Bodrum.
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Overview

Bodrum is a tourist resort on the Southern Aegean coast of Turkey. It's a budget, mass-market destination with facilities to match, and in 2020 the Bodrum metropolis had a population of almost 182,000.

The metropolis covers a large peninsula, but in tourist literature "Bodrum" is used to market an even greater area, effectively any resort served by Milas-Bodrum airport. This page describes the city and its westward extension through Gümbet, Bitez and Yahşi, its southeast extension as far as Yalı, and its north coast extension of Torba and along the highway from the airport. Turgutreis describes the west coast of the peninsula from Akyarlar up to Gümüşlük. Yalıkavak describes the villages on the peninsula north coast to Göltürkbükü. Some brochures even include Didim, which lying 100 km north is too far even to hear the discos of Bodrum.

Understand

"Yokuş başına geldiğinde Bodrum'u göreceksin. Sanma ki sen geldiğin gibi gideceksin." "When you reach the hill, you will see Bodrum. Don't think you'll leave as you came." - The "blue voyages" of The Fisherman of Halicarnassus put Bodrum on the tourist map Bodrum was founded as a Grecian city, but fell under Persian rule from the 4th century BC; they appointed a hereditary provincial or regional governor called a "satrap". But one satrap more able than most was Mausolos, who ruled the province of Caria from this walled city called Halikarnassos, and he came to rule several others. However, he was sufficiently insecure about his legacy to commission a vast ornate tomb for himself, still unfinished at his death in 353 BC, and this gave us the word "mausoleum".

Halikarnassos then fell in turn to Alexander the Great, Seleucid rulers, the Romans and Byzantines. The Knights Hospitaller arrived in 1402 and rebuilt the castle, which had stood on an islet but was now fused to the mainland. Waste not, want not; they used stone from the mausoleum for the castle and called it Petronium ("St Peter's fortress") - hence Bodrum. They scarpered in 1522 when Suleiman the Magnificent approached, and the town became Ottoman.

Nothing much else happened for 400 years, and Bodrum was just a sleeping fishing and sponge-diving village. It became the exile of Cevat Şakir Kabaağaçlı (1890-1973), the Cretan Turkish scholar, writer and environmental activist. This fellow had already served 14 years in jail for shooting dead his father, who didn't approve of his wife. After a further 3 year term for "seditious" writing, he settled here and his lyrical descriptions of traditional life began to reach a wider readership. His pen-name was Halikarnas Balıkçısı, the Fisherman of Halicarnassus, and a boho community collected around him. His "blue voyages" in traditional fishing gulets, for leisure not for wresting a living from the sea, inspired a crowd of wannabes. European tourists flocked in search of a bygone Med undiscovered by tourists, and unscathed by the concrete apartment blocks that spoilt the Spanish and Italian coastlines, and guess what they found? Bodrum rapidly evolved into another Benidorm, a budget mass-destination, plus holiday homes for jaded Istanbulites.

The climate is typically Mediterranean, with hot sunny summers and mild rainy winters - see the Southern Aegean climate chart. Climate plus popularity add up to a longer holiday season than other Turkish resorts. May is a good time for shore-based activities but the water temperature lags a month behind the land, so June-October is better for water sports, with sea temperatures above 24°C.

Get in

To town: package tourists are bused direct to their hotels. Bus 48-24 runs spasmodically from the airport to Bodrum intercity bus terminal (at Torba) and downtown. The Havas bus isn't running in 2023, as the taxi drivers are gleefully aware.

You could also fly into İzmir or Dalaman airports, both 3 hours travel from Bodrum.

By bus Buses from Istanbul take 11 hours overnight via Gebze, Bursa, Balıkesir, Manisa and Izmir. From Izmir it's an hourly service, from Ankara is 10 hours and from Antalya it's 7. Operators on these routes are MetroTurizm, Pamukkale and Flixbus.

Aras Seyahat makes a grand cross-country journey daily, from Kars via Erzurum, Erzincan, Sivas, Kayseri and Konya.

