Bodrum sits in a superb setting on an amazingly beautiful peninsula at the junction of the Aegean and Mediterranean Seas. It is a choice destination of those interested in the rich historical heritage and natural beauty of the region. It is one of the prettiest holiday resorts in Turkey, famous for its vivacious, friendly and bohemian atmosphere. Its prestigious ranking attracts the famous and not-so-famous from around the world.

in Bodrum you will find adventures of every flavor for every taste. You may prefer to relax and leisurely absorb the natural beauty or experience the excitement of Bodrum town. Be a bit more adventurous and explore the wealth of options on the local peninsula or head further afield for day trips to some of our region's famous natural and cultural wonders.

After a leisurely breakfast, relaxing by the pool or enjoying a sunset glass of wine, should you still feel tension, we can organize a chauffered visit to an authentic Turkish bath where you will be pampered beyond belief.

If you are looking to explore further, our comprehensive concierge service is available for information on blue cruise yacht charters, private, daily boat trips with the most charming local captains, tips on the best beaches and restaurants, horseback riding, diving, village carpet making... whatever you may need, please, contact us and we will make every effort to make your visit more comfortable and rewarding.

We have provided a modest selection of activities and sites, focusing on the Bodrum area. These can be done as a daily activity or day trip. We work closely with very reliable local tour operators and can coordinate all of your needs when you arrive.

Bodrum's Precious Resources and Responsible Travel
We are concerned citizens who care about protecting Bodrum's precious resources. For more detailed information about what we are doing and how you can help during your visit, please download our Save Bodrum's Resources information pamphlet (.pdf format). For general information about responsible travel, please visit: Lonely Planet's responsible travel section.

In Bodrum
Around the Bodrum Peninsula
Easy Day Trips From Bodrum
Major Regional Events

Recommended Resources
Turkey Tourism
Hotels in Turkey
Blue Cruise Yacht Charters in Turkey

In Bodrum



No place on the Turkish coast offers more opportunities to experience traditional Turkish life only a few minutes from a major, modern tourist center. There is an amazing variety of things to see and do in the area... activities and sights to meet every taste and style. Windsurfing, sailing, swimming and snorkeling, scuba diving, trekking, horse riding and Jeep safaris.

You can taste every conceivable cuisine here; the best of Italian, Thai, Chinese, Mexican, European, seafood and, of course, Turkish cuisine from simple meals to gourmet feasts.



Development over the last couple of decades has been strictly controlled. Buildings are low-rise with white washed walls and dripping bougainvillea, painted wooden windows and doors. The waterfront is an exceptional attraction, on both sides of the abrupt headland on which sits the striking medieval castle of the Knights of Saint John. To the west is the almost circular, enclosed harbour and marina, with its fleet of charter sail boats; to the west a more open bay with more ships and restaurants built directly above the lapping waves. The center is a knot of streets and alleyways immediately inland from the castle.

You can swim in astonishingly clear, tideless, warm seas. Underwater divers, especially, will want to explore the numerous reefs, caves and majestic rock formations. The waters offer up multicolored sponges of all shapes and sizes, and an immense variety of other aquatic life, including octopus. You can see the Greek Islands from any spot along the coastline.



The reputation of Bodrum's boat yards dates back to ancient times. Today, craftsmen still build traditional boats: the tirhandil with a pointed bow and stern, and the gulette with a broad beam and rounded stern. Bodrum's marina and harbor are busy places hosting elegant yachts from all over the world. The Bodrum Cup Traditional Yacht Race is held every October. Bodrum is the leading place for boat-building in Turkey and one of the starting points for an unforgettable "Blue Voyage" along the turquoise coast of Turkey.



Bodrum has gained the reputation as the center of the Turkish art community with its lively, friendly and Bohemian atmosphere and many small galleries. Intimate seaside cafes, with magnificent views of the illuminated castle mingle with busy, energetic street-side bars featuring the latest music. There are also a number of clubs that offer live music, either traditional Turkish folk music or jazz. A specialty of a number of hotels and tavernas is Turkish Night, where local musicians play the "saz", a guitar-like instrument and the "zurna" a type of flute in accompaniment to belly dancers swaying between tables. Bodrum likely has more bars and a wider range of alternatives than any other place in Turkey. Among them are intimate seaside cafes with magnificent views of the illuminated castle.

Or you may choose one of the many dance clubs, some of the best in Europe. Even Turks rank Istanbul second after Bodrum for nightlife. Halikarnos Disco is the world's largest outdoor nightclub and is described by many as 'the most beautiful club in the world'.



