A family week at sea, summer 2027.

Slow days in quiet bays

Turkey is the slower one. Gulets are wide wooden boats with big shaded decks, and most nights you stay at anchor in a quiet bay with pine trees down to the water. The kids can jump off the back, paddle around or go out on the tender, and there are plenty of sheltered bays to choose from.

Meals are long and mostly on board, with Turkish food cooked by the crew. You'll stop at a village or two, but this week is mostly about swimming and doing very little.

Bodrum, the Datça peninsula and Symi

1. 
   Day 1

   Bodrum

   Board below the Castle of St. Peter, built by the Knights in the 1400s, and head out for the first swim of the week as the town lights come on behind you.
2. 
   Day 2

   Knidos

   You anchor in the harbour of an ancient city at the very tip of the peninsula, where the Aegean meets the Mediterranean. Swim off the boat, then walk up through the columns and the old theatre at sunset.
3. 
   Day 3

   Bozburun

   A fishing village where gulets have been built by hand for generations. Watch the boatyards at work, then have a slow lunch on the waterfront.
4. 
   Day 4

   Symi

   A short hop across the water to a harbour of pastel houses stacked up the hill. Climb the old stone steps to the upper village for the view, and pick up a sponge, which the island has been known for since long before tourists.
5. 
   Day 5

   Söğüt

   A deep green bay with pine trees down to the water and a few family restaurants on wooden jetties. One of the quietest nights of the week.
6. 
   Day 6

   Datça

   A relaxed harbour town known for almonds, honey and thyme. Old Datça, a few minutes up the hill, is all stone houses and bougainvillea, and good for an evening walk and an ice cream.
7. 
   Day 7

   Back to Bodrum

   One last swim stop on the way across the gulf, then the evening in town between the marina and the bazaar.

The captain plans the final route with you on board, based on the weather.

Island hopping and stone towns

Croatia is the busier one. The islands are close together, so you move a little every day and can end most afternoons in a different harbour town. Mornings are for swimming in clear coves, then you can walk around places like Hvar or Vis, have an ice cream and eat ashore if you like.

The water is very clear and a bit cooler than Turkey. There are more boats around in early July, and more to do on land.

Split to Dubrovnik

1. 
   Day 1

   Split

   Board in the afternoon and walk through Diocletian's Palace in the evening.
2. 
   Day 2

   Hvar

   Swim around the Pakleni Islands, then Hvar town in the evening.
3. 
   Day 3

   Vis

   A quieter island, with an early trip to the Blue Cave on Biševo.
4. 
   Day 4

   Korčula

   A walled old town on a small peninsula.
5. 
   Day 5

   Mljet

   A national park with two saltwater lakes and a monastery on a tiny island.
6. 
   Day 6

   Dubrovnik

   Arrive in the afternoon and walk the old city walls.
7. Day 7

   Disembark

   Leave the boat in the morning.

Boats doing Split to Split loop back through Brač and Šolta instead. The captain plans the final route with you on board, based on the weather.