the boat. Those who fancy paddling around can take the chance and use our SUP boards or kayaks. Dinner on board.

Gokkaya-Turkey
Gokkaya-Turkey

Day 06-Thursday 

We take a short drive to Gokkaya islands where we do our first swim from Blue cave to the inside area of the Asirli island.

The rest of the afternoon we spend relaxing on our luxury gullet and listening to the sounds of the sea. Afternoon swim takes us from the pirate bay out to the most northern corner of Gokkaya bay.

Short boat drive to a small and picturesque village of Üçağız next to Kekova island where we join our dinner on land at Ibrahim restaurant to enjoy a delicious Turkish meal. Evening at the village to stroll around.

Turkish_Moussaka
Turkish-Moussaka

Day 07-Friday

Morning swim at the Akvaryum bay, across to Kekova island (Tersane bay). Breakfast on board.

Cruise to Karoloz bay into a sheltered anchorage on the southeast side of Kekova Island. On the way, our captain shows us the sunken city and ruins under the water. After lunch and an afternoon break, we set off for our second swim from the Tek and Sezgin islands back to our boat base. Dinner on board.

Kekova-Island-In-Turkey
Kekova-Island-In-Turkey

Day 08-Saturday 

Boat drive back to Finike. After a hearty breakfast, we say goodbye to our friends. For those who want to stay longer in the area, there are a few places to spend some extra days in this remote part of Turkey.

Turkish-Gulet-Boat-Deck
Turkish-Gulet-Boat-Deck
Swimming info

Projected swimming distances and locations

Please see below a projected itinerary which may slightly change for the best swimming conditions day-to-day as we go. We take into consideration the weather with current sea and wind conditions. Depending on the group we usually swim around around 30 km (18 miles) during the week. All full days are split into two swims per day; one in the morning and one in the afternoon. There is also a time to do your own limited swimming around the boat when we are anchored on the spot.

Swimming Locations – Routes
Distance
Akvaryum bayTersane bay (Kekova) 2.0 km
Tek and Sezgin islands – Karoloz bay 2.5 km
Suluada island 2.8 km
Adrasan bay 2.5 km
Cennet bay (Adrasan) 2.5 km
Cirali coastal 3.0 km
Ucadalar islands – Beycik bay 2.5 km
Phaselis peninsula 2.5 km
Devecitasi island – Cape Gelidonya
3.0 km
Çayağzı bay (Demre) 2.5 km
Gokkaya islands 2.8 km
Blue cave – Asirli island
2.5 km

 

Temperatures:

Month Water Temp. (°C/F) Air Temp. (°C/F)
May 23 / 73 27 / 81
June 25 / 77 30 / 86
September 27 / 80 32 / 89
October 25 / 77 28 / 83

 

Keep in mind that you can skip any of the swims you want and relax on the boat. Optionally, you can take a kayak or SUP board to follow others.
Temperatures are indicative and can slightly change from year to year.

Essential Equipment
In addition to normal items, we recommend bringing the following:
2 swimming costumes, 2 pairs of swimming goggles (one clear and one tinted for different light conditions), sweater/fleece, towel, sun hat, small daypack, waterproof sun cream and jacket, walking shoes and sandals or aqua shoes. Mosquito repellents are recommended during some evenings. We provide drinking bottles while you swim and silicone swim caps.

Equipment Availability
We have a range of swimming equipment including wetsuits, fins and rash vests available on each location. We cannot guarantee all sizes, so please bear this in mind and bring your own item if your swimming depends on this.

Walking Conditions
The walking on the trip is easy and it is on recognised paths and in towns and villages. In order to enjoy your walks when we go off the boat, please bring comfortable light walking shoes and suitable clothes for summer temperatures. We also advise to have a sun hat while walking out.
NOTE! You do not need to use any shoes while on our gulet boat. We walk barefoot and it is the best. You can bring sandals or slippers if you want.

Group size
Up to 13 swimmers or more if requested. Please get in touch with us.

Swimming awareness
Your safety is of the utmost importance to us. In the event of adverse weather conditions at any of our swimming locations, we may need to adapt our itinerary. Our team always includes local guides who know the safest and most picturesque places to swim, so rest assured you won’t be missing out!
Swimming in the open sea, amongst natural wildlife, is a unique experience, but you may come across certain marine life such as jellyfish, coral and sea urchins from time to time. There are very few jellyfish along Symi and so the risk of any unfortunate encounters with them is low, and we will always show you the safest areas to swim. If you are stung by a jellyfish and are unable to carry on swimming, you will never be far from an escort boat where one of the guiding team will be able to treat the affected area immediately. If you suffer from anaphylaxis or any other allergic reactions it is important to inform us at the time of booking.

Travel info

Start (Meeting) Point: Finike marina in Finike, Turkey. Google link.
Local name: Setur Finike Marina
Address: Kale Mah. Şerbetçi Bul. No:61 P.K. 17 07740 Finike / Antalya, Turkey
Marina Phone: +90 242 855 50 30

Start Time and Place: 4 pm on the 1st day at Finike Marina, Turkey. Google Map Location
Finish Time and Place: 9 am on the 8th day at Finike Marina, Turkey.

NOTE for 07-14 Oct 2023 trip departure:
Start Time and Place:
4 pm on the 1st day at Kas Marina, Turkey. Google Map Location – Kas, Turkey
Finish Time and Place: 9 am on the 8th day at Finike Marina, Turkey. Google Map Location

Arrival Airport
The best airport to arrive is Antalya, Turkey. There are several daily connections to Istanbul and other European countries.
Some also use Dalaman airport which is not too far to transfer.

Transfers from/to the airport (Antalya – Finike)

TARIK TRANSFER
https://www.finiketransfer.com/
[email protected]
Mr. Tarık. (whatsapp: +905333076521)
Office: Kale Mh.Şerbetçi Bulvarı No.87 Finike /ANTALYA

Reviews

This trip is new for 2022 season! We will post first reviews in 2022.

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Availability
Dates
Places
Price from
19 Oct - 26 Oct, 2024
Trip available
1700 EUR
26 Oct - 02 Nov, 2024
Private trip
N/A