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Kas and Kekova are not a charter base. They are a destination cluster on the eastern Lycian coast that 30 to 40m yachts visit on the second half of a 10-night Turkish trip starting from Gocek or Fethiye. A 30 to 40m motor yacht running the Kas-Kekova section in 2026 peak prices at $82,000 to $132,000 per week from origin, plus a 25 percent APA, takes 8 to 10 guests, and reaches Kekova roughly 60 to 75 nautical miles east of ECE Marina. There is no marina at Kas or Kekova that handles the bracket on a weekly basis. The Kas Setur Marina handles transit only and the Kekova anchorage is an open roadstead protected by Kekova Island itself.
Why this is a destination, not a base
Almost every 30 to 40m yacht reaching Kekova is on a 10 or 14-night charter that started in Gocek, Fethiye, or Bodrum. The math is simple. The eastern Lycian coast adds 120 nautical miles round-trip to a Gocek week. A seven-night charter cannot reach Kekova and return without giving up the Skopea bays and the Twelve Islands, which are the reason most clients book the Turkish corridor in the first place. The 10-night length is the unlock. Below that, Kekova is a tender excursion at best; above it, the trip starts to compete with a Greek itinerary that the same money would buy.
What the Kekova section adds
The sunken city at Simena. A row of Lycian tombs and rock-cut staircases descending into the water along the north coast of Kekova Island, viewable from a tender at five knots. Underwater excavation has stopped the swimming and snorkeling here since 1990. Treat it as an archaeological viewing, not a swim stop.
Kalekoy. The crusader castle on the mainland opposite Kekova Island, reached by tender. The hilltop tea garden above the castle is the standard Kekova lunch and a answer to the Med-fatigue palate.
Kas town. A Turkish town that has not been remodelled by yacht traffic. The harbour holds 5 to 8 yachts in the bracket on a Saturday night in August. Restaurants in town are a short tender ride or a five-minute walk from the quay. The Antiphellos amphitheatre is a 10-minute walk above the harbour and is open at sunset for a self-guided visit.
Kalkan. 25 nautical miles west of Kas. A single open bay with a small marina, used as a lunch anchorage and rarely an overnight in the bracket. The road-accessible villas above Kalkan make it the end-point for clients who are doing a half-charter half-villa trip.
Weekly rates from origin in 2026
Ranges below are for peak season (mid-July to late August) departing Gocek or Fethiye, before APA at 25 percent and gratuity at 10 percent. Turkish-flag charters starting and ending in Turkey are VAT-exempt.
| LOA bracket | Motor yacht (low to high) | Sailing yacht and motor-sailor (low to high) |
|---|---|---|
| 30 to 33m | $82K to $102K per week | $58K to $82K per week |
| 33 to 36m | $96K to $118K per week | $72K to $98K per week |
| 36 to 40m | $114K to $132K per week | $92K to $120K per week |
Add roughly $4K to $7K in fuel for the eastern run versus a Skopea-only week. The 10-night option is the more honest pricing comparison and runs roughly 1.4 times the seven-night rate, not 10/7.
What this bracket does in Kas and Kekova
Anchorages. Polemos Bukku at the eastern end of Kekova Island is the standard overnight, protected from the prevailing northerly. Ucagiz on the mainland opposite is the tender base for the village restaurants. Gokkaya south of Kekova Island is the swim stop and the daytime anchorage, often shared with two to four other yachts in peak August.
Quay berths. Kas Setur Marina has 472 berths but only 6 to 10 in the 30 to 40m bracket and a wait list in peak August. The Kekova region has no marina; Kalekoy and Ucagiz are stern-to to the village quays for tender access only, not yacht berthing.
Tenders. Two main tenders is standard. The Kekova rotation rewards a fast tender for the Kalekoy castle run and a slower tender for the sunken city pass. A sea kayak or paddleboard pair pays off here more than further west.
At-anchor stabilizers. Required. Polemos Bukku is protected but Gokkaya takes a meltemi that can put 1m to 1.5m of swell into the anchorage from late July through August.
Provisioning. Kas has good produce and excellent fish but no charter-grade chandlery. Provisioning happens at Gocek or Fethiye on embarkation day; mid-charter top-ups happen by van from Antalya to Kas town, organised 48 hours ahead.
Trip shapes that work
The 10-night Gocek to Kekova round-trip. Three nights in the Skopea bays, three nights east through Kalkan and Kas, two nights at Kekova, two nights returning. The standard 10-night Turkish trip and the case for the eastern run.
The 14-night Bodrum to Kekova one-way. Embark Bodrum, cross to Datca, work south to Marmaris and Gocek, then push east to Kekova, disembarking at Antalya. The trip that uses the eastern coast as a real itinerary rather than a detour.
What does not work at this bracket in Kas and Kekova
Antalya as a disembarkation port. Antalya has the airport that most clients want for the eastern coast, but the marina facilities for the bracket are limited and the Antalya-to-Kekova run is open water with no shelter. Most 10-night trips loop back to Gocek instead.
Kekova-only charters. There is no operator basing a 30 to 40m yacht at Kekova or Kas. Any quote that suggests a Kas-based charter week is either a smaller bracket (gulet or sub-30m) or an inaccurate origin claim. Verify the embarkation port at inquiry.
Big-yacht presence. Above 50m the Kekova anchorages get tight and the local authority engagement gets heavier. The 30 to 40m bracket is the size; above it, expect to anchor further out and tender longer.
What we would book
For a couples-only 10-night Gocek round-trip including three nights at Kekova in late June: a 33m motor yacht with at-anchor stabilizers and a captain who has worked the eastern Lycian coast for at least three seasons. Budget: $128K plus APA, all-in roughly $185K. Booking lead time: 5 months.
For a family of 8, 14 nights in mid-July from Bodrum to Kekova one-way: a 38m motor yacht with a strong tender complement and the captain experience for the Datca and Antalya transits. Budget: $215K plus APA, all-in roughly $310K. Booking lead time: 6 months.
What sits next to this page
The Turkish siblings are 30-40m Gocek, 30-40m Fethiye, 30-40m Bodrum, 30-40m Marmaris, and 30-40m Turkey corridor. For the destination editorial, see Charter Turkey and Charter Gocek. For pricing logic, see Mediterranean charter weekly rates.
Land-side context is on VillasForKings Kas and HotelsForKings Kas.