Another interesting alternative is called a 'meyhane'. Turks come to listen to their favorite singers who visit fashionable Bodrum during the summer. Meyhanes can be found mainly on the road to Konacik and Ortakent. You are encouraged to join in with the singer or you can dance in any spot you can find in the crowd.

There is plenty of shopping in Bodrum and you can get great deals on leather, carpets, gold jewelry, and cashmere shawls (pashimas). You are expected to bargain after an initial price is quoted (merchandise is not marked with prices). Leather goods of all kinds, natural sponges and the local blue glass beads are among the bargains to be found in the friendly little shops along the narrow, white- walled streets. Charming boutiques offer kilims, carpets, sandals and embroidery as well as original fashions in soft cotton fabrics.



It is very common to be offered Turkish apple tea, soft drinks, or Turkish coffee, especially in carpet stores. Feel free to accept the offer, this in no way obligates you to purchase. Just part of Turkish hospitality!

Bodrum stands on the site of the ancient city of Halicarnassus, once the capital of the kingdom of Caria. Herodotus, the famous historian and the father of history. Herodotus was born here in 484 B.C. According to him, Bodrum was founded by the Dorians in the 12th century B.C. Herodotus, describes his birth place as "the world's most beautiful skyline with the best climate".

The tomb of King Mausolus was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World and dates back to the 4th-century B.C. The word Mausoleum comes from this famous memorial.



An ancient amphitheater theater from the 2nd century B.C. with 1300 seats looks out over the twin harbors from it's location set high on a hill. It has been restored and is still used today for occasional concerts and performances.



The massive Castle of The Knights of St. John sits on a peninsula between the two harbors and is now a world-class museum of underwater archaeology. The castle was built by the rather shady Knights Hospitalier in 1402 A.D. They lost it soon afterwards to the all conquering Suleyman. Some nasty things went on in the dungeons (Bodrum in Turkish). Thanks to the efforts of Turkish and foreign scholars who carried out successful archeological digs both on land and at sea, the castle has been turned into one of the premier underwater archeology museums of the world.

The views from the various towers of the castle are stunning, overlooking the harbor, the beautiful whitewashed buildings of the town, the surrounding countryside, and the deep blue Aegean Sea. And, there are interesting artifacts such as jewelry, coins, and flags. Approximately 250 coats of arms are carved into the castle walls, along with other embellishments and relics salvaged from the Mausoleum site.

A tour of the castle should include a visit to the Sunken Boat Museum, located within the castle walls. It offers an amazing array of artifacts retrieved from shipwrecks from the period of the Bronze Age to the Middle Ages. Cargo from a Syrian trade ship (13th century B.C.) includes still in tact pottery jars, dishes, even food!



Also visit famous Myndos Gate, mentioned during the time of Alexander's Campaign and well restored. There is also a hamam (Turkish bath) museum in Bodrum dating from the early 1900s.



Visitors are also recommended to visit the Museum of Zeki Muren, Turkey's most famous singer of traditional Turkish music.



Bodrum Tourism Office
Baris Meydani Bodrum /MUGLA Tel: (252)3161091

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Around The Bodrum Peninsula
The Bodrum peninsula is an excellent place to explore many charming villages on secluded bays. The sea is beyond comparison in the area with beautiful beaches and azure waters. There are a variety of ways to explore the peninsula. You may choose to visit the bays and seaside villages mentioned here on one of the daily boat trips available from Bodrum harbor or from any of the local beaches or harbors. Another way is to take the Dolmus, the local mini bus. Dolmuses for every destination can be found at the bus station on the main road out of town. Destinations are clearly displayed on each vehicle.



Visitors to Bodrum peninsula will be delighted to find that the area is a paradise of flora and fauna, particularly in the Spring. During the months between October and April vast numbers of migrating birds gather here.

Trekking along the Bodrum peninsula presents superb panoramas of the innumerable islands, capes, inlets, bays and coves that grace this Aegean coast. The valleys and the mountains can be explored by a handful of trails where ancient dwellings and their foundations, water-wells, cisterns and ancient keeps or forts can be spotted. Some of these are the remains from the oldest-known inhabitants of this area, the Lelegians, who lived here before 700 B.C.

Gümbet : Nearest beach to Bodrum and just 3 km. away. It is now a full-fledged resort with hotels, shops, bars, discos, banks and everything the tourist needs for 24 hours of non stop fun. Gümbet is also one of the most popular water sports centers.

On a hill near Gümbet is the grave of famous Turkish author Cevat Sakir, known as the Fisherman of Halicarnassus. Although he was not native to Bodrum, he was buried here. Cevat Sakir came to Bodrum in exile, fell in love with the town and people and spent the rest of his life here. He wrote great a number books and articles on Bodrum and Anatolian civilizations.



