Daily boat tours organized to Gökova coves

MUĞLA – Anadolu Agency

Daily boat tours organized to the virgin coves of the Gökova Gulf in the western province of Muğla offer unforgettable moments for local and foreign tourists. 

Gökova is among the most beautiful and unspoiled areas in Turkey, featuring a number of special coves over the course of 100 km such as Akayaka, Turunç, Akbük, and Bördübet. To the north it stretches up to the Bodrum Peninsula and to the south it stretches to the Datça Peninsula.

The boats that drop anchor early in the mornings in Ula district’s Akyaka neighborhood, listed as a slow city, and Marmaris district’s Çamlı neighborhood take tourists to Kandilli Cove, Lavicert Cove, İnce Kum Beach, Sedir Island and Gelibolu Island Underwater Caves. 

According to Ula District Governor Ali Yılmaz, 2,000 people have been visiting the coves in the Gökova Gulf on a daily basis since the weather got warmer and tourist season started. 

“The visitors come to the boats early in the morning and visit these coves until late hours. With reasonable prices, the boats take them to the coves and let them spend some time at each cove. Every year 200,000 people visit these coves in the Gökova Gulf thanks to the boat tour organizations,” he added. 

Akyaka Sea Transportation Cooperative President Mehmet Gümüş said tourists were also offered lunch on the tours. 

“The number of visitors increases every year. Particularly at weekends, people come from nearby cities like Denizli, Aydın, Isparta and Burdur to join these tours. These organizations also make great contribution to the region’s economy,” he said. 

Gümüş said the daily tour boats served between April and the end of October. 

Holiday for low-income families 

Ali İhsan Terzioğlu, who has been organizing daily boat tours in the region for 25 years, said low-income families especially were showing great interest in the boat tours to spend their holidays. 

He said tourists had also come during the Eid al-Fitr holiday last week. 

Terzioğlu said they offered morning tea and lunch to visitors on the boat, adding, “We take our guests to calm and virgin coves as much as possible. Nearly 28 daily tour boats operate here. We organize tours with or without music. We carry some 150,000 - 200,000 people every season.”

Terzioğlu said foreign tourists also showed interest in tours, who are generally brought from travel agencies in the resort town of Marmaris. 

“They like the Sedir Island, which is an archaeological site, the most. Most of them join the tours to see this island,” he added.