Göcek () is a small town in the

Fethiye Fethiye () is a city and district of Muğla Province in the Aegean Region of Turkey. It is one of the prominent tourist destinations in the Turkish Riviera. In 2019 its population was 162,686. History Fethiye was formerly known as Makri (). ...

within the district of

Muğla Province Muğla Province ( tr, , ) is a province of Turkey, at the country's south-western corner, on the Aegean Sea. Its seat is Muğla, about inland, while some of Turkey's largest holiday resorts, such as Bodrum, Ölüdeniz, Marmaris and Fethiye, are ...

Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...

. The town was previously known as Callimache in ancient times, and is located between Fethiye (referred to as

Telmessos Telmessos or Telmessus ( Hittite: 𒆪𒉿𒆷𒉺𒀸𒊭 ''Kuwalapašša'', Lycian: 𐊗𐊁𐊍𐊁𐊂𐊁𐊛𐊆 ''Telebehi'', grc, Τελμησσός), also Telmissus ( grc, Τελμισσός), later Anastasiopolis ( grc, Αναστ� ...

in ancient times) and

Dalyan Dalyan is a town in Muğla Province located between the districts of Marmaris and Fethiye on the south-west coast of Turkey. The town is an independent municipality, within the administrative district of Ortaca. Dalyan achieved international ...

(referred to as Caunos in ancient times). According to local legend, it is in the Göcek area that

Icarus In Greek mythology, Icarus (; grc, Ἴκαρος, Íkaros, ) was the son of the master craftsman Daedalus, the architect of the labyrinth of Crete. After Theseus, king of Athens and enemy of Minos, escaped from the labyrinth, King Minos suspe ...

landed in the sea after his famous flight trying to escape from the tower where he was imprisoned. Göcek was used as a harbour for ships loading chrome ore collected from the mines under nearby mountains during the Ottoman period. Today, Göcek hosts six significant

marinas A marina (from Spanish , Portuguese and Italian : ''marina'', "coast" or "shore") is a dock or basin with moorings and supplies for yachts and small boats. A marina differs from a port in that a marina does not handle large passenger ships or ...

that serve yacht tourism in the region: Club Marina, Skopea Marina, Municipality Marinas, Marinturk Göcek Village Port, Marinturk Göcek Exclusive, and D-Marin Gocek.The town is known by its islands and coves located in a large and secluded bay which incentivises yacht tourism. In 1988, Göcek was declared a Registered Area of Special Protection. Therefore, multi-story buildings are not allowed. The tourist accommodation facilities are two-storied hotels, motels, apartment hotels, and pensions situated in the town center and its periphery. Göcek has all the necessary infrastructure, capacity, and amenities expected in a tourism center, yet it is known as a more peaceful and quiet settlement than some other similar tourist destinations. Göcek is situated on

Dalaman Dalaman is a district, as well as the central town of that district, situated on the southwestern coast of Turkey, in the Muğla Province. Dalaman Stream (''Dalaman çayı'') forms much of the western border of the district, where its neighbor ...

–Fethiye highway. Until 2006, it was necessary to drive along a relatively narrow and winding road to reach Göcek from Dalaman. However, the 980-meter Göcek vehicle tunnel, completed in June 2006, has significantly increased the accessibility of the town. The vehicle tunnel is a toll roadway and the first example of a build-operate-transfer model. The permanent population in Göcek is around 4,500. This number exceeds 7,000 during the summer months. Since Göcek is a departure and arrival point for

Blue Cruise A Blue Cruise, also known as a ''Blue Voyage'' () or ''Blue Tour'' (), is a term used for recreational voyages along the Turkish Riviera, on Turkey's southwestern coast along the Aegean and Mediterranean seas. The cruise is typically a week- ...

s, there is heavy yacht traffic in the town's harbor. With its secluded bay, the harbor is quiet and safe, especially for long-distance travelers arriving from international waters. Göcek coves and the 12 islands, which are described as a hidden paradise, with clean

Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the e ...

water, green pine forests, and beaches, have rendered Göcek an indispensable destination for seafarers. High-quality boarding facilities, daily boat tours, entertainment facilities on the seaside, and numerous nearby beaches and coves provide various alternatives for local and international tourists traveling by road to spend their vacations. There are many restaurants, cafés, and bars on the promenade. Göcek became known to groups of artists and poets and to some fisherman from

Bodrum Bodrum () is a port city in Muğla Province, southwestern Turkey, at the entrance to the Gulf of Gökova. Its population was 35,795 at the 2012 census, with a total of 136,317 inhabitants residing within the district's borders. Known in ancient t ...

as a result of their cruising along the Turkish Turquoise Coast, a journey later called the "Blue Voyage". Of the beaches, one belongs to D-Resort Gocek which can be accessed paying a daily price or taking out a seasonal membership. Inlice Beach is out of Göcek and can be reached by a 10-minute drive; and it is run by the municipality of Göcek. The main island beach is reachable by water taxi from the harbor. Other beaches are easily accessible by car or taxi. Amongst these is Sarıgerme, a long sandy beach. Beyond Sarıgerme is the protected beach of Iztuzu in the Dalyan Delta. In the opposite direction, the famous beach at

Ölüdeniz Ölüdeniz (literally ''Dead Sea'', due to its calm waters even during storms; official translation name Blue Lagoon) is a small neighbourhood and beach resort in the Fethiye district of Muğla Province, on the Turquoise Coast of southwestern Tu ...

is only 40 minutes drive away. The Twelve Islands can be reached by private charter boats, simple fishing boats, and larger yachts. There are about 20 sailing and motor yacht charter and brokerage sailing companies. There are several technical yacht services, chandlers and maintenance services.

Climate

In winter Göcek's average maximum temperature is 14°C (57°F). In the summer the average maximum is 34°C (100°F) and the weather is sunny for over 300 days in a year. Highs of 40°C (104°F) are reached at times. Because of its climate, Göcek is renowned for growing wonderful tangerines and lemons as well as oranges.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gocek Fethiye Towns in Turkey Populated coastal places in Turkey Turkish Riviera Aegean Sea port cities and towns in Turkey

Climate

See also

References