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Paradoxical as it may seem, your trip to Turkey can be, at the same time, the best opportunity to visit the best of Greece.
And not just any old way, but through an unforgettable experience: a cruise through the Greek Islands of the Aegean Sea, with all the details and a most spectacular tour..
Aquí te explicamos en qué consiste esta propuesta, que Turquía Exclusiva puede hacer realidad encajándolo dentro de tu circuito por este país, adaptándonos a tus días disponibles y tus vuelos de llegada y regreso a casa.
Greece and Turkey.
Turkey and Greece.
They are two neighboring countries that have a very special relationship.
And that is not always synonymous of friendship, but of mutual respect and, in recent times, of certain collaboration so that the private tourism sector can take forward vacation packages like the one we present you in this page: cruises through the Greek Islands, with departure, arrival and/or intermediate stop in Turkish ports.
The footprint of one country is still visible in the otherand vice versa.
This is because at many periods in the past, the territory of present-day Turkey was part of ancient Greece, and the Greek Islands in the Aegean Sea (as well as present-day mainland Greece) were under the rule of the Ottoman Empire, a political entity that preceded the Turkish republic of today.
This is reflected in our History of Turkey pageand it is especially evident when we talk about Ancient GreeceThe great civilization expanded throughout the Aegean Sea, the Mediterranean Sea and beyond, especially in Hellenistic times, and today’s Anatolia was a key territory in this.
In fact, some of the most iconic places of Ancient Greece are, precisely, in Turkey: Troy, Ephesus, Halicarnassus… And that is why the great archaeological sites on the Turkish Aegean coast have an unmistakably Greek appearance.
The later Roman Empire and, above all, its heirs in the Byzantine Empire also united both territories under a common culture, and this can be seen in multiple destinations such as Istanbul, with Greek as the base language and Orthodox Christianity as the religion.
But the successor empire turned the tables: the Ottoman Empire Ottoman Empire expanded throughout Anatolia and beyond, occupying vast territories in the Near East and Eastern Europe, including Greece and its Aegean islands.
However, these centuries of Ottoman domination (from the 15th to the beginning of the 19th century) were punctuated by various patriotic uprisings and numerous harassing pirate attacks.
The century from 1820 to 1923 saw the most momentous events for relations and coexistence today.
In 1820-21 the Greek War of Independencewhich roughly roughly The Ottoman Empire was the largest in the world, and the Ottoman Empire was the first to be dismantled by the First World War and the prelude to the Ottoman Empire.
The First World War marked the dismemberment of the Ottoman Empire and the prelude to the Turkish War of Independenceas a reaction to the expansionist pretensions of Greece (which had occupied territories in western Anatolia).
The Treaty of Lausanne signaled the end of that war, confirmed Turkey’s current borders and, most importantly, agreed to the exchange of populations between Greece and Turkey. exchange of populations between Greece and TurkeyThe Treaty of Lausanne was the first of its kind: the citizens of one country residing in the other were forced to return to their place of origin, and mutual influence was greatly reduced.
However, since the travel boom at the end of the 20th century, tourism has been tourism has proven to be a major economic and economic and cooperation engine.
Y los cruceros por las Islas Griegas son un magnífico ejemplo de ello, puesto que incluyen destinos turcos en el recorrido, ya sea como punto de partida, de llegada o de parada intermedia.
The proximity between the Turkish Aegean coast and the Greek Islands has made this possible, as in some cases there are only a few kilometers between one point and the other.
But beyond the proximity, the historical and natural ties also give meaning to this type of vacation packages, which go ahead regardless of some bureaucratic and customs details that exist, as we indicate below.
The itineraries of the Greek Islands cruises depend on several factors, mainly two: the duration and the starting and ending points of the route.
As far as duration is concerned, there are cruises from between three days and two weeksThe most common is that they are of short duration, four or five days, which allows them to be easily included in a more general tour of Turkey.
And as far as the point of departure is concerned, they usually depart from the Turkish port of Kusadasi. Turkish port of Kusadasion the Aegean coast, but there are also other options from or to other continental cities, such as the Greek capital, Athens.
Kusadasi is a small city Turkish Aegean coast that has reached a great development development in recent years, precisely because of itsIt is a strategic position between the most iconic destinations of southwestern Anatolia (Ephesus, Izmir, Troy, Pamukkale-Hierapolis) and the most interesting Greek Islands.
In addition, Kusadasi has an airport airport nearby, with a wide variety of domestic and some international flights, bringing this experience closer to travelers visiting other parts of TurkeyKusadasi has a wide variety of domestic and some international flights, bringing this experience closer to travelers visiting other parts of Turkey, such as Istanbul, Ankara or Cappadocia, to name a few.
And although Kusadasi is established as the starting and/or ending port for cruises in the Greek Islands, it also offers some tourist attractions worth discovering, such as the Pigeon Island and its castleThe port is located in the heart of the city center.
Its port is located in the heart of the city center, it is very close to these places of interest and the main leisure establishments, so the traveler hardly loses time in transfers to/from the cruise ship.
Cruises to the Greek Islands can also be included in combined tours to Greece and Turkey.
In these cases, it can be taken into consideration to start or end in Athens, in particular in its famous Port of PiraeusThe island is located on the outskirts of the capital.
Although its distance from the main Greek islands is greater, with journeys that can exceed 3 hours of navigation, this option can be interesting for when you prefer a linear and non-circular itinerarythat is, starting and ending the navigation in different ports.
