Yachting
remains a popular activity for residents as well as visitors to
Turkey. Over the past 40 years the industry has grown, and today a
large number of marinas dot the coastline between Istanbul and
Antalya. These provide supplies, easy access to the shore at major
resorts and safe harbors, as well as often becoming local
entertainment venues in themselves. In Istanbul, yachtsmen will
delight in splendid natural landscapes, open seas and magnificent
sunsets, as well as a voyage through Byzantine and Ottoman history as
they sail past the impressive castles, palaces and mosques. After
navigating the breathtaking Bosphorus and sailing under the two
enormous bridges which span Europe and Asia or meandering along the
mosque-lined Golden Horn or cruising in the coves and bays of the
Princes' Islands, you can return to one of the two large marinas in
the area. Atakoy Marina on the European side and Kalamis (Amiral
Fahri Koruturk) Marina on the Asian side both offer 24-hour service.
From the North
Sea through the European interior, yachters can sail down the
European channel system and the Rhine and Danube Rivers into the
Black Sea harbors and to the Istanbul Bogazi and Istanbul marinas - a
safe and short way to go to the Turkish Mediterranean coast and
marinas. The Black Sea coast provides yachters with a lush green
coastal band where the environment is protected and virginal. There
are frequent coves and fishing harbors along this coast, and the
weather is mild during the summer and winter.
Turkey's most
established marinas lie on the southern Aegean and Mediterranean
coasts at Izmir, Cesme, Kusadasi, Bodrum, Datca, Bozburun, Marmaris,
Gocek, Fethiye, Kalkan, Kas, 
Finike,
Kemer and Antalya. In these well-equipped harbors, yachters can find
the services and provisions they require. Antalya, Dalaman, Izmir and
Istanbul airports provide quick links to all of Turkey's marinas;
after an easy flight you can board your yacht and sail off all within
a day.