(lit: New Bus Station) opened in 2022, 5 km northeast of town, at the road junction for Torba. Already it's looking battered by its travelling public, and the cafe and toilets are overpriced. The dolmuş transfer into town should be included in your inter-city ticket; check when buying.

is downtown next to the bazaar, and feels like part of it.

Tilos Travel sails from Kos twice a day year-round, taking 25 min. It's a small catamaran for foot passengers only; a day-trip either way is easily possible. The landing pier in Bodrum is in the marina by the castle.

Bodrum Feribot sail from Datça peninsula (Kairos Marina) 2 or 3 times daily June-Aug and four times a week Apr May Sept Oct. The crossing takes 1 hour 45 min.

is where Med cruises dock. It's also the pier for the Sky Marine ferry, which doesn't use the marina.

Ferries no longer sail direct between Bodrum and Rhodes. Travel via Kos, which is connected to the extensive Greek ferry network.

Several agencies in Bodrum charter yachts and traditional gulets; the best conditions are June-Sept. Bodrum is a Port of Entry into Turkey, check out the Greek regulations if you plan to enter their waters, and beware Dikilitas Reef 2 km west of Bodrum.

Get around

Most town buses start from Yeni Otogar the inter-city bus terminal and run to downtown Bodrum, so this service is every couple of minutes. They then fan out across the peninsula: Bus 2-28 to Gümbet beach strip, Bitez, Müskebi, Ortakent and Camel Beach, every 20 min daily 07:00-00:00. Bus 2-34 to Gürece, İslamhaneleri, Akçaalan and Turgutreis, every ten minutes daily 07:00-00:00. Bus 2-45 to Gürece, Gümüşlük and Gümüşkaya, hourly daily 07:00-22:00. Bus 2-6 to Gökçebel and Yalıkavak every 20 min daily 07:00-22:00. Bus 2-48 to Bitez, every 15 min daily 07:00-21:30. Bus 2-2 to the western suburb of Konacık, every 15 min daily 07:30-23:00. Bus 2-4 to Konacık, Gürece, Bağla and Akyarlar at the south tip of the peninsula, M-Sa hourly 08:00-19:00. Bus 2-20 runs from Torba village via Yeni Otogar to downtown Bodrum, M-Sa every 30 min 07:00-20:00.

Others run to Çamarası, Dağbelen, Gündoğan, Mazıköy, Mumcular, and Yalıçiftlik; the full list is posted on the Muttas regional transport website. A swarm of dolmuşes also reaches those destinations and others.

See

Bodrum Castle / Museum of Underwater Archaeology. Well-preserved bastion built from 1402 by the Knights Hospitaller, who called it the Castle of St Peter. Its towers are called the English, French, German and Italian for the four nations constructing them, a clue as to why this took most of a century; the Pope guaranteed its builders a place in heaven but failed to set a deadline. It withstood attacks by the Ottomans but fell to them in 1523. They converted the chapel to a mosque but didn't have much use for the castle, which was variously a garrison, a prison, or unoccupied. Since 1962 it's housed the Museum of Underwater Archaeology, displaying remarkable finds from local shipwrecks. The standout is the Uluburun wreck from the 14th century BC, late Bronze Age, laden with copper ingots, a rare insight into trade and travel in that era.

Maritime Museum. The sailing and fishing traditions of Bodrum, such as gulets, sponge-fishing and sea-shells.

Kızılhisarlı Mustafa Paşa Mosque just north of the castle was built in 1724. Merkez Adliye Mosque another block north was built in 1901. The marina, now full of leisure craft, was once the shipyard and general harbour. In the 18th century there was a spell of military work as the Ottoman navy was strengthened, but Bodrum's main product has long been the traditional gulet. These are two or three-masted but nowadays run on diesel, with only auxiliary sail power. Tepecik Mosque is at Neyzen Tevfik Cd 88, midway along the marina front. It was built in 1735. on Atatürk Cd has a richly tiled interior.

