Wind Surf in Kuşadası: morning or afternoon safari, your choice
Wind Surf gets one of the longest days in Kuşadası on our list. The port schedule as of early October 2026 lists 21 calls in 2027. On 19 of them she arrives at 07:00, on the other two at 08:00, and on every one she stays until 23:00. For passengers on Windstar's Wind-class ship, that opens up something few cruise calls allow: you can choose between our morning and our afternoon safari.
The full list of Wind Surf calls shows every date and confirms which session fits. On all of the current calls, both do. This post is about choosing between them.
Thursdays until July, Saturdays after that
The season is short and regular. The first call is on Thursday 6 May 2027, followed by every Thursday through to Thursday 22 July. After a gap of just over two weeks she switches to Saturdays, from Saturday 7 August until the last call on Saturday 2 October 2027. The two 08:00 arrivals are Thursday 8 July and Saturday 21 August 2027. That later start makes no difference to either session.
Wind Surf has been at sea since 1990 and carries about 342 guests, according to Windstar. As on any cruise, keep an eye on the daily programme. The all-aboard time printed there is usually earlier than the 23:00 departure, and that is the time you need to work back from.
The 11:00 ride: done by early afternoon
The morning session suits people who like to get the active part of the day done first.
- 07:00 Wind Surf arrives
- breakfast on board, then a slow walk off the ship
- 10:10 meet us at the Kervansaray meeting point (The Big Ottoman Palace), about 50 m from the cruise port exit. Here is the map
- about a 15-minute drive to the start
- 11:00 about two hours on pine-forest trails behind Pamucak beach, including a 30-minute sea break on the beach
- 13:45 to 14:15 back at the port
That leaves close to nine hours before the 23:00 departure: a long afternoon and evening in town, or a quiet one on board.
The 16:00 ride: a lazy morning first
Our rule is that you must be back at the port at least 60 minutes before the ship leaves. With the 16:00 tour you are back between 18:45 and 19:15, which still leaves around four hours before Wind Surf sails. On most ships the afternoon session is out of reach. Here it works on every call on the current schedule.
- the morning is yours, ashore or on board
- 15:10 meet us at Kervansaray
- 16:00 the ride starts, with the sea break at Pamucak beach during the tour
- 18:45 to 19:15 back at the port
- a few unhurried hours before all-aboard
This version suits people who want the morning for something else, or who simply prefer not to rush the start of the day.
Engine or horse: picking your ride
The quad safari and the buggy safari need no driving licence. Drivers must be 16 or older, and you can take a single or a double vehicle. Helmet, goggles and a safety briefing are included, and the group follows a guide in convoy. Children younger than about 2 years cannot ride. The horse safari is the calmer choice: it suits beginners from age 8 (younger children with an experienced companion), rides in a small group with a riding guide, and includes a helmet. Whether you can swim during its beach break depends on the season. Her calls run from May to early October, so it is worth asking about your date.
Booking for a Wind Surf day
Open the cruise day planner, choose Wind Surf and your date, and it shows both sessions and fills in the booking form for you. You can also book directly on the reservation page. Before you settle on a time, check your date against the Wind Surf ship page. The schedule above is the one published in early October 2026, and the ship page always shows the current hours. If they ever change, the 60-minute rule still applies: the 11:00 tour needs the ship to leave at 15:15 or later, and the 16:00 tour needs her in port by 15:10 and leaving at 20:15 or later.