Bodrum Peninsula
©Atilla Soylu/500px
Overview
The Bodrum Peninsula, named after the seaside resort town near its centre, offers a mix of exclusive resorts and laid-back coastal villages where you can enjoy good swimming and and upmarket restaurants. Despite the glaringly visible inroads of modern tourism, tradition and tranquillity are partially preserved by local open-air vegetable markets and the rugged coastline, overlooked by scarcely populated hills in the peninsula's centre. The area has an efficient and inexpensive dolmuş network, making it easy to hop between Bodrum and the outlying coves, where, with some advance planning, you can find quality beach accommodation at still-reasonable rates.
01 / Attractions
Must-see attractions
Bodrum Town
One of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, the Mausoleum (originally 44.8m high) was the greatest achievement of Carian King Mausolus (r 376–353 BC),…
Bodrum Town
Bodrum's magnificent waterfront castle, built by the Knights Hospitaller, dates back to the 15th century. It houses the excellent Museum of Underwater…
Dibeklihan Culture & Art Village
Bodrum Peninsula
In the all-but abandoned village of Yakaköy just off the road between Yalıkavak and Ortakent, this complex contains an art gallery, shops, the Dibek…
Bodrum Peninsula
Painter and sculptor Ender Guzey established this unique space in a remote hillside location east of Bodrum, showcasing contemporary art and (occasional)…
Bodrum Town
This small but well-formed museum spread over two floors examines Bodrum's maritime past through finely crafted scale models of boats and an excellent…
Bodrum Town
Ancient Halicarnassus' theatre was built in the hillside rock in the 4th century BC to seat 5000 spectators but that capacity was increased to 13,000 for…
Bodrum Town
This Ottoman cemetery stands just above the marina, and contains the tombs of two famous Turkish seamen (Mustafa Pacha and his son). Part of the enclosure…
Bodrum Town
These are the restored remains of the only surviving gate from what were originally 7km-long walls probably built by King Mausolus in the 4th century BC…
02 / Plan with a local
