I can honestly say that out of all the Turkish coastal resorts that I have visited, Bodrum is my favorite. While walking around the main town, I felt a sense of style where every street and every shop blends into an overall portrait of sophistication and lazy afternoons relaxing.It is so hard not to pay homage to the way Bodrum has developed itself.
Its allure seems to be the result of well thought out and planned ideas by the powers that be. The resort that I live in called Altinkum has suffered greatly due to quick development and as I walk around the streets of my hometown, I frequently come upon a mish mash of houses thrown up in haste and I feel an overall sense of confusion.
In Bodrum, I saw the complete opposite. White sugar cube houses trail down the hillsides to complete a uniformed, pleasing sight to the eye. Streets have been paved properly and the general lay out of the town can make any tourist throw away their map with confidence.
What is Bodrum Famous for?
* The airport. Holiday makers who hate long transfers will delight in the fact that the airport is only a twenty minute drive away.
* The marina. Perhaps one of the most established in Turkey. Dozens of yachts that will cost many people an arm and a leg, dock into Bodrum to experience the fine cuisine and brand name shopping.
* Speaking of shopping, don’t forget about the Oasis center which is probably the biggest collection of shops on the Aegean coast of Turkey.
* Five star hotels. While there are many cheap, standard hotels in Bodrum, there are also five star luxury hotels that take their business seriously and could probably shame their European counterparts.
Bodrum castle
It sits down by the harbor and the views from the castle walls are definitely worthy of a full page spread in the National Geographic. Just next to it, is the underwater museum where you can see ship wrecks and relics from the sea in years gone by.
We visited Bodrum just last week so found a slow pace way of life thanks to the winter period. In summer though, it is a hustling bustling resort visited by tourists from many different nationalities. After spending the day walking around the coastline of the main town, we retreated back to the hotel to get ready for an evening out.
We took advantage of a free pick up service from our hotel by a local restaurant called The Hong Kong Chinese restaurant. Delicious food and excellent service leads me to recommend this restaurant, should you be in the area. We then headed to a bar, where we found ourselves the only two punters who were thirsty for a drink.
The one downside to Bodrum is that it can be more expensive than its neighboring resorts. Our meal for two people was 120 TL and while we did splash out, the same meal in other resorts probably would be half that price. We also headed into the Helva bar in Bodrum, where we were hit with a bill of 10tl for a beer and 15tl for a glass of wine. A beer in a beachside day time café cost 6tl, so if you are the type who likes your nightlife then be prepared to shop around if you want cheap booze.
Would I Recommend Bodrum for a Holiday Destination?
Definitely, whether you are a young couple with money to burn or a large family on a budget, Bodrum has something to offer everyone. I can also add that if you visit Bodrum first and then head to other coastal resorts, you might be disappointed as Bodrum spoils everyone who walks down her fine streets.
Love your stories on your road trip looking forward to part 3
I Love Bodrum and always feel like we’re on holiday there – epecially when having a summer afternoon beer in the shade of the castle.
I live in Bodrum and enjoyed reading your post. Bodrum can indeed be expensive but if you search hard enough there are many many places to eat and drink without breaking the bank. Love the blog, keep it up…
Hi Natalie
I’m pleased you like Bodrum. In my view it is the prettiest and most sophisticated of the major Aegean resorts. If you’re in the know, there are a number of excellent restaurants that don’t need a small mortgage to pay the bill. I hope you have time to take in some of the smaller resorts hereabouts. Of course they are all very quiet this time of year but in the season I would recommend pretty Yalikavak, laid-back Bitez and the real gem that is Gumusluk.
Best wishes
Jack
@Jack. If I had more time, then I would of shopped around to find the places with cheaper prices. I have returned from my trip now but did visit Yalikavak and Gumusluk as well as some other places. Very pleased with Yalikavak, but think I must of missed something in Gumusuluk as there did not seem to be much there.
@Paddy. Thanks Paddy, glad you stopped by and like the blog.
@Shane. I too love the summer afternoon beers there.
