Bodrum’s bays fill with yachts as summer season gains momentum

MUĞLA

The start of the summer tourism season has brought a sharp increase in maritime traffic along the coast of Bodrum, with hundreds of private boats, sailing vessels and luxury superyachts crowding the district’s bays and marinas.

The concentration of vessels has become particularly noticeable around the historic Bodrum Castle. Industry representatives expect traffic on the water to intensify further in the coming weeks as visitor numbers continue to rise.

Bodrum, located in the Aegean province of Muğla and one of the country’s leading tourism destinations, is estimated to host around 7,000 registered yachts, including roughly 2,000 commercial vessels and more than 5,000 privately owned boats. While the influx reflects the region’s growing appeal among yacht owners, some tourism operators say that the increase in private vessels is creating challenges for sightseeing boats.

Enver Kantarmış, head of the Bodrum Regional Representative Board of the Turkish Travel Agencies Association (TÜRSAB), said the growing number of private yachts was limiting access to key areas.

Kantarmış noted that sightseeing boats are increasingly struggling to operate in crowded waters. “In about two weeks, it will become even more difficult to enter these areas because of the concentration of private yachts,” he said, adding that some private vessels restrict access by mooring in ways that limit available space for excursion and charter boats.

Similar congestion could be seen in Göcek, as well as in the bays of Türkbükü, Yalıkavak and Gündoğan.

At the same time, Muğla has become an increasingly important destination on the Mediterranean superyacht circuit. Industry officials say many yacht owners are choosing Türkiye for refuelling and logistics, attracted by competitive fuel prices and high-quality services.

Recent arrivals include the 115-meter superyacht “Ahpo,” one of the largest yachts in the world, which docked at Yalıkavak Marina, and the 86-meter “Sunrays,” owned by Indian businessman Ravi Ruia. The superyacht “Arbema,” linked to Mexican billionaire Ricardo Salinas Pliego, was recently spotted in Göcek.

Earlier, the 149-meter “A+,” regarded as one of the world’s largest superyachts, arrived in Marmaris for a refuelling operation involving 540,000 litres of fuel.

Muğla’s 26 marinas offer capacity for 7,043 yachts, while the province hosts more than 1,500 commercial yachts and 637 daily excursion boats.

Orhan Dinç, head of the Bodrum branch of the Turkish Chamber of Shipping, said fuel quality has played a significant role in Türkiye’s growing appeal among superyacht operators.

“The fact that we can produce higher-quality and cleaner fuel than many of our competitors, including our neighbour Greece, plays an important role in foreign yacht owners choosing Türkiye,” he said.