Bitez : 7 km. west of Bodrum. The winds are very favorable here for windsurfing and the beach is sandy. There is a Turkish Delight factory here. A short stroll from the beach you can enjoy mandarin and orange groves where locals still farm in the traditional ways.



Ortakent : Next bay to Bitez and 13 km from Bodrum. In the early spring the village hosts an annual camel wrestling festival. There is very long sandy beach.



Kargi and Bagla : Kargi, known as Camel Beach, and Bagla are 16 km from Bodrum.



Akyarlar and Karaincir : 22 km from Bodrum and the closest point to the Greek island of Kos. Winds here are ideal for windsurfing. This is one of the safest beaches for children on the peninsula. There is a tiny harbour.



Turgutreis: 18 km from Bodrum and named after the famous Ottoman admiral Turgut Reis. It is a small town in its own right and combines a compact town center with several beaches and all amenities for tourists. An ideal surfing place.

Gümüslük: 24 km from Bodrum and protected from modern development due to Myndos, an ancient site. The simple charm of the village has survived the influx of tourism. Rabbits are raised on the island at the end of the causeway. Rabbit Island can be reached by a short, shallow walk through the water. There are many seaside fish restaurants.



There are still many reminders of the historical past in Gümüslük. There are the stadium, theater and walls surviving from ancient Myndos and a Byzantine church, today restored as a cultural center. On top of the hill is the remains of Kadikalesi (Kadi Castle), a Hellenistic fortification, together with a Roman church and cistern. The wall, which reaches the thickness of 9 feet, is built with green granite, similar to the one used for the Mausoleum in Halicarnassus. The green granite was extracted at Koyunbaba district, two miles north of Myndus.

Thanks to strict building codes, the seafront has kept its original appearance and small village charm. There are many excellent fish restaurants along the small waterfront where you can sit comfortably and enjoy splendid sunsets.

Yalikavak : 18 km from Bodrum, small but developed town. There are many seaside cafes, restaurants and hotels. An old olive press is converted into a showroom for kilims, carpets and jewelery. A Carian cave tomb is well worth seeing. The tomb has been carved directly into the rock and fronted with cut stones. There is one of the finest views of the Peninsula from the windmills.





Gündogan : Only a few minutes from Yalikavak with a few sites from antiquity.



Göl-Türkbükü :These villages, 18 km from Bodrum, are a delightful spot that has become the favorite retreat for many well-known Turkish journalists, authors, artists, actors and entertainers who may appear at the many small bars and restaurants at night. Several of the more popular restaurants are run by Istanbul couples who have escaped the big city.



Facing the sea and surrounded by the mountains, the region is dotted with ancient sites. There are caves and tombstones in the vicinity of the town. Most restaurants have jetties to offer their fish feasts at night and swimming during the day.

Torba : 6 km away Torba is one of the nearest  villages to the north of Bodrum on a charming little bay. There are also the remains of a Byzantine monastery and nearby is a small path leading to the next bay, which is ideal for a  walk. Torba is only active during the summer months. Ferries to Didim (ancient Didyma) leave from Torba harbor across the Gulf of Güllük.



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Easy Day Trips from Bodrum



The Greek islands of Kos (15 kms) and Rhodes (200 kms) are only a day trip away by ferry. The day trip to Kos is the most common tour, either you book the slower ferry boat or the fast Hydrofoil. Rhodes for a day starts at 9:00 a.m.from Bodrum, 2 hours by Hydrofoil (if the weather permits) and at 16:00 back from Rhodes. Once a week and only summer season.

There are two ferry boat companies, one operates the fast Hydrofoils, the other operates the car ferries. The ferry companies have a pick-up service when you book in advance. A minibus collects clients and brings them to the ferry boat pier at no extra charge.

Trips by ferry starting from the Bodrum peninsula are offered to Kos, Kalymnos, Didim, Datça and Rhodes.

The Aegean region of Turkey is the country’s most fertile area growing cotton, tobacco, olives, cereals, vegetables, grapes, figs, oranges, tangerines, lemons and many other fruit.

The region also contains innumerable sites of antiquity including three of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World and the Seven Churches of Asia Minor addressed by St. John in Revelations.

This coast of Turkey is one of the best yachting and sailing areas in the world.

