Gulet vs Catamaran in Turkey — Which Boat Should You Charter?

Stand on any Turkish marina dock in June and you will see them lined up next to each other: the broad wooden gulets that built Bodrum's reputation, and the sleek twin-hulled catamarans that have steadily climbed the charter leaderboard over the last decade. They cover the same coastline, sleep similar guest counts, and can swap into each other's anchorages — but they are very different holidays.

This guide is the honest comparison. We list both in our directory and have no preference; the right answer depends on who you are travelling with and what you actually want from the week.

The short answer

• You want the classic Turkish blue cruise feeling → gulet. The varnished wood, the long lunch table on deck, the captain who built the boat himself: this is what you came for.
• Anyone in your group is prone to seasickness → catamaran. It is not even close.
• You want the lowest per-person price → gulet, by 20–35%.
• You are travelling with kids under 8 → catamaran. Stability + trampoline nets between the hulls + flat decks = a kid's perfect boat.
• You want to cover real distance → catamaran or motor yacht. Gulets are floating tradition; cats are floating houses with engines.

The rest of this post is why — and where the rules bend.

What you are actually comparing

A gulet is a Turkish-built two-masted wooden vessel, almost always 18–30 metres long with 3–8 cabins, a wide deck and a flush teak afterdeck (the kiç) where the long lunch table lives. Most gulets in our directory were built in Bodrum or Marmaris boatyards by families that have been doing this for three generations. They are heavy, stable in moderate weather, comfortable at anchor, and slow under sail or motor (typical cruising speed 6–8 knots).

A cruising catamaran is a modern fibreglass twin-hull vessel, typically 12–18 metres long with 3–5 cabins. Most are imported (Lagoon, Bali, Leopard, Fountaine-Pajot) and tend to be 5–15 years old in the Turkish charter fleet. The two narrow hulls bridged by a single wide deck give them double the deck space per metre of length, double the cruising speed under sail (8–12 knots), and dramatically more stability at anchor and underway.

For the underlying price math comparing both, see our Turkish gulet pricing guide. For the buy-the-whole-boat versus single-cabin question, see private vs cabin charter.

The five axes

1. Stability and seasickness

Catamarans win this one decisively. The two hulls share the load, which means the boat barely heels (tilts) under sail — most family members report no seasickness at all on a cat, even in moderate seas. At anchor, the wider stance means almost no rocking in chop.

Gulets are heavy, which dampens motion well in normal Turkish summer conditions. But the single hull does roll at anchor when wind and wave direction disagree, and the meltemi-driven swell on the Aegean side in late July and August can roll a gulet enough to ruin sleep for someone prone to motion sickness.

If anyone in your group has a history of seasickness, or you have small children, or you simply do not want to risk a bad night, book the catamaran. The premium is worth it.

2. Living space and deck layout

Catamarans win again on absolute deck space. The trampoline nets stretched between the bows are an iconic place to sun, read, or watch the bow wave as you sail. The aft cockpit is large and shaded. The saloon (indoor living/dining area) is at deck level rather than below, so meals indoors have a panoramic view.

Gulets have more living space outdoors than most catamarans of equivalent length: the long teak afterdeck is the centre of gulet life, with the lunch table that seats 12, the sun mattresses up forward, the captain's wheelhouse, and a forward sundeck. The saloon is below deck — usually a comfortable wood-panelled room, but visually closed.

The honest verdict: catamarans are roomier per metre, but well-laid-out gulets feel more expansive because their deck life is mostly outdoors. On a hot Turkish summer afternoon, the gulet's shaded afterdeck is the best room on either boat.

3. Cabins and comfort

This is where gulets often surprise people. Because gulets are wider (beam) for their length, master cabins on a 28 m gulet can be 14–18 m² with proper en-suites and walk-around space. The same-length catamaran has narrower hulls, which means cabins are 7–10 m² with compact heads.

For couples on private charter, this matters more than the headline specs suggest. A premium gulet cabin feels like a comfortable hotel room. A catamaran cabin feels like a comfortable boat cabin.

Catamarans counter with one important advantage: every cabin is at deck level or one short step down, with a window. Gulet cabins are deeper into the hull, and many have only portholes. Some guests sleep deeply in the dark cabin; others miss the natural light.

4. Speed, range, and what you can actually see

A typical Turkish charter week covers 100–180 nautical miles. A gulet cruises that comfortably at 6–8 knots; a catamaran at 8–12 knots under sail or 7–9 knots motoring on one engine for fuel economy.

In practice this means a catamaran can fit roughly one extra meaningful day-stop into a week, or do the same route with longer mornings at anchor. For tightly-packed itineraries (Lycian → Greek crossing → Datça in 7 days, for example), the catamaran is meaningfully faster.

For the classic Turkish itineraries — Twelve Islands, sheltered Lycian coast, Datça loops — the speed difference does not matter. You spend more time anchored than sailing anyway.

5. Price, with apples-to-apples comparisons

The honest comparison: a 6-cabin gulet sleeping 12 guests rents for roughly €10,000–€18,000/week. A 4-cabin cruising catamaran sleeping 8–10 guests rents for roughly €14,000–€28,000/week.

Per-person, the gulet works out 20–35% cheaper for the larger groups it accommodates. For 8-guest groups, the gap shrinks to 10–15% — a catamaran sized for 8 is closer to gulet pricing. For 6-guest groups, the catamaran can actually beat a small gulet on per-person price because the boat is sized for them rather than half-empty.

