Turkey:Ionian

From Skipper2Skipper

Turkish Ionian Coast

General

This huge cruising area is ideal for the novice, as well as an experienced skipper. It has conditions suitable for all abilities and predominantly has fairly good winds and moderate seas. The southern coastline of Turkey is generally mountanous, offering pretty good anchorages, which are well sheltered. Prevailing winds are W and NW. There is plenty to explore, treasure chest of coves, inlets, bays and beaches sailing in clear waters. Navigation is predominantly by site with very little tide, and from some of the coast's beautiful and sheltered bays you can see mountain peaks rising to almost 3,000 metres!

Turkish cuisine is largely centered around very staple and balanced ingredients. Dolma and Sarma (stuffed and wrapped vegetables), soups made with lentils, meat and vegetables all feature heavily in local menus. Borek is a popular starter – a pastry dough with meat, cheese or vegetables used as a filling. And of course, the "must have" Turkish kebab prepared with vegetables and meat and served with Turkish bread.

The region is full of history, a lot more than can and should be described here. Wikipedia and Ionians is a good start: Ionians

Some more information about sailing that part of the world can be found here: Sailing Issues