The Santa Maria, a 2012 Bavaria Cruiser 45, is your gateway to the crystalline waters and pine-fringed anchorages of Turkey's southwestern coast. Based at Ece Marina in Fethiye, this 14-metre sailing yacht offers the perfect blend of comfort and capability for exploring one of the Mediterranean's most enchanting cruising grounds. Whether you're a family seeking a week away from routine, a group of friends ready for shared adventure, or a couple craving intimate moments beneath star-filled skies, the Santa Maria accommodates up to eight guests across four well-appointed cabins, with three heads ensuring everyone's comfort during your voyage.

Days aboard unfold with natural rhythm. The teak cockpit, shaded by a bimini and equipped with cushioned seating, becomes your floating living room—the ideal perch for morning coffee while plotting the day's course. The sprayhood offers protection during the occasional spirited sail, while the bow thruster and autopilot make handling effortless, even for less experienced sailors. Below deck, a refrigerator keeps provisions fresh, the heating ensures cosy evenings, and the GPS chartplotter guides you with precision to hidden coves and secluded anchorages that define this region.

From Fethiye, your week typically unfolds across the Turquoise Coast, where limestone cliffs rise from impossibly clear water and small fishing villages welcome visitors with unhurried hospitality. The included dinghy opens access to shallow bays and remote beaches unreachable by larger vessels. Radio and CD player provide entertainment during calm afternoons, while the television offers connection to the outside world should you need it. Evenings might find you anchored off Ölüdeniz, the famed Blue Lagoon, or deeper in the Ekincik estuary, where the call of herons echoes across mangrove channels.

A week aboard the Santa Maria is measured not in ticked boxes but in the particular magic of Mediterranean sailing: the smell of salt and pine, the clink of glasses as the sun melts into the horizon, and the quiet satisfaction of waking to water that mirrors the sky.