always blue, always green; Göcek
When you imagine yachting and marinas in Muğla, Göcek comes to mind. For this reason, there are many marinas in Göcek that serve yachtsmen. However, Göcek Marina supports the development of local businesses by encouraging shopping from the bazaar.
Göcek, with its sheltered harbors and luxury marinas is a frequented destination for all domestic and foreign yachters.
Göcek Bazaar
We can count Göcek Bazaar - where many restaurants and souvenir shops are located - as the place where Göcek's heart beats. It is quite enjoyable to walk around in Göcek Bazaar, especially in the evenings.
Since Göcek is a unique, small town; a street from the bazaar leads to the sea and at the is a small beach. You can walk along the shore with a nice breeze coming from the sea and have something to eat and drink at the venues here. You can also find at the seafront the departure point of Göcek daily boat tours taking to the fantastic coves.
Göcek Rock Tombs (Deadala)
Göcek rock tomb is a place you can see on the way from Göcek to Inlice Bay (it stays on the left). This rock tomb has almost disappeared among the trees and unfortunately it has been badly damaged. Just after you turn from the rock tomb sign on the road, you can see this rock tomb 100 meters ahead among the trees.
Göcek Bay
There are many coves close to the center of Göcek that will relax you with their clean sea and nature. If you are someone who likes to swim in the calm sea and spend peaceful time in nature, you should definitely visit Göcek; a natural heaven covered with pine trees. Let's take a look at the coves we can navigate.
Cleopatra Bath Cove
Located approximately 10 nautical miles to southwest from the town of Göcek, this large bay is decorated with a pine forest and is famous for the ruins of the Cleopatra Bath. The remains were probably destroyed by an earthquake that occurred earlier in the region. Legend has it that Marc Anthony built a Roman Bath for Cleopatra at this very spot, as a wedding memento, and even had the golden sands shipped here from Egypt. This place was chosen because the bay has a hot spring fed by the thermal waters of a crater lake located behind one of the mountains in the northeast. Legends say that the Impress visited Marc Anthony for her honeymoon right after they got married.
Time has stopped here and you can swim and refresh yourself like Cleopatra did 2000 years ago.
History
Göcek, which has given place to many civilizations throughout history, invites you in a magical way with its unique historical artifacts and mythological stories.
The Name; Göcek
It is the strongest and most accepted argument that the name of Göcek comes from the tradition of the people of the region - which still continues - to migrate to the plateaus and winter quarters in the spring before the summer comes. Of course, with the onset of autumn and the cooling of weather, they return to the village by the sea, the concept of 'migration' is a natural part of the village's life. Göcek was settled as the name of the village, meaning the place of migration.
Another assumption is, the village known as 'Köçek' or 'Köçekli' was formed when the ‘köçeks’ (male dancers) and local musicians, who are rumored to have been brought from Rhodes for the entertainments held in the region in the past, settled in the region. However, this name changed over time due to being underestimated and disliked, and the village began to be called "Göcek" at the end.
Another theory is; places where the sea enters the land and hides are referred to as Göcek. Fisherman of Halicarnassus; Cevat Şakir, mentions the region as a part of Fethiye Göcek in his book.
Besides these tellings; the crop that has grown to a single inch in the region is called Göcek. The name of the village may also have come from this name.
Ikaros
Göcek is mentioned as Daidala in mythology. In the Dictionary of Mythology written by the famous traveler and bohemian Azra Erhat. King Minos confined Daedalos to Labyrinthos, which he and his son Ikaros built themselves. Daedalos found a way to get out of there. He made wings with Ikaros using the feathers left by the birds on the windows and the wax from the honeycombs. The two of them flew away, however, Ikaros left a reputation as the first flying man in the world. Before flying, Daedalos told his son not to get too high and get close to the rays of the sun. Nevertheless, Ikaros forgot this promise of his father, hit by greed, flew higher and higher, and despised Helios in the light of the sun, with the joy of regaining his freedom. Helios (the sun god) melted the wax holding his wings, and Ikaros fell into the sea.
Painting: Jacob Peter Gowy, The Flight of Icarus (1635–1637)
Ariadne
In another mythological story, Pasiphae, wife of King Minos of Crete, falls in love with the white bull that Poseidon, the god of the sea, sent to Minos to be sacrificed, and has Daidalos make a wooden cow statue to be with the bull. She enters the statue, which looks as if it were alive, becomes pregnant and gives birth to the Minoan Bull. The Minoan Bull is a bull-headed beast with a human body. King Minos wants to destroy this terrible creature. However, his heart could not bear it, as a solution it was decided to be imprisoned in a place where it would not come to light. For this purpose, the Labyrinthos Palace was built by architect Daidalos. Every year, 7 boys and 7 young girls are sacrificed to the Minoan Bull. However, when Theseus comes to Crete to kill the Minoan Bull, Pasiphae's daughter Ariadne falls in love with him. In order to prevent the Minos Bull from getting lost in Labyrinthos, which has a thousand and one cloisters. Ariadne gives Theseus a ball of yarn at the suggestion of Daidalos. As Theseus progresses through the tangled and dark corridors, he opens the ball and lays the thread on the ground, kills the monster and finds his way out with this thread. Then, they kidnap Ariande and live on the island of Naxos.
This story is depicted with 6 figures in the Daidalos mosaic. Pasiphae, his daughter Ariadne, Trophonios chatting with Daedalos, Icarus carving wood. In the lower right corner is Eros holding an arrow to the cut head of the Minoan Bull, and in the upper right corner is the Palace of Labyrinthos
Photo: Dick Osseman (2011)
By the heart of Gocek.
Gocek, Sahil Yolu Cd No:1, 48310 Fethiye/Mugla, Turkiye
+90 537 320 68 86
+90 252 645 21 22
VHF Kanal 13
36° 45' 11" N
28° 56' 29" E