Sailing from Kaş, the Private Day Between Islands and Tombs

The lines come off at Kaş marina and the skipper swings the bow round, somebody below puts the coffee on, and the town slides back: white houses stacked up the slope, the quay, the ridge of the peninsula behind. Eight kilometres off the bow lies Meis, which is Greek and looks like part of the coast.

By the time the sails are up, Kaş is small. That is what a private boat from here is for. You leave on your own timetable and you decide where the day ends up.

The boats are modest. A 48-foot monohull takes up to six guests on a day charter and a 41-foot catamaran up to eight, each with a skipper and a cook aboard. You can sit at the bow with a book. You can also trim a sail, take a turn at the helm or let the anchor go, and the skipper will let you do as much or as little as you like.

East for the ruins, west for the sand

Most days go east into Kekova. One classic run starts in İnönü Bay, anchors in Aquarium Bay for a first swim, then slips slowly over the sunken city and crosses to Kaleköy, with its castle above the houses. Tea in Yağlıca Bay, a last swim off Sulu Island, and the boat turns for Kaş. A day charter like this runs from about ten to half past five.

A variation heads for Aperlai, a deserted Lycian city, and ends with a swim at Limanağzı, where tombs show under the water.

The other way is west, toward Kalkan: a swim off Maradi Island, the Blue Cave, the pale sand at Kaputaş, lunch in Kalkan. It is a longer day and a different one, all coast and no ruins.

What the sunken city asks of you

Dolichiste went under in an earthquake in the second century AD, and its stairs and foundations lie a few metres below the surface on the north side of Kekova Island. The area has been a specially protected zone since 1990. Boats may pass slowly above the ruins, but swimming and diving over them is not allowed, so you lean over the rail instead. The swimming happens in the bays on either side, and Aquarium Bay is where the mask comes out.

Lunch at anchor

Somewhere calm the skipper drops the anchor and the cook gets to work. Lunch comes up from the galley and is eaten on deck: a main, rice, salad and a run of meze, with the boat swinging gently on its chain.

Editor's picks

• Say which bays you want.By midday the anchorages in Kekova Roads fill with gulets and day boats. A private skipper can pick the small ones.
• Mask on in Aquarium Bay.The clear water is the reason to stop.
• Lean over the rail at the sunken city.Stairs and walls under a few metres of water, easiest to read on a calm morning.
• Land at Kaleköy.No road reaches the village. Climb to the castle and look back over the channel.
• Go west for a beach day.Kaputaş and the Blue Cave sit on the Kalkan side of Kaş.
• Ask what comes aboard.Snorkel gear, a paddle board and a canoe are worth asking about before you book.
• Finish in Kaş.Walk back through the old town and find a table by the harbour, with Meis on the horizon.

Insider notes

The sea is usually flattest in the morning, and the wind tends to fill in from midday. Plan the swims for the calm and the sailing for the afternoon. The western entrance to Kekova Roads has rocks and sharp gusts, so let the skipper choose the approach.

Meis is about eight kilometres away and tempting, but crossing means customs and passport control. Kaş is the port of entry for yachts coming from the island. Treat Meis as a separate plan and ask the skipper what is possible.

Before you book, ask what lunch and drinks include, and whether snorkel gear is on board. Bring a hat and a light layer for the afternoon breeze.

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How to get to Kaş

Dalaman is the closest airport, about two hours by road, through Kalkan on the D400, so allow for the bends. The marina sits in the middle of town, a walk from the old town, so the boat is the one part of this trip that needs no car. Flights from Europe and Istanbul are covered in Getting there.

Out here the wind keeps office hours, and the skipper knows them.