Greek Aegean, MS Boreas

You will make your own way to Bodrum. Shared transfers from Bodrum Airport to the harbour in Bodrum are available on request for a fee. Cabins are available from 2 pm. After checking in on the gulet, you will have the opportunity to explore the charming old town and the harbour. Your trip begins with a group dinner on board. It is not uncommon for the last participants to arrive on board late in the evening.

After breakfast, you’ll weigh anchor for a short crossing to Yalıҁiftlik. From here, you’ll set off on your first cycle ride through dense pine forests to Camlik, where you can stop for a refreshing drink. The route continues through olive groves shimmering in shades of silver and green to the small village of Etrim. Here, Turkmen tribes still lead a semi-nomadic lifestyle to this day. During a lunch break at a local restaurant, you’ll have the chance to sample traditional regional cuisine and then admire the local craftsmanship. After a break, you’ll head back to Yalıҁiftlik, where you’ll weigh anchor for the crossing to Kos. Here, you’ll encounter traces of the island’s glorious past at every turn. The Roman Forum, the fortress of the Knights of St John and the mosques from the time when Kos was part of the Ottoman Empire stand side by side. Round off the day in one of the town’s many bars or cafés.

After breakfast, you’ll set off on a cycle ride past the world-famous archaeological site of Asclepius of Kos, the god of healing, which is closely associated with Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine. From there, you’ll continue on to the mountain village of Zia, before heading back down to the coast and finally returning to the island’s capital, Kos. Here you will board your ship, which will take you to Mandraki on the volcanic island of Nisyros.

Today’s cycle tour on Nisyros takes you first to Nikia, a village at an altitude of 430 metres, built right on the crater’s rim and offering a fascinating view into the volcanic cone. Let yourself be enchanted by the village’s white houses and numerous pebble mosaics. From here, you cycle on to the volcanic crater with its steaming sulphur springs and finally back to the small harbour town of Mandraki, where your ship is already waiting to take you to the neighbouring island of Tilos.

This morning, you’ll go on a bike ride from Livadia to Megalochorio. If you have the chance, do visit the Miniature Elephant Museum there before returning to the ship. After a delicious lunch, you can relax on board and enjoy the sea as we sail to the island of Chalki. The picturesque main town of the island offers a small taste of the classical architecture that awaits you on Symi.

Early in the morning, we’ll cross over to the beautiful bay of Panormitis on Symi, where the monastery of St Michael the Archangel, named after the bay, is well worth a visit. Afterwards, the plan is: “Off to the other side of the island!” You’ll slowly make your way up the mountain along a winding road, with plenty of time to admire the ever-changing views. Your destination is the island’s capital, Symi, with its neoclassical townscape and harbour. In the early evening, your tour guide will accompany you to the upper town of Symi. From here, you’ll have a breathtaking view of the harbour and the deeply indented bay. You can round off the evening with a visit to a tavern away from the hustle and bustle.

It is just a stone’s throw from Symi to the Turkish Datça Peninsula and the town of the same name. In the morning, you will bid farewell to Greece and set off on the final cycle tour of the trip to Turkey. From Datça, you will cycle to the tip of the peninsula to the historically significant ruins of Knidos (4th century BC) with their well-preserved theatre. After visiting the impressive archaeological site, you’ll cross over to Bodrum. During a convivial evening on board, it’s finally time to say goodbye to your guides and the crew.

After breakfast on board, you will disembark. Shared transfers to Bodrum Airport are available on request at an additional cost.