Ancient sites along the coast north of Bodrum include; Ephesus, Miletus, Priene, Heraclia, Iassos. Of Turkey's hundreds of ancient cities and classical ruins, Ephesus is the grandest and best preserved. Ephesus was Ionia, a flourishing cultural center during the Greek Empire, and a busy provincial capital during Roman times. Ionia's Temple of Diana was counted among the Seven Wonders of the World, and the city was generally renowned for its wealth and beauty. Saints Paul and John took up the quill in Ionia and the Virgin Mary is said to have spent her twilight years here.



Ephesus, about 160 km North of Bodrum can be reached in approximately two hours by bus or car. Day trip tours are readily available from Bodrum. The ruins of Ephesus offer an overwhelming sight. Because of its fantastic coastal position, Ephesus was the most important city of Minor Asia. The Greeks founded Ephesus and it soon became a center of culture, trade and power. Many historians refer to Ephesus as the starting point of western civilization and occidental thinking. Progressive silting of the harbor resulted in Ephesus sitting 5 km from the sea, today.

A walking tour of the ruins will take at least half a day, and if you're here in summer, start early, because it gets hot in the afternoon. Places to visit include; the Grotto of the Seven Sleepers in which seven persecuted youths slumbered for two centuries, then woke up and ambled down to town for a meal; the colossal Harbour Gymnasium; the grand marble-paved Arcadian Way; the impressive Temple of Hadrian and a scattering of Roman fountains, pools, brothels, libraries and public toilets.

There's a museum in the center of nearby Selcuk with a sprinkling of Roman, Christian and Muslim sights including the St John Basilica and a Byzantine Aqueduct.

To the southeast of Bodrum, on the Datca peninsula, lies Knidos, the ancient Carian city at the tip of the Gulf of Hisaronu adjacent to the Gulf of Gokova. The city, a prosperous commercial center, had two harbours in both of the gulfs, one Aegean and the other Mediterranean. The remains of the temple, and the theater overlooks the sea. This ancient city is not easily reachable by land.

Further on is the town of Datca a popular port and the ancient city of Loryma which can only be reached by the sea are the highlights of the Gulf.



Boat trip from Bodrum to Datça/Knidos: The boat does not land in Datça, rather in Körmen. Datça is a short drive by taxi or free minibus. Knidos, the must see ancient jewel, is 25 km from Körmen.

Pamukkale/Hieropolis
The fairy-like panorama and the richness of Roman and early Christian architectural remains make Hierapolis one of the most famed of the ruins surviving from antiquity.

Pamukkale, which means Cotton Castle in Turkish, is one of the most spectacular natural wonders of Turkey. Located 22 km north of Denizli, Pamukkale is a cliff of white limestone cascades, tiers of stalactites and natural swimming pools formed over thousands of years by the deposits of mineral and calcium rich hot streams, which run down the hill. Pamukkalecand the ancient Roman city of Hierapolis have long been known for therapeutic thermal springs.



Dalyan bay is a natural preserve for sea turtles.



Oludeniz is an area protected from the open sea that forms a beautiful, peaceful lagoon and one of the most beautiful beaches along the coast.



The sunken city of Kekova is near the legendary home of Santa Claus (Saint Nicholas).

Following the waterway inland you can see the mysterous Lycian tombs carved in the rocky hills in the city of Caunos, an ancient Carian city. These remarkable rock-cut tombs date to 400 BC. They are carved out of the solid rock in the form of wooden houses with beams and doors and tree branches for the roof. There are many thousands of them, some of which can be seen while cruising the Turquoise Coast.



Wonderfully preserved and dramatically sited classical theatre at Pinara, near Fethiye, on Turkey's southern coast. The theatre was built around 200 BC.




Major Regional Events
Camel Wrestling Festival - Selcuk January
Efes International Festival of Culture & Tourism - Selcuk May
International Yachting Festival - Marmaris May
Marmaris Festival - Marmaris June
International Song Competition - Pamukkale June
Kusadasi Tourism Festival - Kusadasi July
International Bodrum Cup Wooden Yacht Race- Bodrum October
International Triathlon Competition - Alanya October
International Yacht Race - Marmaris November

Recommended Resources

Turkey and Bodrum Tourist Information

Bodrum-Bodrum.com
Bodrum Life
Discover Turkey
Ministry of Culture
Talking Turkey answers and advice from Lynn Levine, Author of Frommer's Turkey


Hotels in Istanbul
Ciragan Palace
Hotel Seven Hills
Sofa Hotel
Sumahan
Swissotel

Hotel in Cappadocia
Goreme House
Museum Hotel

Hotel in Datça
Mehmet Ali Aga Mansion

Hotel in Goçek
Swissotel

Blue Cruise/Gulet Agent
Bodrum's Traditional Wooden Yacht
Southern Cross Blue Cruising

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