Mausoleum of Halikarnassos. Mausolos was satrap (regional governor) here for 18 years. Before his death in 353 BC, he commissioned a tomb for himself so grand that it was accounted one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, and "mausoleum" became the term for any above-ground tomb. It was 45 m high and richly decorated. His wife Artemisia ruled for another two years then was interred with him the not-quite-finished tomb; in legend she was made into an icon of grieving widowhood, supposedly mixing his ashes into her drink (These legends seldom pointed out that she was his sister). Earthquakes shook the tomb to bits by 1494 AD, or at least that's what folk said when its masonry and decorations somehow ended up in their own mansions (Several prize pieces even shook themselves into the British Museum). Today you explore the foundations, and there are exhibits and a video presentation.

Bodrum Amphitheatre. This was begun by Mausolos in the 4th century BC, but took its present form under the Romans in the 2nd century AD. It was restored in the 1970s and 90s into an event space with seating for 10,000.

is the only survivor (if these two stumps can be called a survivor) of the monumental gates of the 7-km city wall of Halikarnassos. The area includes a short course of wall foundations and is free to explore 24 hours. Myndos, the destination of the road west, now lies buried beneath the coast resort of Gümüşlük. In its heyday, Myndos had such grand gates that Diogenes urged them to be shut, before the entire town got out. Wisecracks like this made him the doyen of the "cynic" school of philosophy. on Neyzen Tevfik Cd has interesting funerary monuments. (değirmenleri) in various states of dilapidation stand on the ridge west of the bay, in a line of seven. They were used from mid-18th century up to the 1970s to grind corn into flour. The area is free to stroll around and you mostly come here for the sunset view over the next bay, pity about all the trash. Similar windmills dot the peninsula beyond.

Zeki Müren Art Museum. Zeki Müren (1931-96) was a prolific, flamboyant and frankly camp singer-songwriter. He was born in Bursa, launched his career in Istanbul and retired to Bodrum when his health failed. His house has been made into a museum with memorabilia such as his costumes. He had rather a lot of costumes.

is a small resort strip to the west, where the big attraction is that camels parade up and down the strand. These are as authentically bad-tempered and overpriced for rides as any you'd encounter in Arabia. A waterbus plies here from Bodrum Marina. Ideally you'd get here by Kamil Koç — camel coach — but they've been taken over by Flixbus. was a small city-state in 400 BC, but the territory was handed over to Halikarnassos. You reach it up a dirt road (2WD okay in dry weather) and follow the steps from the parking area up to the ruined acropolis. It's free to explore any time. , meaning "black island", is a wooded and almost uninhabited island visited on boat trips. You pay extra to swim in the hot springs (sıcak suyu) that emerge in a cave on the north coast. They're only lukewarm, they're smelly from the sulphur, and the cave has sharp rocks on its low ceiling and shallow base. means "Sleeping Valley" — it's a scenic canyon through limestone bluffs above the village of Gökçeler, 45 km east of Bodrum. You can also explore İncirli Caves here. The hotel may pretend that you have to pay them admission - don't part with a single lira unless you wish to use their facilities.

Do

Beaches in town are pebble but good for swimming. For sandy beaches go further west to Gümbet or Bitez. Hamam or Turkish baths are at Fabrika Sk 48 southeast side of the city bus station. They're segregated by gender with both sides open daily 07:00-23:00. Windsurfing is better on the more exposed west coast around Turgutreis, since the calm sheltered waters of Bodrum are its selling point. Scuba diving: Some half-a-dozen dive shacks offer day trips for qualified divers April-Sept. There are several shipwrecks, a Dakota DC47, rock formations (including Kara Ada) deepening into caverns, and eelgrass meadows with not much marine life - this is the Med. Bodrum is a good place for scuba training for its clear calm waters, and this includes advanced and specialty courses. Boat trips: some dozen companies offer trips by modern launch or traditional gulet. They're based around the marina but may pick up from other resort beaches.

Bodrum Aquapark. A park with 23 waterslides, a 350-m wave river, a wave pool, a range of other pools, and a disco. Food is overpriced and they search you to keep it that way.

Football: Bodrumspor were relegated in 2025 and now play soccer in TFF First League, the second tier. Their Şehir Stadı (City Stadium, capacity 4500) is 500 m north of town centre towards Hwy D330.

