Turkey v Greece / Croatia

We LOVE sailing in Greece and Croatia! In fact, so do most sailors – they are the most popular sailing grounds in the world - which is why there are hundreds of yachts and catamarans available for charter, and literally thousands of sailors head there each summer to hop around the majestic islands in the beautiful sunshine.

But that’s not to say that there aren’t plenty of other places, particularly in the Med, which are also amazing places to sail. We know about the classy sailing available in Italy or the French Riviera, and that Montenegro is home to SuperYachts and SuperMarinas, but how does sailing in Turkey compare to sailing in Greece and Croatia?

 Same: Weather is great! 

As you’d expect given its proximity to Greece, the weather in Turkey is much the same as in Greece – which means plenty of sun-filled days and some fantastically warm summers. Temperatures are at their hottest in August, when there are days when it is best to try and stay in the shade!

In fact, you could argue that Turkey has better weather than Croatia and Greece because, being a bit further south, you still wind lovely warm weather here right until the end of October.

 Same: Plenty to explore 

The coasts and islands of the Mediterranean have a long and lustrous history - and the islands and coasts of Turkey are no different. Wherever you choose to sail in the Med, you’ll be able to find plenty of culture, history, cuisine, and friendly locals. The Turkish shores have been welcoming visitors for literally thousands of years. Turkey is where East meets West, so you’ll find the flavours, smells and sounds exhilarating.

 Same: Qualifications to sail 

Turkey, like Greece and Croatia, will accept RYA DaySkipper, ASA104, ICC and international equivalents. Ideally, they like you to have someone with a VHF license on board, too.

 Different: Bays with jetties and restaurants 

One of the things which makes Turkey a special place to sail (and different to sailing in Greece and Croatia) is the places to overnight – whilst there are similar opportunities to anchor around the area, in Turkey then you’ll find much fewer big marinas, and instead a multitude of smaller jetties and piers spread along the coastline – even the tiniest bays will have a little jetty to moor up to, often operated by a little Taverna or restaurant who won’t charge you mooring fees if you eat there.

 Different: Floating supermarkets 

Some people enjoy going to the shops on a holiday, but stocking up on fresh food can sometimes be a bit of a drag. You have to work out where the nearest ‘big shop’ is, take the time to get there, and then you have to work out how to get the food back to the boat. Turkey have a neat solution to this: there’s floating supermarkets in the main cruising ground which you can board and shop on – some will even give you a lift to and from your boat to their shop to make it super-easy.  Just one more reason you should be sailing in the Med!

 Sold it you yet? 

Be sure to check out our destination guides to find out a LOT more about sailing in Turkey, or search in the pink box for yachts and catamarans available for charter in Turkey with live pricing and availability, or contact our award-winning Customer team through LiveChat, UK Freephone or email!

 Want more like this? 

This is part of our 'Destination Highlights' week of blogs focussing on sailing in the Turkey - including Turkey v Greece / Croatia, The best places to sail to in Turkey, and FAQ's about sailing in Turkey. You might also be interested in checking out our similar Destination Highlights: BVIs, Destination Highlights: Montenegro, Destination Highlights: Croatia, Destination Highlights: Greece, Destination Highlights: Italy, Destination Highlights: Malta, Destination Highlights: Scotland, Destination Highlights: Bahamas, Destination Highlights: Spain and Destination Highlights: France blog series from previous months!