A Private Yacht for the Day

Highlights

• A private, crewed yacht chartered exclusively for your CONNECT cohort
• A full day on the water — the only schedule is swim, eat, swim again
• Anchor in quiet bays beneath Alanya Castle that the day-tripper boats never find
• Sea caves along the coast — the kind sailors have named for lovers and pirates
• Lunch served on deck: mezze, grilled fish, something properly cold
• Return at dusk to a beach dinner, the table set on the sand

Your day, in full

Some days are built around a destination. This one is built around the absence of one. The morning begins with a short transfer to the marina, where a private, fully crewed yacht — chartered exclusively for your cohort — waits with the lines already singing.

The day is spent along the coast between Alanya and Antalya, and there is no schedule beyond swim, eat, swim again. The captain drops anchor in quieter bays the day-tripper boats do not know: small coves in the shadow of Alanya Castle, a slow pass beneath the sea caves the coast is famous for, a long float in water the colour of blue Curaçao. Guests who want to snorkel, snorkel — the gear is on board. Guests who want to sleep in the shade of the deck awning, sleep.

Lunch arrives from the galley when the swimming has earned it: mezze passed hand to hand, fish grilled to order, cold local rosé for those inclined. The afternoon repeats the morning's only obligation, which is none at all.

By early evening the yacht turns for home, the light going long and gold across the water. The day ends the way it began — with the sea in earshot — at a beachfront dinner with the table set directly on the sand, feet in reach of the water. Should the weather have other ideas, the same candlelit table waits on a terrace one step back from the surf. Either way, you will sleep well.

The day’s itinerary

1. Depart Mira Palace SideMorning departure, after breakfast
2. Short transfer to the marina20 minutes
3. Board your private yacht — welcome from the crew30 minutesSafety orientation, settle in on deck
4. Cruising the Alanya–Antalya coast3 hoursSwimming stops, Sea caves, Snorkelling, Castle views, Scenic cruising
5. Lunch on deck at anchor90 minutesMezze, grilled fish, cold drinks
6. The long afternoon3 hoursMore coves, more swimming, or simply the shade of the awning
7. Return sail into the dusk, then transfer from the marina45 minutes
8. Arrive back at Mira Palace SideBeach dinner at return — the table set on the sand

Timings are indicative and confirmed by your host the evening before. Itineraries flex gently around weather and the group’s own pace.

Meeting point

Mira Palace Hotel lobby, Side, Antalya — your host confirms the departure time the evening before.

What to bring

• Swimwear and a towel (the crew keeps spares of the latter)
• Sun hat, sunglasses and high-SPF sunscreen — a full day on open water is generous with sunshine
• A light cover-up or shirt for the middle of the day
• A change of clothes for the beach dinner
• Your usual remedy if you are prone to motion sickness — conditions are typically gentle, but gentler still with it aboard

The full concierge packing guide lives at What to Bring.

Know before you go

• Shade is available on deck all day, but the Mediterranean sun reflects off the water — reapply sunscreen more often than feels necessary
• The captain adjusts the route to the day's sea conditions; every version of the route is a good one
• Decks are barefoot territory — slip-on shoes are ideal
• If the evening weather turns, the beach dinner moves to a candlelit terrace a step back from the surf