Discover Hidden Bays on the Gazipasa Boat Tour

• 09:30 Pickup from your hotel. Your exact pickup time depends on the location of your hotel. Air conditioned vehicles take you to Gazipasa in about 1 hour, with countryside and coastal views along the way.
• 10:20 Arrival at Gazipasa Gold Marina and boarding.
• 10:30 Our pirate style boat leaves the harbour.
• Koru natural pools 30 minute swimming break. You can get into the sea from the boat and, if you wish, swim across to the natural pools on the Koru shore.
• Sea caves The boat sails inside two sea caves, one of the most photographed moments of the day. If the weather and sea conditions are not suitable, this part is skipped for safety reasons.
• King's Bay 1 hour break. Lunch is served here. With the remaining time you can either swim in the bay or step ashore and climb the footpath to the ruins of Antiochia ad Cragum, the ancient city founded by Antiochus IV of Commagene, where entry is free. If you want to do both, you will need to move quickly.
• Delik Deniz The "Pierced Sea" is a separate stop right beside King's Bay. The boat sails inside it for a photo break, and there is no swimming stop here.
• Blue Lagoon 30 minutes. The last swimming break of the day.
• 16:30 Return to Gazipasa Gold Marina, disembarking and boarding the transfer vehicles.
• 17:30 Arrival at your hotel. This can be 30 minutes earlier or later depending on where your hotel is.

The Gazipasa Boat Tour takes you around 45 kilometres east of Alanya's busy shoreline, to a stretch of Mediterranean coast that has stayed almost untouched. There are no crowded piers here, no rows of excursion boats moored side by side and no loudspeakers shouting from morning until evening. Instead you find clear water, caves carved into the cliffs, coves lying at the foot of an ancient city and a sea you will share with only a handful of other boats all day.

DailyToursInAlanya is a legal and licensed local agency based in Alanya, and on this page we prefer to describe the route exactly as it is rather than fill it with sales lines. When you know in advance what you will see, what depends on the sea conditions and how to plan the one hour break, your day matches your expectations precisely. That is the reason we would like you to read this page before you step on board.

An Untouched Coastline and Water You Can See Straight Through

The coastal strip the route follows has been left outside tourism development. You will not see hotels, restaurants or beach clubs along the shore. The view is a few small houses, banana plantations spread over the slopes and rocky headlands left exactly as nature shaped them. Because there is no settlement here, nothing drains into the sea, and the clarity of the water becomes obvious at the very first stop. This is a sea where you can count the pebbles on the bottom while leaning over the rail and see the rocks under your feet while you swim. That is why we suggest packing a snorkel mask. If you were hoping for an Alanya swimming and snorkeling tour with genuinely clean underwater visibility, the difference from the busy public beaches is impossible to miss.

The Stops Along the Route

The first break is at the Koru natural pools, shallow and still basins that the waves have hollowed out of the shore rocks over thousands of years. You slip into the sea straight from the boat and, if you feel like it, swim all the way in and rest inside these pools. The area around them is difficult to reach overland, so most people who ever see it arrive by sea.

The route then calls at two sea caves. People along this coast tell that pirates once used them to hide themselves and their cargo, and our pirate boat concept takes its inspiration from those old stories. The boat sails inside the caves and slows down under the rock ceilings for photographs. Let us be clear from the start, entering the caves depends on the sea. If the waves and the wind are not right, our captain leaves them out for safety, and that is not a shortcoming but the very reason this route has run without incident for years.

The longest break of the day is at King's Bay. The cove is named after Antiochus IV of Commagene, the king who once ruled these shores. Antiochia ad Cragum, the ancient city he founded, stands on the slope right above the water and is reached by climbing a footpath. Column remains, a bath building and mosaic areas dating from the Roman period are on view, and entry is free. Walking fifteen minutes up from a cove you have just swum in and arriving at a two thousand year old city is what makes this Gazipasa hidden bays boat trip unlike any other day out on this coast.

