Lycian Coast Plus by Boat and Bike

Day 1: Bodrum (embarkation)
You will make your own way to Bodrum, where check-in on board begins at 4 p.m.; a group transfer from Bodrum airport to the harbour can be arranged in advance for an extra fee. The rest of the afternoon is yours for a first swim straight off the deck. In the evening the crew will serve dinner on board, and you will meet your travel companions and your tour guides over the first meal of the week.

Day 2: Bodrum – Körmen – Knidos (42 km)
Early in the morning the boat will cast off for Körmen, and from there your first ride takes you out along the Datça peninsula. The opening climb lifts you to around 450 metres before dropping you back down to the sea. On a clear day you will see the Greek islands of Nisyros, Tilos and Rhodes across the water. A scenic road follows the coast, then turns inland through quiet farmland to Knidos, where you will visit the archaeological site and spend the night in one of the most beautiful bays on the Turkish coast.

Day 3: Knidos – Serçe Limanı – Çiftlik (49 km)
The morning is unhurried as the boat makes its way to a small bay at the tip of the Bozburun peninsula. From there a remote mountain road climbs to a village at 300 metres, where a 1,500-year-old plane tree shades a lively bazaar; walk a full circle around the tree and, so the story goes, a long and lucky life will follow. After lunch you will ride on to the bay of Çiftlik, with time for a swim in the sea before dinner.

Day 4: Çiftlik – Ekincik – Kaunos (31 km)
Over breakfast the boat crosses to the little harbour of Ekincik, where today's ride begins. Beyond the pass, with its wide views, you will reach the shore of Lake Köyceğiz and the warm mud baths near Sultaniye. One more small climb brings you down to the mouth of the Dalyan river. From there a small boat will carry you on a half-hour cruise beneath the Lycian rock-cut tombs that watch over the delta, out to the ship lying at anchor beside a rocky islet.

Day 5: Kaunos – Dalaman – Sarsala Bay (42 km)
After breakfast the boat drops you close to the ancient city of Kaunos, the first stop of the day. Once a busy port at the water's edge, its harbour now lies eight kilometres inland, and only the ruins speak of the wealth the city once held. From the site you will cycle across the fertile Dalaman plains, past cotton fields and orchards, and stop for tea in a tea house in Dalaman. A final small pass drops you into the beautiful bay of Sarsala, where you will spot the ship waiting from far off.

Day 6: Gemiler Bay – Fethiye (33 km)
The boat sails past a scatter of small islands to Gemiler, also known as the island of St Nicholas, where a church was raised to the saint in the fifth century. Back on the mainland your ride climbs through pine forest to Kayaköy, a Greek town of 6,500 people abandoned in 1922 and left standing empty ever since. From there you continue to Fethiye, with the option of adding a few kilometres around a nearby peninsula of quiet bays and beaches made for a swim stop. In the evening you can wander the local bazaar and the old town around the Eski Cami mosque, with its narrow winding lanes and typical corner houses.

Day 7: Fethiye – Saklıkent Canyon – Fethiye (27 km)
A one-hour bus transfer takes you to Çavdır, the start of today's ride. From there you will cycle to the Saklıkent Canyon — "hidden city" in Turkish — where lunch is served on the riverbank and the gorge is easily explored on foot. Afterwards you will ride on to Kadıköy, and a short transfer brings you to Tlos, once one of the largest cities of ancient Lycia. A final transfer returns you to Fethiye for the night.

Day 8: Fethiye (disembarkation)
End of your tour: check-out after breakfast. A group transfer to the airport can be arranged on request.

Good to know
The same route is also operated in the opposite direction, from Fethiye to Bodrum, with the stages reversed; each direction has its own page and its own departure dates. The itinerary may be altered because of wind, weather or operational requirements. The tour is fully guided and is run bilingually in English and German. By arrangement with your guides you can also ride part of the route on your own along recommended alternatives, or set a half day or full day aside to swim and stay on board instead of cycling.