From Akbuk, continue sailing east along Turkey’s Carian Coast until you reach the village of Gokova, which lies at the head of the gulf and from which the gulf takes its name. The high mountains plummet down to the flat land of the river delta around the Igriazmak River. There is a bus service from Gokova to Marmaris. You can anchor here off the village and stop for lunch or to pick up provisions before heading on down towards Gelibolu, a large bay with a simple restaurant alongside the tiny fishing harbor.

Gelibolu is a picturesque anchorage, ideal for a lazy afternoon of swimming and snorkeling and as an overnight stopover on a Gelibolu yacht charter. The nearby Snake, Castle and Tomb Islands are easily accessible from Gelibolu. The famous Cleopatra’s beach – she is believed to have had galleys of sand shipped here for her lover, Anthony, to sunbathe on! - gets busy in summer and may be best avoided. The ruins of ancient Kedreai on Castle Island date from the early Carian and late Byzantine times. They are romantically sited amid the olive groves and the small theater has a fine view across the bay to the mountains on the northern side of the gulf.