Catamaran Charter Turkey: Crewed & Bareboat Cats, Prices & Best Routes (2026)

The catamaran is the fastest-growing way to charter in Turkey, and for a specific reason: it solves the two things people worry about most on a gulet — motion and air-conditioning. Two hulls sit flat on the water, so there is far less roll at anchor and under way; the helm is modern; and a charter cat's air-conditioning tends to be crisper than an older wooden boat's. If you have anyone seasick-prone in the group, or young children, a catamaran is usually the safer call.

This guide covers the whole picture: why you would pick a cat over a gulet, the crewed-versus-bareboat decision, what it costs in 2026, how many it sleeps, and the calmest routes to sail one. For the head-to-head, read Gulet vs Catamaran in Turkey.

Why charter a catamaran instead of a gulet?

• Stability. Two hulls mean almost no roll at anchor — the single biggest reason families and seasick-prone guests choose a cat.
• Air-conditioning and systems. Most charter cats in Turkey are recent builds with modern, efficient AC and watermakers.
• Space distribution. A wide trampoline net at the bow and a flat, flush deck make a cat feel open and safe for children to move around.
• Sailing feel. A catamaran actually sails — under canvas in a steady breeze it is quiet and fast, where a gulet usually motors.
• Shallow draft. Cats tuck into shallow bays a deep-keeled monohull cannot reach.

What you give up versus a gulet of the same price is total deck square metres and the wooden-boat atmosphere. A gulet still wins on sheer lounging space and romance — which is exactly the trade-off we lay out in the gulet-vs-catamaran comparison.

Crewed vs bareboat

This is the first real decision:

• Crewed catamaran. A captain (and usually a chef or hostess) sail, cook and run the route for you. No licence, no effort — the same hands-off holiday as a crewed gulet, on a more stable platform. This is what most charter guests want.
• Bareboat catamaran. You skipper it yourself. The cheapest way onto a cat, and the most freeing, but you must hold a recognised qualification and be comfortable provisioning, navigating and anchoring. The rules and what the charter base will ask to see are in Bareboat Charter Turkey and Do You Need a Licence to Charter in Turkey.

If you are unsure, start crewed. You can always graduate to bareboat once you know the coast.

What a catamaran charter costs in 2026

Real ranges for a private weekly charter (the whole boat, before food and drink):

Add roughly €250–€450 per person per week for food and soft drinks if crewed; bareboat crews provision themselves. Crewed cats sit a little above gulets of similar capacity because the boats are newer and the crew ratio is higher — you are paying for the systems and the stability. The full pricing logic is in How Much Does a Gulet Charter Cost, which covers every boat type.

How many people fit?

Most charter catamarans in Turkey sleep 6–10 guests in 3–4 double cabins, each with an en-suite. That is smaller than the biggest gulets (which reach 16), so a cat suits a couple, a family, or one group of friends rather than a large party. For a big group you either book two cats or move to a 6–8 cabin gulet.

The best routes for a catamaran

A catamaran shines on the calm, protected, shallow-bay routes:

• Göcek & the Twelve Islands — the single best cat route in Turkey: calm, protected, anchorages minutes apart, shallow bays a cat can nose into. Ideal for families. See the Twelve Islands route.
• The Gulf of Gökova — wind-protected, glassy mornings, empty pine-backed bays on the south shore. See the Gökova Gulf route.
• The Datça peninsula — the clearest water and best snorkelling, and the cat's shallow draft reaches coves the gulets anchor outside of. See the Datça peninsula route.

Bodrum, Göcek and Fethiye all have charter-cat fleets. For families specifically, pair this with Turkish Gulet Charter With Kids — most of its advice applies doubly to a catamaran.

Where to base yourself

• Göcek / Fethiye for the calmest family cruising and the Twelve Islands.
• Bodrum for the biggest fleet and the Gulf of Gökova.

Both put you on protected water within an hour of leaving the marina, which is exactly what makes a cat charter relaxing from day one.

See the catamarans

Browse catamaran charters in Turkey, filter to your dates and base, and message the captain or charter base directly — no broker mark-up. Or describe your group on Find a Charter and we will send matched catamaran options within four hours.