Chartering a yacht with children: a parent's guide to the Turkish coast

Half the charters we plan carry children, from babies to teenagers, and the Turkish coast is the easiest place in the Mediterranean to do it. This is the briefing we give parents, in the order they ask the questions.

Is it safe?

Yes, with the usual care. Every yacht carries life-jackets in children's sizes and we fit netting along the rails on request. Passages are short and the gulfs are sheltered, so nobody is thrown about. Children swim from a platform at water level with a crew member in the water or on the step. Ask us to put a nanny or a water-sports instructor on board for the week; it is the single thing families thank us for most.

Which coast

The Gulf of Fethiye first: forty anchorages, flat water, sandy edges at Yassıca and Sarsala, and twenty-five minutes from Dalaman airport, which matters at the end of a flight with a toddler. The Gulf of Gökova second, for the shallows at Orak and Sedir and the castle at the end. Keep Greek crossings and the Cyclades for when the children are older.

Which yacht

A motor sailor with a wide aft deck and a swim platform, or a catamaran with a trampoline net. Both put the living space at one level and near the water. Six cabins allow grandparents and a nanny. Look for a yacht with a jacuzzi on deck (an instant paddling pool) and plenty of shade. Our gulet or motor yacht article goes into the differences.

What the crew does

The chef cooks separate children's meals at an early sitting and keeps the adult dinner for later; tell us about allergies and the three things each child will reliably eat. The deckhands run the toys: paddleboards, kayaks, snorkelling gear, Seabobs and inflatables on most yachts. The hostess will organise a treasure hunt on a beach if asked. The captain plans each day so that the moving is done while the children eat or sleep.

The bays children remember

• The sandbar at Yassıca, where they can stand in the sea.
• Sedir Island's shell-sand beach and the ruins of Cedrae.
• The goat farm on Tersane Island, for yoghurt and the goats.
• The hot-spring cave at Karaada.
• The paragliders over Ölüdeniz, watched from the deck.
• The castle at Bodrum and its shipwreck museum, on the last morning.

What to pack

Rash vests and hats; the sun is strong and the water is where they will be. Water shoes for the pebble beaches. A favourite cereal if it is unusual. Little else: towels, toiletries, snorkels and most medicines are aboard, and the chef shops daily. Formal clothes are never needed.

A week that works

Göcek to Göcek, seven nights, two swims before lunch, one restaurant with a jetty every other night, and the paragliders on day four. Ask us for it by name: the family week.