And very aptly named it is too ! Our cruising grounds along the Turquoise coast are the prettiest of all our routes... the water is a deep blue/green hue; the steep-sided hills are covered in pine trees, extending all the way to the waterline. Anchored in a secluded bay, we often swim a line ashore and secure the stern to one of these very usefully-placed trees - thanks, Mother Nature.

If you were to glance up around you, toward the cliff-faces, you'd see frequent reminders of long-vanished cultures; elaborate and amazingly intact Lycian cliff tombs dating back to 500BC or so. There are ruins of pirate villages to explore; amphitheatres scattered all along the coast; most of them completely open and free for you to wander around - no gates, guards or "tourist shops" !

This is one of the big surprises that Turkey has in wait for many people; it is generally Greece which has the classic image of being the "cradle of western civilization." But for the archeologically- and culturally-inclined, Turkey is definitely the place to visit - there are so many more fascinating relics of long-gone civilisations here. And then much other fun stuff, like Turkish baths, hotsprings and mudbaths ! Not to mention exploring the colourful bazaars and villages...

As for the modern-day Turkish culture - another surprise to many people is how wonderfully friendly the Turkish people are! For so many years, Turkey suffered under the false image of "Midnight Express" - nothing could be further from the truth ! The local people have a quiet, friendly nature that genuinely wants to make their visitors happy; they will go a long way out of their way to help, often for no direct reward. Only that you should go home and tell your friends "Turkey is a beautiful country!"

Please visit "PLACES OF INTEREST" page for detailed info on the region and "MAPS & REGION" section of our "PHOTO GALLERIES". Pictures tell a lot more then words