In my quest to find the tiny fishing village of Bogazici, I got lost in the Mugla region of Turkey. I was previously told directions of how to get to Bogazici but instead found myself driving up narrow, mountains roads that were taking me to the middle of nowhere.
Eventually, I made it back onto the Bodrum Mugla highway where crazy “MALE” drivers were breaking the speed limit and playing roulette with their lives and everyone else’s on that busy highway.
It eventually turned out that the reason I missed the turn off was because a car had been hiding the signpost that showed the turn off. At this point I felt relieved however combinations of events throughout the morning lead to torrents of Turkish swear words escaping from my lips which criticized every male driver on that road, their manhood’s and their mothers.
I turned off the highway, only to be faced with a long straight road that was surrounded by deep marsh lands on either side. Feeling certain that this was a day, when I should have stayed in bed, I carried on slowly with fears that I would end up calling breakdown services to retrieve my hire car from a watery ditch.
Arriving in Bogazici, Milas
The fears were soon replaced with calmness as I realized that I had arrived in Bogazici village. It is a small fishing village that seems to have two identities like many other places in Turkey. On the left hand side of the main road into the village are old houses that need a good lick of paint and even possibly have seen better days. The only exception to this is the new brand-name supermarket which totally looks out of place and frankly ruins the overall appearance of the village, even more so then the old houses.
On the right hand side of the main road are fish restaurants that have the traditional Mediterranean vibe that I hamper after so much. They are located on the sea front and every so often, the whiff of fresh sea air fills your nostrils with an overwhelming, pungent smell of fish.
It is a small village but I was still alarmed at the rows and rows of empty tables in the restaurants and the minimal presence of tourists and cars. One of the locals told me that nighttime is when this fishing village comes alive. Rich Turks arrive from the coastal resorts of Bodrum to feast on expensive wines and fine cuisine.
So since I was in a fishing village, I figured that the main course for my lunch had to be fish. At a restaurant, I ordered the most sumptuous spread of Jumbo king prawns, octopus salad, red mullets and calamari. The size of the King prawns and red mullets led me to believe that they were either genetically modified, on steroids or the sea water in this area must be something special.
So I spent a total of three hours in the small village of Bogazici. This is not a long time; however there was not a lot to see. If you find yourself with a need to get off the beaten track, then do visit Bogazici however don’t expect a rushed pace of life or your day to be filled with sights to see and things to do. Bogazici is so laid back that it is probably more suited to those suffering from stress overload or a need to escape the rat race of life.
I found myself LOL as I read your post, Natalie. You have such a great way of describing what you see. Thank you for keeping us informed. Personally, I’m interested to learn of this and other places, but this one probably will not be on my itineraries
looks lovely natalie, how far from didim
About an hour and a half Anne,. Drive as if you are going to Bodrum airport. Once you pass the airport, it is about twenty minutes after that with the urn off on your right hand side
Natalie recently wrote about..The Floating Restaurant Called Giritli
Really enjoyable post Natalie; regarding male drivers – keep an eye on Perking’s posts during August as Jack made the mistake of asking me to guest.
More excellent photos.
@Alan – Looking forward to your post Alan. Sounds interesting!
@Brenda – Thanks Brenda. I would not take your guests here either. They may be very bored especially after places like Cappadocia
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Awesome place for fishing…bogazici is the best place for fish lovers…
That prawn looks like an extra from Alien. I have to say, though, I was a tad disappointed with Bogazici. A bit run down but then we visited quite early in the year.
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Wow – that seafood looks amazing!!
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Thanks for blazing the trail to Bogazici. I’ve taken that very same turning, but only got as far as the Golf Course. Which was beautiful – but just as deserted as Bogazici.
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loved reading this if i had known you were going i would have gone with you you must have done this trip while we were over last week
maybe next year
That’s why i love Turkey this “simple” landscapes are awesome
I might search this village myself …
Looks like a wonderful place to get lost for a few hours. The seafood looks amazing!
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The place looks great Natalie. Considering how much I want to escape the busy, crowded life, then I think I could spend a whole day there. I love the open space and excellent weather. It is definitely a great place to spend time relaxing.
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Hi Brain, Relaxing is definitely the right word. There is no fast paced way of life here
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Beautiful places captured. And the see food looks so amazing!
You made me laugh over your theories on the reason behind those extra large king prawns and red mullets.
Kidding aside, those would definitely make a lot of servings, right?
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What a lovely post! It reminded me when I got lost in Israel! I was totally in despair at the beginning as none could speak English! I finally decided to take advantage of it and started wandering…at the end I found my way back but saw amazing places I would have never experienced If I hadn’t got lost!
That is the good side of getting list Goody, find those places that are never mentioned in the guide books!
Wow this IS off the beaten path, Natalie! I feel like I read everything I could about Turkey from cover to cover and never found any mention of this place. I thought it was another spelling for Bozcada at first!
This looks like a super chilled out place – will keep it in mind if I’m in need of some stress relief (and giant king prawns) when I’m in Turkey again next year
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I had never heard of it until last year Tom, but would like to go back again one day
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Nice pictures! That must be such a gorgeous place! Your shots are really breathtaking, I wish I could have the chance to get there once…
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Don’t wait for the chance Lena, make it happen!!
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You know these are the places one must visit to understand the essence of a nation. Small towns and villages and cafes and restaurants. The fish dish looks nice. I could try something like that.
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Wow! That must be such a wonderful place! I wish I could fly away from this cold winter and spend some days in that wonderland…
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Well it is winter here now as well Voila. Powerful winds and we are also due for heavy rainfall
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And so you had quite a bit of a small adventure there.
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It was an adventure which I am eager to repeat Laura
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Such a wonderful place! I wish I could fly away from this cold and foggy winter into that sunny country…
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It is actually cold and wet here now Barbi – wait until summer and the weather will be back to its good self
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