Right beside King's Bay lies Delik Deniz, named after the natural arch in the middle of a huge rock mass. Wind and waves wore the stone away over thousands of years to open it, and the most striking frame of the route appears as the boat glides beneath the arch. The final swimming break is at the Blue Lagoon. Anyone who wants to reach this cove overland has to walk down two hundred stone steps, while those arriving by water simply drop anchor in the middle of it. The comfort of doing this Gazipasa daily boat tour from the sea is nowhere clearer than here.

How to Plan Your Hour at King's Bay

Here is an honest piece of advice. The break at King's Bay lasts one hour and lunch is served within that hour. Guests who want to eat, swim and climb up to the ancient city all at once end up racing the clock. Our suggestion is simple. If the ancient city matters to you, finish your meal quickly, set off early on the footpath and use whatever time is left for a swim when you come back down. If swimming and resting come first, skip the climb, because watching the ruins from the water is enjoyable too. Trying to do both fully can spoil the break, so make your choice before you step off the boat. Remember that this is a Gazipasa boat tour with lunch, and the meal is part of that same hour.

A Calm Concept and What Sets This Route Apart

Fun is not absent on this route, it is simply kept in proportion. Music plays on board, but always at a low volume, at a level where you can talk and still hear the waves. There is a short, small scale foam session as well, and you can join in or watch it from the deck. What you will not find is an animation programme running all day and speakers turned up to the maximum. If you have already tried a classic Alanya Boat Tours experience, you will feel the difference within the first half hour, empty coves instead of crowded ones and a day at your own rhythm instead of a fixed entertainment schedule. Guests who set off on a Gazipasa boat tour from Alanya most often come back saying the same thing, that this is the same sea showing a completely different face. Anyone looking for an Alanya relax boat tour rather than a party ship will feel at home here, and families who normally find an Alanya daily boat trip too loud tell us exactly the same.

Who This Experience Suits

• Travellers tired of crowded coves and noisy boats who want a calm day on the water
• Anyone who loves swimming in clear water and watching the seabed with a snorkel
• People keen on nature and history photography
• Families who want a safe swimming day for their children without the crowds
• Couples who prefer to spend the day in a quiet atmosphere

On the other hand, guests looking for animation, games and a party atmosphere from morning to evening, and those who do not enjoy spending a long day at sea, may find this route is not the right choice. Setting expectations clearly from the start makes everyone's day better.

Which Month to Choose

The route runs throughout the swimming season. Your choice of month affects two things, the temperature of the water and the likelihood of entering the caves. The table below sums up the general character of the sea in this region, while exact conditions can change from one day to the next.

Photography Guide

One of the clear reasons people choose this route is photography, and every stop on the Gazipasa Boat Tour offers a different frame. Do bring your waterproof phone case, because some of the best shots are taken from in the water.

• The moment the boat passes under the natural rock arch at Delik Deniz is the signature shot of the route
• Inside the sea caves, backlit frames looking out from the cave mouth towards the bright open sea work beautifully
• The best view over King's Bay is from the higher parts of the footpath leading to the ancient city
• The turquoise tones of the Blue Lagoon are at their strongest in the afternoon light
• At the Koru natural pools you can try underwater shots with a snorkel mask

Our Request for Keeping These Coves Untouched

The most valuable thing about this route is how untouched it has stayed, and protecting that depends on everyone who steps on board. We have a few small requests for our guests.

• Never throw anything into the sea and hand your rubbish to our crew on board
• Do not break pieces off the rocks and do not touch marine life
• Choose a reef friendly sunscreen where possible
• Do not climb on the stones at the ancient site and do not move any piece from where it lies

Transfer, Meeting Point and Reservation

Because the heart of the route lies on the Gazipasa shore, the day starts with a road transfer. The drive between Alanya and the marina takes about an hour and is a pleasant one, with banana plantations and sea views along the way. A Gazipasa coast cruise from Alanya done entirely by water would mean spending most of the day cruising in open sea, so we choose the road in order to leave all of your sea hours for the coves themselves. Guests who prefer to drive can come directly to Gazipasa Gold Marina, and the fee is exactly the same. We take no deposit, and the Gazipasa boat trip price is paid on the day of the tour. Among the Alanya day trips from hotel doors across the resort, this is one of the simplest to arrange. For any question about your plan or to complete your Alanya boat tour booking within minutes, you can reach us by phone and WhatsApp.