Bodrum Orak Island Boat Tour & Bays with Lunch & Pickup

4.62

(146 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

First thing I noticed was the salt in the air — that mix of sunscreen and the Aegean, right as we stepped onto the boat in Bodrum harbor. The crew waved us in, already joking with some regulars (or maybe just very friendly). We found a spot upstairs where you could feel the sun but still catch a bit of breeze. There was this low hum from the engine and someone’s pop music drifting up from below deck. I don’t know why but it made me smile — felt like summer holidays from when I was a kid.

Our first swim stop was German Bay. The water looked almost fake, that clear. I hesitated before jumping in (it’s always colder than you think), but our guide Murat grinned and said “no excuses!” so in I went. It was sharp-cool at first, then perfect — you could see your toes even meters down. Some folks stayed on deck to sunbathe or take photos; I just floated for a while, listening to muffled laughter and seagulls overhead.

Orak Island was the main event — two hours there felt both long and not enough. The sand is fine and pale, not what I expected at all. You can wander a bit or just sit with your feet in the water watching little fish dart around. Lunch was simple: grilled chicken, pasta, salad — nothing fancy but somehow exactly what you want after swimming (and yes, I went back for seconds). At one point I tried to ask for more salad in Turkish; Murat laughed at my pronunciation but handed me an extra scoop anyway.

After that we stopped at Red Nose Bay and TavşanBurnu — quieter spots where the rocks turn gray against impossibly blue water. By then everyone had relaxed into that slow rhythm you only get on boats: some people napped under towels, others swapped stories with the crew or just watched the coastline drift by. When we finally headed back toward Bodrum, hair still salty and skin warm from the sun, it hit me how rare it is to have a whole day that feels this easy. I still think about that view over Orak Bay sometimes — it sneaks up on you later.