Sailing Bestas Limani waters takes you outside the confines of Fethiye Bay and past Gemiler Island into the broad Mediterranean. The bold shores of the Lycian Coast rise up, with the foothills of the Taurus Mountains beyond. Surf paints the beaches a bright white on the dazzling blue of the water as it shoals near the shore. Up close to the mainland you’ll find Bestas Limani, the proper name for this incredibly beautiful anchorage that most local sailors call Cold Water Bay because of the many springs of cold water that feed into it. Swimming is popular. You feel a temperature drop of at least 20°F where the spring outflow mixes with the sea. Bestas Limani was once a favorite harbor for marauding pirates. They were so common in Lycian waters that this portion of present-day Turkey was called the Pirate Coast. Many Mediterranean nations launched naval campaigns to stamp out the scourge, beginning as early as 1200 B.C. Those campaigns lasted well into the 19th century and even involved the venerable frigate USS Constitution and other ships of the U.S. Navy sailing by authority of President Thomas Jefferson.
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No moorings are available.
Dinghy dockage: No dinghy dockage is available.
Swimming, rock diving (leaping off the sheer rock faces into the deep water of the bay), and hiking a short distance over the hills to the deserted Greek village of Kayakoy are the main attractions. In 1923, by arrangement between Greece and Turkey, populations of each nation were shifted. Kayakoy’s Greek residents left under this agreement and now the city stands abandoned. It’s a haunting sight, the ornate buildings partially toppled due to an earthquake, the forest slowly encroaching to reclaim the land. Of particular interest is the Greek Orthodox basilica. If you’re hungry, there’s a restaurant perched on the hills overlooking Bestas Limani. Nearby Gemiler Island is famous for its Byzantine ruins and mosaics. It’s also a great alternative anchorage.
Rest rooms are available.
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