The Dodecanese & Turkey Yacht Charters

• Day 1  Myconos - Ikaria (55 miles)
• Day 2  Ikaria - Samos (30 miles)
• Day 3  Samos - Kusadasi (Turkey) (15 miles)
• Day 4  Turkey (stay all day)
• Day 5  Turkey - Patmos (47 miles)
• Day 6  Patmos - Kos (45 miles)
• Day 7  Kos - Simi (44 miles)
• Day 8  Simi - Rhodes (23 miles)


EMBARKATION: MYCONOS
DISEMBARKATION: RHODES

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IKARIA is a huge precipitous slab of rock wedged into the sea to the west of Samos. The mythological origin of the name is derived from the legend of Daedalus and Icarus who contrived to escape from Crete by fabricating wings from feathers and wax. Icarus flew too high and land the sun melted the wax so that he fell in to the sea near Ikaria. The island doesn't get a lot of tourism and is generally quiet with friendly locals and some very good fishing.

SAMOS is the closest of the Greek islands to Turkey - just a mile across. Thick pine forests cover most of the lower slopes and villages perch precariously on small plateaus. There is a grandeur and grace to Samos unequalled elsewhere. In ancient times Samos was known as Parthenoarroussa for its beauty, Dryoussa for its oaks, Anthemis for its flowers and Hydrele for its abundant springs. Although an island ravaged and pillaged by corsairs in years gone by it is neither run down nor poor in spirit. On the contrary, the island leaves you with a feeling of happiness and friendliness. The muscat wine is superb.

KUSADASI (Turkey) is a booming tourist town built on the site of ancient Neapolis of which nothing remains. With numerous carpet shops, souvenir shops and restaurants it is the gateway to the nearby ancient ruins of Ephesus. The ruins are Hellenistic with a Roman overlay after Rome made Ephesus the capital of the province. The site is impressive for its size and for the clarity with which you can picture the ancient city. You can walk down the marble Street and see the ruins of a theatre, the agora, library, odeon, stadium, gymnasium, and even a so-called brothel.

PATMOS is the northernmost of the Dodecanese. Skala is the natural harbour of the island and above it the chora crowned by the monastery of St. John the Divine. The chora belongs more to the Cyclades than to the Dodecanese. The glaring white squat houses and courtyards contrast vividly with the grey stone monastery. Patmos belongs to the Christian age rather than to antiquity and is the spiritual centre of the Greek Orthodox Church after Mt. Athos. It is here that St. John the Divine dictated the wild poetry of the Apocalypse, found in the book of Revelations, to his disciple Prochorus.

KOS has recently been discovered by more tourists and several large hotels have been built around the sandy beaches. A well-watered and fertile island which produces fine vegetables, melons and grapes. The city of Kos was founded in 336 B.C. on the present site of the modern capital. Ancient Kos had many famous citizens but above them all stands Hippocrates, the great physician of antiquity and the father of modern medicine. The Asclepion, just outside Kos town has three terraces that lie in a peaceful setting near to medicinal springs on a limestone hill overlooking the Gulf of Kos. It is the appropriate place to remember the famous Hippocratic Oath.

SIMI was once famous for shipbuilding and sponge diving. Simiot shipwrights built many of the fast galleys for the knights of St. John. Even today Simiot caiques seem to be better cared for than in many other islands. Discovering Simi is like discovering an exotic plant in the desert. The muted blue, amber, cream and rose-hued houses have been built one upon the other up the steep sides of the inlet like a child's building block version of a town.

RHODES is an island that hums and bustles as only the most important tourist centres in Greece can. Hotel stretch along the coasts from Rhodes city where sun and sandy beaches create an irresistible lure for sun-starved visitors. The city consists of two distinct parts. The old city surrounded by walls built by the Knights and the new town largely built by the Italians during their occupation of the island. Mandraki harbour was probably used by the Knights to keep their swift galleys in. Here in ancient times the Colossus of Rhodes may have stood - the bronze statue of Helios the sun-god, one of the seven wonders of the world. Lindos, with its small winding streets between mediaeval houses and the castle perched on a rock summit, is uniquely beautiful.

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