2012 - Turquoise Coast & Islands of the Eastern Aegean (from Rhodes)

Afternoon embarkation in port 15:00 to 16:30 hrs. At 17:00 hrs we sail for Symi. In the evening, we reach the quaint port of Symi with its typical architecture and lively atmosphere. Late at night we will sail north. Overnight at sea.

In the morning we will stop at an island for a short swim stop (weather permitting). Mid day we arrive at magnificent Patmos, the Island of St. John's exile.Your optional Patmos afternoon excursion includes two UNESCO World Heritage Sites, the Grotto and Monastery of St. John and the historic centre of the medieval town of Chora. Overnight in port.

The bustling port of Kusadasi is your gateway to Ephesus, one of the greatest classical sites of the Mediterranean. The white marble library, the marble theatre and the Roman baths will show the facets of Ancient Greek and Roman culture. Morning excursion to Ephesus. Overnight in port.

Early morning sailing to Didim. Didim, home of the antique city of Didyma was successively a Mycenaean, Cretan, Persian, Roman and Byzantine settlement. The optional excursions showcases the Oracle Shrine of Apollo and the Ancient city of Miletus once a powerful Ionian and is considered to have given birth to Western philosophy and to Thales in particular. Overnight in port.

We leave Didim in the early hours to sail to Bodrum. Today we reach Bodrum known in the Antiquity as Halicarnassus, the capital city of Caria Kingdom. Herodotus the father of History was born here. Centuries later the Knight of St. John took over the city and built St. Peter's Castle. Our optional excursion includes the Halicarnassus site, the castle and the Mausoleum, once one of the Seven Wonders of the World. We leave Bodrum after dinner for a night sailing to Fethiye.

We arrive at Fethiye, known as Telmessos in ancient times. The city was very prominent and a centre of prophecy, pledged to Apollon. That the city life was rich and highly cultured during the Hellenistic and Roman periods is evident from the existing monuments. Today, the majority of ancient ruins in Telmessos are rock-tombs, Lycian-type sarcophagi, the fortress and the Roman Theatre. Your morning excursion will also bring you to Pinara. After lunch you will return to port and board the Halis Temel to sail to the Cleopatra Sunken baths site. After a last swim and farewell dinner, we sail to Marmaris. Arrival late at night and overnight in port.

Time for an optional morning 1/2 day excursion and day at leisure to visit a local beach. In the afternoon we leave for Rhodes. This evening we reach Rhodes, the city famous for its amazing fortified Old City, one of the best preserved Medieval settlement in Europe. Overnight in Rhodos port.