Family trip: Sailing to Ephesus

A glorious 1-week version of our From Halicarnassus to Ephesus tour. Beginning in Bodrum, ancient Halicarnassus, this tour heads north to Ephesus one of the best preserved Roman cities in the Mediterranean. En route we visit some of the most interesting and prettiest sites in Turkey.

We’ve had a number of requests for family gulet cruises over the years. Parents have told us that their children are so fascinated with the Greeks and Romans that they would love to bring them along on a trip. So in 2006 we created a new one week trip for families to coincide with the UK’s October half-term

Jumping from the gulet.

holidays. It was fully booked before all our other tours, as was the trip in 2007, so here is another timetabled for the spring half term holiday.

We know that a gulet trip makes for a fun and fascinating family holiday. Children love playing in the sea and exploring the ancient ruins - taking the stage and performing in the Greek and Roman theatres. Peter’s 7-year old daughter, Rebecca, has sailed on gulets numerous times, revelling in the chance to paddle in the warm sea whenever she likes. She can never wait to be back on board the gulet Almira.

From lizards to wild herbs, tortoises to all manner of creepy crawlies, there’s a wealth of Mediterranean animals and plants for children to discover. There’s wonderful new foods to savour, different sounds to hear, and loads to see - a truly exotic adventure.

Family lunch

The highlights are plentiful: from the small harbour of Myndos, where Cassius harboured after murdering Julius Caesar, to Iasos, a wealthy ancient port, celebrated for its fish market and red marble. Today one can easily glimpse Iasos’ past vitality in the splendid ruins that litter the site - from the colonnaded agora to the Roman villa decked with mosaics.

Inland we’ll see two soaring temples, the elegant shrine to Zeus at Euromus, and the gargantuan oracular temple at Didyma. While at sea there are pretty rocky coves perfect for swimming, relaxing, and fine dining.

Our final destination is Ephesus, capital of Roman Asia. One of the very first cities in the world to have street lighting, the site is magnificent - marble streets, agoras, villas, a theatre for 28,000 and an extraordinary library.