Twelve Islands Boat Trip
Dalyan's own water is a river: flat, warm, green and shallow. The Twelve Islands trip exists because sooner or later people want the other thing, which is deep, cold, improbably clear salt water with an island sitting in front of it.
- Duration
- Full day, road transfer included
- Departure
- Early, because of the drive
- Departs from
- Dalyan, hotel pick-up
- Returns
- Back in Dalyan in the evening
- Group
- Shared gulet
- Season
- May to October
- Price
- Prices are on our sister site
The catch is worth stating before anything else. The boat does not leave from Dalyan. You are driven over to the Gulf of Fethiye, you spend the day on a gulet there, and you are driven back. If a coach at each end spoils a day for you, this is not your trip and we would rather you knew now.
The route, stop by stop
- Road transfer to the gulfMost of the early morning
Out of the delta, over the hills and down to the harbour. The road is good and the drive is unremarkable, which is the kindest thing that can be said about it.
- Out among the islandsThrough the day
The gulet works between the islands of the gulf and anchors in bays rather than at beaches. Which bays depends on the wind, so no two boats do quite the same day.
- Swim stopsFour or five, an hour or so each
Open water off the back of the boat, deep and cold for the first ten seconds, with a ladder down. This is the reason the whole day exists.
- Lunch on boardAbout an hour
Cooked and eaten at anchor, as on the river. Included, and the deck goes quiet for it.
- Back over the hillsLate afternoon
You will sleep on the coach. Everybody does, and there is no need to fight it.
Included
- Road transfer from Dalyan and back
- The full day on the gulet
- Lunch on board
- Swim ladder and shade on deck
Not included
- Drinks
- Mask and snorkel hire
- Anything bought at the harbour
Sea water is not river water
The delta has no motion in it at all. The gulf has some, and on a breezy afternoon it has a fair amount. Anybody in the party who is prone to seasickness should take something before boarding rather than after, by which time it is a formality.
The swimming is also different. You go in off a ladder in deep water rather than wading off sand, and there is no shallow end to retreat to. That is glorious for confident swimmers and genuinely off-putting for everyone else.
About the twelve
Nobody agrees on which twelve, and the count has more to do with the name of the trip than with anything you will pass. Treat it as a description of the area rather than an inventory, and you will not spend the afternoon doing arithmetic.
What to bring
- Swimwear worn underneath
- Towel
- Sun cream
- Hat
- A layer for the deck
- Cash
- Sea-sickness tablets if you are prone
Frequently asked questions
Does the boat leave from Dalyan?
No. Dalyan sits on a river and the islands are in the Gulf of Fethiye. There is a road transfer at each end and it is a real part of the day, not a detail.
Is the swimming out of my depth?
Mostly, yes. The gulet anchors in bays and you swim off the ladder. Buoyancy aids are usually aboard, but tell us beforehand if a non-swimmer is coming.
Do we go ashore on the islands?
Sometimes briefly, sometimes not at all. The day is built around swimming rather than landing, and the skipper decides on the wind.
Is it better than the Dalyan day trip?
It is different. The river day has the tombs, the mud and the beach; this one has clear salt water and no history whatsoever. People staying a week generally end up doing both.
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