@Millie. Thanks Millie. Not sure of the content for part three yet, but it will be up in two days.
Bodrum is indeed one of the few resorts that, having grown and changed over the years, has managed to do it without spoiling the charm. I was pleasantly surprised when we moved back this way after 10 years that it was still so lovely.
I agree with Jack about Gumusluk being a gem. Our first home was in Gumusluk, and I’ve yet to re-visit to see if it is still as I remember it.
Your review of Bodrum makes it sound so perfect for a Turkish winter getaway. The pictures are so beautiful, it looks amazing! I’ve heard good things about it before but this has really tempted me to go there someday.
I think Bodrum will be added to my destinations wishlist
Ayak
I hope you find it as you left it! Gumusluk is closed right now but in the summer it’s stunning. Because the small port is built within the archaeological remains of Mindos it’s protected so has been mercifully saved from the overdevelopment that afflicts that part of the Bodrum Peninsular. In the summer months there are classical recitals in the little Greek church and village stalls sell better quality mechandise than the usual tourist tat found elsewhere. Beware the overpriced fish restaurants though. We stick to the lokantas!
Jack
@Ayak – I was thinking about you as we drove through Milas and which village you are living in.
@Kirst. These pictures are only a small fraction of what there is to explore. Definitely put Bodrum on your wishlist.
@Jack – Perhaps that is why I found Gumusluk to be like a ghost town then Jack. Must admit though, I did get some wonderful pictures from there. I think the fishermen thought I was stalking them!!
Turkey is one of our favorite destinations (so far we’ve seen and enjoyed Kusadasi, Istanbul and Izmir) and even though we haven’t been to Bodrum yet, we definitely plan to visit it, sometime soon.
Your website looks great btw, keep up the good work!
Looks like such a fun place to visit. I would love to see those yachts in the marina.
@Adrian and Mary. You will love Bodrum. Especially when you explore all the small neighbouring resorts as well.
@Yachts in the marina are a good sight Steve. I like to see all the quirky little fisherman boats though. Makes you wonder if half of them are sea worthy.
Jack…thankyou for your response. It does sound as if it’s still as I remember it.
Natalie. I wish I had thought about it before you set off on your trip, because perhaps we could have met up for a coffee.
Re: The last pic. Thats what I call a fresh fish stall. All my faves there by the looks of it – sprats, sardines, whitebait…BBQ seafood heaven.
bodrum is calling me going back after about 8 years cant wait for april to come love the people the place the food cant fault it hope the prices havent gone up to much
Hi Dennis, the prices have gone up ovee eight years but there are still cheap restaurants etc. The main increases have been on cigarettes and alcohol. Enjoy your holiday
Hi there!
Me and my boyfriend are seriously considering Turkey for our first holiday together. Ideally we want to spend no more than £900 each for flights and accom and really want our hotel on the beach. We would like an area that isn’t desolate, but not exactly pumping music til 4am either. Just a nice beach area with short distance to bars, clubs, restaurants if we want it. I’ve been looking at the Golden Beach Hotel in Turgutreis, Turkey – Bodrum, but really unsure if this is too isolated or not??!?
PLEASE PLEASE HELP
Hi Lauren, Turgutreis is a great place to be. I have never been to the golden beach hotel however the description for Thomson says “It stands just outside Turgutreis on a hill overlooking the coast”. It is 20m to the beach or 6km to resort centre of Turgutreis with shops, bars and restaurants. It all depends on what your definition of how close is. 6km to me is not that close but I would still walk it. If there is a dolmus bus going by or taxi ranks then it would be even better
Okay, great thank you
the first time we went to bodrum, the receptionist asked us if we had been to turkey before.
yes, we said, we were in marmaris a couple of years ago.
ah, says he, REAL turkey!
mind you , we did go back to bodrum 7 or 8 times after that.
i think that bodrum is now a resort built around an old village, rather than a town that has grown naturally.
at least the old town is still there, though, under all the new stuff.
I agree mick – the old town can still be found although I love to research the history of Bodrum from the books to get a better understanding