What Is a Gulet?

Gulets were first built along Turkey’s southwest coast as working boats, carrying cargo and sponge divers between harbours. Their broad, sturdy wooden hulls made them stable and roomy, and those same qualities make them perfect holiday yachts today.

A modern charter gulet keeps the traditional look but adds every comfort. There’s a shaded aft deck for long meals, a raised foredeck with sunbeds, an indoor saloon, and private cabins with their own bathrooms and air conditioning. Gulets come in many sizes, from intimate yachts for a couple or a small family to spacious vessels for larger groups, so there’s one to suit every party.

Most gulets are motorsailers: they cruise mainly under engine, and the captain raises the sails when the wind is right. Their shallow draft lets them anchor close to shore in small coves that larger boats can’t reach. If you’d prefer more speed, [motor yachts and catamarans] are also available.