THE DODECANESE ISLANDS

There are many Greek islands close to the Turkish coastline which are easily accessible by our Turkish flag boats. We have researched a number of different itineraries to explore these varied and lovely islands. We have listed places of interest as well as a suggested timetable for either 7, 10 or 14 days.

Click Here for a map of the Region

THE DODECANESE - northern route (between Kos and Samos)

Day 1	Board your boat at Turgutreis on the Bodrum peninsula.
Day 2	Complete immigration formalities to exit Turkey and go direct to KOS to complete Greek immigration/port formalities. Overnight KOS harbour – historical sites and buildings are within easy walking distance of the small harbour. KOS has many shops, lovely old buildings and the old town of KOS has important archaeological sites including Asklepieion, founded in the 4th Century and believed to be the site of the first medical school founded by Hippocrates. There are 2 ‘toy town’ open buses which are fun to use for the journey to and from here. Also worth mentioning are the very cheap prices on all imported drinks in the local shops which certainly beat duty free prices.
Day 3/4	Early morning start for breakfast at a deserted cove on the south side of Kalymnos, en route to LEROS and Vromolithos in time for lunch. This is a pretty spot with a beach and good views of the fishing village of Pandeli and the impressive crusader castle. You can easily walk round to Pandeli harbour from here and then walk up to Platonos, down the other side to Agia Marina where there are many interesting villas and shops and the main harbour. On shore at Vromolithos there is a taverna with excellent live Greek music in the evening.
Day 5	After breakfast, move round to Alinda – a tour of the small island can be arranged by bus with an excellent guide (about 2 hours and worth the time). Lots of small churches on remote rocky bits of the coastline. You might also want to explore ashore at Alinda and Agia Marina.
Day 6	Sail across to the small island of Lipsos with a good mooring for lunch and swimming.
Day 7/8	Sail across to PATMOS and 2/3 days exploring this fascinating island, starting with the small village of Grikos. Lovely walk round to the boat yard and across the island to other side on a coastal path. There are many secluded beaches. Bikes and cars can be hired from this village.
Day 9	Skala harbour and town. Highly recommended is a visit to the Holy cave of the Apocalypse and the Monastery of St John and Museum at Chora. Walking around the narrow paths of Chora is fascinating, as is a visit to one of the oldest houses on the island. (We can organise a guided tour in advance which can be done from either Skala or Grikos.) Complete Greek exit formalities at Skala.
Day 10	Sail direct to Turgutreis to complete Turkish immigration formalities. Turgutreis is a bustling town with plenty of shopping opportunities. The new very smart marina has a yacht club, with swimming pool, shops and excellent facilities for use of boat passengers.
Day 11	Transfer to Bodrum airport

ALTERNATIVE NORTHERN ROUTE

Start at Kusadasi, (1 hour drive from Izmir airport) cross to Samos and the small town and port of Pythagorio, followed by Agathonissi, Lipsi, Patmos, Leros, Kalymnos (top end only) then on to Kos to exit Greece. Cross to Turgutreis to re-enter Turkey. This can be combined with the last couple of days in the Bodrum area to make a longer two week holiday, either on your boat or a short stay on land.

THE DODECANESE (Samos to Kos)

Day 1	Fly to Izmir and transfer to your boat at Kusadasi marina
Day 2	Complete exit formalities from Turkey and cruise direct to Pythagorio on Samos to complete Greek immigration and port formalities. It is possible to disembark to explore Pythagorio once the local agent has received all passports etc. There are shops, cafes and a small monastery on the hills overlooking the town (a good walk for the energetic). Overnight here.
Day 3	Cruise/sail on to a quiet bay on the remote island of Agathonissi. Good for swimming, snorkelling and overnight stop.
Day 4	Lipsi – first a quiet bay for swimming (there is a small taverna on shore) and overnight at the small harbour of Liedou which is surrounded by a village (the only one on the island).
Day 5	Patmos – morning cruise across to the village of Grikos. A lovely walk here along a coastal path to the old boat yard; from here you can walk across a narrow spit of land to the other side of the island. This is a wild, deserted area with a few tiny churches and a coastal path for the adventurous to one of the best beaches on the island.
Day 6	If there is one important tour to make on Patmos it has to be to visit the wonderful old village of Chora and the Monastery of St John and the Cave Church dedicated to St. John. There is also a museum attached to the monastery. The old houses and tiny streets of Chora are well worth exploring including the oldest house which the owner/widow opens to occasional visitors. Later in the afternoon move on to a quiet bay in the Kambos area for the night, or stop over at Skala, which is worth visiting, if you want to do some shopping. An overnight stop will enable you to sample one of the local tavernas on the island.
Day 7	LEROS – cruise direct to the Alinda area. Panoramic views of the large bay and the Castle which dominates this side of the island. You can easily get ashore here by dingy and wander along the beach front cafes and villas. There is an excellent local agent with a bus who will take you on a tour of the island, its many small churches on isolated headlands and the castle. This is definitely worth doing, his knowledge of local history and the Italian influence from World War 2 makes for a fascinating 2 hours. He will even take you into the family’s private museum housing artefacts and memorabilia from World War II, created by his father.
Day 8	Move round to the pretty bay of Vromolithos and an overnight stop. The Paradisos Taverna is run by Stamitis, a professional bouzouki player, who provides live Greek music in the evening with a few drinks. From here you can walk through the winding streets full of old villas and small shops to Platanos at the top of the hill.
Day 9	Direct to Kos harbour with a lunch stop at a quiet bay on Kalymnos en route. (This stop will depend on wind conditions)
Day 10	Complete exit formalities from Greece and return to Turgutreis on the Bodrum Peninsula (private marina with excellent facilities, yacht club, swimming pool etc.) Overnight in the marina.
Day 11	Transfer to Bodrum airport for the return flight.

Please note that the Port and Immigration charges related to exiting Turkey, entry to Greece and all Greek agents and harbour charges are not included in our boat rentals. These charges will be passed on to the charterer in Euros as applied. On all our Turkish flag boats the maximum number of passengers is restricted to 12.

For 10 day itineraries starting and finishing in Turkey, you would need to use Turkish Airlines daily scheduled flights from London Heathrow via Istanbul, with connecting flights to Izmir or Bodrum, as appropriate. There are also alternative direct flights with British Airways (Gatwick-Izmir) but they do not fly every day. There are a number of charter flights to Bodrum but you would need to match your boat charter dates.

The Northern route can be done in 7 days but you would have to miss some of the islands and on shore visits.

Transfer Times: Izmir – Kusadasi about 50 minutes, Bodrum/Turgutreis – Izmir 3 hours , Turgutreis/Bodrum to Bodrum airport 45 minutes.