In addition, adding the port of Piraeus to the route brings the traveler closer to the city of Athens, mythical capital of Greece, where some of the most historic monuments in the world are located, such as the Parthenon and the rest of the Acropolis. the Parthenon and the rest of the Acropolis..
Otra ventaja de incluir Atenas en el circuito está en su aeropuerto, uno de los mejor conectados de Europa, con múltiples vuelos directos a las ciudades turcas, como Estambul, Ankara o Esmirna.
Este último, por cierto, es uno de los aeropuertos más cercanos a la mencionada Kusadasi.
As we said, the itineraries of the Greek Islands cruises depend on their duration and their starting and ending ports.
But there are a number of destinations that, due to their tourist interest and proximity, are usually not missing in the even on cruises of shorter duration.
One of these islands is PatmosIt is located less than 100 km from Kusadasi and can be reached in just two hours of crossing.
If this small Greek island is known for something, it is for its monastery of San JuanThe island is dedicated to this sacred character for the Christian religion, since this is where the scene narrated in the Apocalypse is located, in which he had an encounter with God.
In addition to this issue, which has made Patmos a place of pilgrimage, this small island has other charms, such as its port of Skala or the whiteness of its hamlet.
Mykonos is another of those Greek islands that are part of these cruises.
And there is no shortage of reasons.
As far as culture and monuments are concerned, its museums stand out, above all the Archaeological MuseumMykonos, with pieces of enormous value dating back to the classical Greek period or even earlier, such as the Cycladic art figures (4th and 3rd millennia BC).
And as far as leisure is concerned, Mykonos is probably one of the Greek islands with the greatest nocturnal environment.
Además, ofrece el contrapunto de sus paradisiacal beacheswhere sunbathing becomes an unforgettable experience.
Santorini is probably one of the most charming islands, thanks above all to the beautiful villages that dot its territory, such as Oia or FiraThe area is dotted with windmills and small whitewashed Orthodox churches crowned with golden or sky-blue domes.
All this, in hamlets that stretch along gentle slopes and offer panoramic views of the most evocative.
In addition, its nightlife and beaches also guarantee fun and relaxation for visitors.
On the other hand, the island of Rhodes is also a regular stop on these cruises through the Greek Islands.
Its name is forever associated with its Colossus, a gigantic bronze statue of the sun god Helios that stood imposingly in the harbor in the third century BC, being considered one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
Unfortunately, soon after it fell due to an earthquake and remained lying down until the 7th century, when Muslim expeditions took its metal as war booty.
But fortunately, Rhodes does preserve many other modern-day attractions, dating back to periods as varied as classical Greece or the Medieval Crusades (Grand Master’s Palace).
And for cruises longer than five days, the list of islands and destinations expands.
Here is a brief mention of some of them:
The ships used for cruises in the Greek Islands are smaller in size and capacity than the larger transoceanic cruises, but they are also equipped with the best comforts to enjoy a premium cruise. comforts to enjoy a premium cruise..
The shipping companies that charter these vessels use different models, but they usually have a capacity of more than 1,000 guests, distributed in more than 600 cabins with a capacity of between 2 and 5 people normally, some of them with balcony.
On the leisure on boardThe number of bars and restaurants is ample, exceeding ten between them, and there is no shortage of spaces more associated with a luxury cruise, such as the swimming pool, gyms and spas. swimming pool, gymnasiums and spas..
And of course, with all the safety conditions to enjoy a pleasant voyage.
For example, a c medical staff on board, including a doctor for whom appointments can be made at any time.including a doctor for whom appointments can be made at any time.
Turquía Exclusiva can contract for you a cruise through the Greek Islands: although the route runs through Greek territory, the port of departure and arrival is, in many cases, Kusadasi, on the Turkish Aegean coast.
Thus, as it is a circular route, it is easy to fit into a wider holiday circuit through Turkey.
In case it is not a circular trip, starting or ending in Athens (Piraeus port), our experience in package tours also allows us to manage the booking: we have several circuits in which, in addition to visiting destinations such as Istanbul, Ankara, Ephesus, Pamukkale or Cappadocia, we also include a small cruise in the Greek Islands and Athens, as you can see in our Circuits section.
In all cases, you should keep in mind one important detail: Greece and Turkey are different countries.
Greece is part of the European Union and the Schengen Area, while Turkey is not.
This means that depending on your nationality and passport, additional bureaucratic and customs formalities may be required, to be carried out before the voyage, before boarding or during the voyage.to be carried out before the voyage, prior to embarkation or during the voyage.
Greece allows entry to its country without a visa and with a simple ID card for citizens of the Schengen Area.
It also allows entry without a visa but with a valid passport for nationals of most American countries, while citizens of most African and Asian countries are required to obtain a tourist visa.
In the case of Turkey, it is important to know that for citizens of some countries it may be necessary to obtain a multiple-entry visa. multiple-entry visa In fact, a cruise in the Greek Islands means leaving Turkey and then re-entering.
Although for the citizens of most countries this type of visa is not necessary (either because they do not require a visa or because a single-entry visa is sufficient), there are others that do require this procedure, and you can check it at this link to the official e-visa page for Turkey.
In any case, you can consult the complete list at this link of the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
And for information about the visa in Turkey, you can visit our page dedicated to it.
Although Turquía Exclusiva does not take care of visa procedures, we advise you to consult us on this subject in order to information about the formalities that may be that may be required on board a cruise in the Greek Islands or upon your return to the Turkish coast.
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