TWELVE ISLANDS (THE BLUE VOYAGE)

boat tour in the azure waters of the Mediterranean, visiting attractive coves and islands, where history and natural beauty embrace each other, is no longer an impossible dream. A blue voyage in a typical Turkish schooner-type boat is an exceptiona holiday project. The islands and coves you can visit during a blue voyage starting from the port of Fethiye can be listed as follows: Eskimegri (Şovalye Adasi).

The island, located on the north of the port of Fethiye, controlling the entrance to the harbour, had always carried a strategic prominence in history. During the 15th century, the Rhodian knights built a fortress on the island, thus having control of the city for a long time. This was also true during the late Roman period, as evidenced by the existing ruins of the walls of the fortress, houses and cisterns on the island, as well as unearthed pieces of mosaics. Today the island is a summer resort and a site for daily excursions, and there are one hotel, two opart-hotels, one restaurant, with a beach and picnic areas. It is at a.distance of 1.5 miles to Fethiye, and during summer months there are daily dolmus boat services between the hours of 10.00 and !9.00, The Sovalye island, cooled by the Mediteiranean breezes even on hottest summer days, is one of the ''must" spots in Fethiye.

Part named by fishermen as "Inside the Darkness", composed of islands and Kapıdağ Peninsula, adorned numerous bays, more beautiful than one another, is the resort place of blue voyagers. YASSICA Islands, Hamam Bay, Kurşunlu Bay, Yavansu, Bedri Rahmi Bay, Tersane Island, Göbün Bay, Boynuzbükü, Göcek Island, Domuz Island, Zeytin Island, Kızıl Island, reached via daily tours from Fethiye and Göcek, are also named as "12 Islands" within the region and holds the characteristic of most important attraction area How to get there: Daily boat trips from Fethiye

Kizilada At sun-set, the rays redden the soil and stones and the island looks totally crimson, hence the name Kizilada. With the exception of the lighthouse and the residence of the keeper at the southern tip, there is no other but ding on the island. The Deliktas islands of various sizes at the northwest are very convenient for divers and fishermen. The eastern shore of Kizilada, which is protected from waves and quite suitable to cast anchor is a cove where the blue voyagers and daily boat tours stop over.

Katranci Adasi

The island fakes its name from the Katranci Cove facing it, renowned as one of the prominent camping sites of Fethiye. It is not a convenient landing place for boats 'but is a favourite spot for ardent fishermen.

Gocek lsland Facing Gocek, which is an attractive town especially for yachtsmen, this island has many coves where boats can land.This pleasant island covered with pine trees, is p peaceful haven for swimming aha' casting anchor.

Yassica Islands This group of 5 islands of various sizes is the spot when boats on daily excursions stay the longest. The northern tip of the main island, lying in the direction of south-north, has a beach ideal for swimmers. The area is a center of entertainment where various water sports take place. Touring among the islands, separated from each other with narrow straits, and encountering new attractive sites at every bend, is a fulfiling adventure. Only the Hacı Halil Island (Zeytinii Island) at the southern end of the Yassica Islands is a private property. Here there is an olivepressing workshop from the Ottoman times.

Tersane Island

Tersane Island is the larqesi one in the region, with many ruins of buildings dated to the early Roman era most of wlhich have the feattures of  typical Mediteiraneon arohitecture.the island is so named because there was a dockyard here in the; old days for the construction, maintenance and repair of small boats A stop-over on the four of twelve islands, at present it is inhabited by a few families raising livestock and farming. There are two coves called the summer harbour and the winter harbour by the fishermen, which are the safest and most protected spots for casting anchor.

Domuz (Prens) Island

It is called Domuz Island due to the presence of wild boars living here and Prens Island because a prince had a house in this island about a quarter of a century ago. It is possible to see the ruins surrounding the island, now submerged into the sea. There is a harbour convenient for the boats to land.

Goblin Cove

As you enter the Karanlik içi, the Gobun Cove is hidden in the south, with its thick mantle of pine trees and an antique ruin on the shore purported to be a bath, which is found irresistible by the Blue Voyagers. With innumerable royal tombs on the hills, winkinq at you among the greenery, and ruins of the Kaunus cull, this is one of the most fascinating coves in the region.

To feast on baked fresh fish and bread at the restaurant on the shore and to watch the sun rise from the top of the hill are extraordinary features of the Goblin Cove.

Hamam (Manastir) Cove

Hamam Cove heads the list of primary stop-overs of the boots on the Blue Voyage, with its unbelievably beautiful sea and nature. In a typical Medietrranean manner, people are convinced that Cleopatra once swam here and so the site is called the Cleopatra Cove. It is disputable whether or not Cleopatra waded into the sea here, but there is no doubt that she would have admired the place hod she seen it!

On the eastern face of the isthmus befrween the Kurdoglu cape and the mainland, there are submerged ruins of a building. It is not certain whether this was a bath or a manastery from the Byzantian times. It is purported that the cape is named after a pirate called Kurdoglu and the ruins are part of his residence. Silvery stones and walls 'are buried in deep blue waters. Around the cove, covered with pine trees and shrubs, there are many more significant and insignificant ruins. The Kursunlu Cove with a great wall cutting across the isthmus is very convenient for an overnight sto- over, Yavansu is located near the Hamam Cove and from there, after half-an-hour's walk, the antique city of Lidae is reached on the hill, which must be visited by impassioned lovers of history.

Tasyaka (Bedri Rahmi Cove) At the Tasyaka Cove, facing the Tersane Island, a fish painted on a large rock greets you. It is no surprise to see that the fish, painted by Bedri Rahmi Eyüboglu during one of his famous blue voyages, still preserves its vital colours. The cove has the only spring of drinking wafer in the region. Casting anchor at the Tasyaka Cove, visiting the rock tombs on the slopes, and wandering beneath the pine trees. Words are not sufficient to describe this experience; you have to go and see for yourselves. Sailing from Gocek to the islands, the first stop-over is Ak Bükü, where the slopes ate covered with pine trees, all the more fascinating with the sea displaying the most provocative shades of  blue and the liguid amber trees at a little distance from the shore. Moving on towards the south, the Kapydag Peninsula is the apple of the eye for the Blue Voyagers, decorated by Boynuz Bükü with its coves lying one inside the other; Sarsyla which is the last accessible cove by land, Kille and other innumerable coves.