Daily boat tours in the virgin bays of the Gulf of Gökova, or the "Blue Heaven," offer affordable opportunities for local and foreign tourists to explore the pristine, clear waters of the region.
Weighing anchor in the neighborhood of Akyaka in the Ula district of Muğla province and the neighborhood of Çamlı in the Marmaris district early in the morning, the boats give guests the chance to swim in and explore the unique, beautiful and clear waters of Kandilli Bay, Lacivert Bay, İncekum Beach, Sedir Island and the Gallipoli Peninsula Underwater Caves.
People spend the whole day on the bays after boarding the boats in the morning. The affordable tours take visitors to the bays and anchor in different spots throughout the day. Vacationers can enjoy the region's beautiful weather while swimming and sunbathing. Taking a tour in Gökova feels like a mini vocation for most. It is reported that around 200,000 people take tours every year in the Gulf of Gökova.
Ali İhsan Terzioğlu has been organizing boat tours for 25 years. He stressed that low-income families appreciate the affordable tours and use them like mini vacations.
Noting that this year's Eid al-Fitr was especially busy, Terzioğlu said their tours run on most holidays as well, weighing anchor from the port in the morning to head out to the unique bays of Gökova.
Mentioning they offer morning tea and lunch to their guests on the boats, Terzioğlu added: "We try to take our visitors to the quiet and virgin bays as much as we can. There are currently around 28 tours boats running every day. We offer both music tours and tours without music and carry nearly 150,000 to 200,000 people throughout the season." He also said the tours were very popular with foreigners, especially trips that include Sedir Island and its archaeological site
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