The catamaran premium reflects three things: imported boat (vs locally- built), newer hull on average, and significantly more sailing capability than most guests will use.

Which one fits which traveller

Families with children

This is one of the few cases where we have a strong default.

Children under 8: catamaran wins. The flat decks, the trampoline nets, the stability under sail, the cabins at deck level for night-time checks, the shallow swim ladder for small kids climbing aboard. Every parent who has chartered both has the same answer.

Children 8–14: it depends. Older kids love the gulet's wide-open afterdeck and the captain who teaches them to tie knots. The romance of a wooden boat is real for kids who are old enough to appreciate it. At this age the choice is more about the family's overall vibe than the kids.

Teenagers: gulet usually. Bigger boats, more deck space for them to spread out, lower per-person price for what is now a 5-person holiday. Teenagers also love the night swims off the gulet's swim platform.

Browse family-friendly catamarans →

Browse family-friendly gulets →

Couples on private charter

Genuinely a tie that depends on what the couple wants.

Pick a gulet if: you are coming for the Turkish blue cruise as a specific cultural experience. Wood, the captain who shaped the boat, long lazy afternoons on the afterdeck, the small ports lit up at night. Honeymooners and milestone anniversaries lean here heavily.

Pick a catamaran if: stability and modern comfort are higher priorities than tradition. The aft-cockpit dinner with a view is genuinely nicer than dining below in a gulet's saloon, especially for couples who want to eat outdoors every night.

For both, splurge on a 3-cabin private charter (just the two of you, two spare cabins for storage and dressing) — the cost difference between cat and gulet at this size is the smallest.

Browse couples-suitable boats →

Group of friends, 8–12 guests

Gulet wins by a meaningful margin. This is exactly the size for which gulets are priced most generously: a 6-cabin gulet at €15,000/week is €1,250 per guest for 12 guests; an equivalent 8-guest catamaran at €20,000/week is €2,500 per guest. That gap easily covers a week of nightly dinners ashore.

The gulet's deck layout is also better for groups: the long lunch table seats everyone, the wide afterdeck handles 12 sunbathers, and the swim platform queue actually flows. Catamarans get crowded around the swim platform with 8 guests; with 12 it is unmanageable.

The catamaran case for friend groups: if you have a sailing-enthusiast in the group who wants to actually trim sails and steer, a catamaran is the more engaging boat. Otherwise gulet, every time.

Browse mid-size gulets →

Corporate and team retreats

For 14–20 guest corporate charters, gulets dominate the market because the only catamarans that size are mega-yachts at €50,000+/week. For 4–8 guest executive offsites, catamarans are competitive and often preferred for the modern vibe and the stability during meetings.

Quick rule: any corporate group of 10+ → gulet. Smaller exec retreats → depends on the company culture.

Browse corporate-suitable vessels →

The hidden third option: motor yachts

A motor yacht is the right call for charters that prioritise speed, range, modern luxury, and don't care about sailing. Three scenarios where they dominate both gulets and catamarans:

• Itineraries that cover ground — Bodrum to Antalya in a week, Lycian + Greek + Aegean in 10 days.
• Premium hospitality — corporate, milestone celebrations, where the boat itself is part of the brand.
• Short charters — 3–4 day bookings where you want to cover real distance.

Motor yacht pricing: roughly €18,000/week at the entry level for an 8-cabin charter cruiser, climbing through €40k–€60k for premium 16+m yachts. They are the most expensive option of the three but also the most consistent — you know exactly what you are getting.

Browse motor yachts →

FAQ

Do catamarans actually sail well, or are they motoring most of the time? Cruising catamarans sail very well in 12–20 knots of breeze — they're typically faster under sail than gulets are under motor. Below 8 knots of wind, anything sails poorly; above 25 knots, both boats furl down. The Turkish summer wind matrix is favourable for both.

Is a gulet "more authentic" than a catamaran? "Authentic" is a loaded word. Gulets are a real Turkish maritime tradition, built in Turkey by Turkish boatbuilders for the Turkish charter industry — that is a meaningful claim. Catamarans are a global product imported to Turkey for the same market. If maritime culture is part of the holiday for you, gulet wins this one cleanly.

Does the catamaran's modern bathroom + galley meaningfully change the holiday? Yes, if you are spending a week aboard. Gulet plumbing is older and tighter; catamaran plumbing is newer and roomier. Most guests do not notice for the first three days; by day five it becomes noticeable.

Which suits the meltemi (Aegean summer wind) better? A gulet under bare poles motoring downwind is steady. A catamaran under a reefed main is also steady and often faster. Neither is a problem in 20–25 knots of meltemi; both are uncomfortable in 30+. Captains adjust routes accordingly.

Are there any catamarans that look "Turkish"? A handful of yards in Bodrum have started building wooden trimaran-style boats that bridge the aesthetic — wood and twin hulls. They are rare, premium-priced, and worth a look if you want catamaran stability with traditional aesthetics.

Can I sail bareboat (without a captain) on either? Catamarans yes, with a recognised skipper licence. Gulets above 12 metres are crewed-only by Turkish maritime regulation. Bareboat catamarans charter for €4,000–€8,000/week — meaningfully cheaper than crewed.

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Ready to compare actual vessels? The gulet directory and the catamaran directory both filter to your dates and group size. If you want us to make the call, the find-charter wizard takes 90 seconds and we'll come back with both options if both genuinely fit your trip.