Cruise tip: Bodrum to the Greek islands

Since the middle of 2001, there have been standardised laws enforced on travel between Greece and Turkey. After you have left Bodrum you'll arrive at the next port of entry, which is Kos in our case. There, the harbour master will inspect your flag certificate, crew list and passports then you'll go to customs and passport police. It is completely immaterial whether the yacht has Turkish, German or any other country's flags. The charges are the same. You pay a one-off payment for a transit log (about EUROS 60 at the moment). There are no further costs apart from port or marina taxes. The length of time clearance takes depends on the person dealing with it, but generally it is 2-3 hours for the formalities to be dealt with. However, care has to be taken when dealing with agents which have established themselves in the last few years in Rhodes and Symi. Without their assistance, clearance from the authorities is made extremely difficult, but last year these agents requested up to 400 Euros from yachts.

Despite the above mentioned little challenges at Rhodes and Symi, and despite the wonderful diversity and beauty of the Turkish coast, a detour or a complete cruise to the Greek islands is well worth it.

On our doorstep lie the Dodecanese islands. The main ones being Kos, Nisyros, Tilos, Karpathos, Astypalaia, Kalymnos, Leros, Patmos, Symi, and Rhodes. Here we'd just like to give you our personal experience and impressions of a few of them.

Island of Symi

Approach to the harbour

Town of Symi

Symi, "Monastery Bay"

Kos

8 nm from harbour to harbour

Kos is a port of entry and a much loved harbour town. The marina, which is 0.5 nm east of Kos town, has been in business for 2 years. It's one of the few really good marinas in Greece. Well worth seeing is Kos town itself, the castle and the surrounding old town.

Nisyros

20 nm to the south of Kos

Nisyros is one of our favourites because it's small but packs a punch. In the north there are 2 harbours, with Pali being the better of the two. There are two tavernas and moped rental in the harbour itself. A trip to the volcano and a walk inside the crater make a visit to this place unforgettable. It's still active, so there's a distinct smell of sulphur emitting from the cracks. Knowing there's just 1-2m between you and magma is strangely scary.

Astypalaia

35 nm west of Nisyros

One of the few islands that have actually gained beauty in recent years. 10 years ago the main town of Skala was shabby, but since then it's really turned a corner. The houses have all been renovated, so their gleaming, almost blinding-white remind you of the building style of the Cyclades. Our favourite bay is Vathi in the north east. Here there is a splendid but simple taverna.

Kalymnos, Ormos Vathy

Kalymnos

35 nm north east of Astypalaia

Jagged, steep and lofty mountains stamp their authority on this island, simply begging you to do a round trip. There's something new around every corner. Tiny villages and bays cutting deep inland are a total contrast to the neighbouring islands. Kalymnos town is always full of life, and the harbour unfortunately usually full. Our favourite point is the bay of Vathy on the east coast. There are three or four tavernas, a little village, and in the morning you won't be able to resist jumping into the crystal clear water. There is a bus connection to Kalymnos town from here.

Leros

This is to the north of Kalymnos, separated from its neighbour by a narrow strait. However, unlike Kalymnos, Leros has rolling hills and green forests. Once upon a time, all the "mad people" were sent to Leros, which, quite wrongly, has given it its poor reputation. The main town, also called Leros, is flooded in a sea of flowers the whole year round - every house is decorated. Our favourite spot is Agios Matronas in the Partheni Gulf on the north of the island. Here, there's a shipyard and an excellent taverna next to the island's airport.

Agathonisi

25 nm north of Leros

This is one of the smallest inhabited islands in the Dodecanese. The main town of Chorio is about 20 min from Agios Georgios harbour on the south coast and consists of well cared-for little houses with front gardens. If you leave the jetty and go north you'll come to Taverna George, which serves excellent baby kid goat in lemon sauce. Obviously we haven't been able to cover all the islands here, but we've focused on the ones that are geographically convenient and whose culinary delights we haven't forgotten.

Naturally, we'll be only too happy to give you further information about other Greek islands or Turkish bays.

Sailing from Bodrum, Milta Marina - our tips:

Cruise tip Bodrum - Gökova, Akyaka
Cruise tip Bodrum - Akbük Liman
Cruise tip Bodrum - Greek Islands
Cruise tip Bodrum - Santorini - Bodrum

General information: Sailing Region Bodrum
Map of Milta Marina: Bodrum harbour