Bodrum Golf & Tennis Club. This is the closest golf course to Bodrum. There are others to the northeast at Regnum Resort and at Vita Park.

Dolphin Park Bodrum. The dolphins are in the sea but in a fenced enclosure. You watch them perform tricks and may swim and interact with them. Staff seem to invent prices as they go along.

Modern & Jazz Festival and competition is held in April. Ballet Festival is July / Aug.

Buy

Lots of little convenience stores, there isn't a big shopping centre. Always haggle at street markets.

Eat

Bodrum catering is aimed at flesh-eating visitors. Most places serve halal as well as alcohol, but vegans and GF-ivores have limited choices. Downtown Orfoz at Zeki Müren Cd 13 is extolled in many guide books, but visitors find the food nothing special and the "tasting menu" little more than tapas.

Körfez. Quality seafood restaurant on the marina front, where they ensure you pay for the view.

Bodrum Kumru. Cheap and cheerful eatery, great value.

Curly's Demeter Pool Garden Restaurant Bar. Garden restaurant mostly doing roasts and steaks.

Umurça Pide Salonu. A sfiha restaurant, that's flatbread topped with mincemeat.

Umurça Unlu Mamulleri. A bakery also doing desserts such as baklava.

Berk Balik. Friendly fish restaurant with views of the castle.

Sunger Pizza. Good menu selection besides pizza.

The Windy Bay. Good spot for inexpensive food.

Cafe De Colombia. Inexpensive steakhouse open late.

Vira's. Small hotel on Yahsi seafront serving good Turkish cuisine.

Drink

There is a vivid nightlife scene. Have no truck with ticket touts claiming that a particular pub or club has a special party tonight with some big name presiding. There will be no such thing. Körfez is a long established rock bar on the waterfront at Cumhuriyet Cd 59, open M-F 13:00-01:00, Sa Su 13:00-03:00. Funk is an open air club just north of Körfez, pricey and couples only. It's open nightly 21:00-04:00. Adamik is another old stager, just north of the castle and open 24 hours. Kule Rock City is a rock bar on Cumhuriyet Cd open 20:00-05:00, couples only. Club Catamaran east of the castle is on a large catamaran, with a glass deck for the dance floor. At night the boat putters out into the harbour where lights have been set into the ocean floor. Lights plus food scraps thrown overboard draw fish to swim beneath the glass floor. It's open nightly 21:30-03:00. Karnas Vineyards are in the hills 20 km northeast of town and have a restaurant.

Sleep

Su Hotel. Charming small hotel with pool in the Western Bay. Close enough to walk to city centre, but Turgut Reis is a narrow busy street with no sidewalk.

Atrium Hotel. Simple central budget place, cleaning erratic.

Kavala Studios. Very basic but central rooms.

Hotel İstanköy. It's clean, central and value for what you pay, but rooms are poky and facilities limited.

El Vino Hotel. Oasis of calm on the north edge of the busy city.

Marmara Bodrum. Charming hotel on the hillside north edge of town.

Kaya Pansiyon. Peaceful clean rooms in town centre.

Doubletree by Hilton. Smart well-run hotel by the marina, good reviews for comfort and service.

Seçkin Konaklar Hotel. Comfy place by the marina.

Azka Otel. Beach-front hotel with spa and fitness centre. Some facilities tired, a tad pricey for what you get.

Salmakis Resort. Resort and spa hotel on the beach 3 km from city centre. Mixed reviews.

Antique Theatre Hotel is a small mid-range place opposite the amphitheatre. Bodrium Hotel is a clean, friendly, budget hotel at Büyük İskender Cd 13, 100 m southwest of Myndos Gate. Bodrum Ecofarm camping and hostel. Camping from 300 pp, off season April 2024. Camping underneath orange and grapefruit trees. Take the bus 2-83 from Bodrum, takes 40 min.

The next bay west, 4 km from Bodrum city centre, with mostly budget accommodation Ali Baba is a basic but clean friendly place at 3144th Sk 24, east edge of Gümbet. Tosunoglu a block east is of similar standard.

Jasmine Beach Hotel. On beachfront east edge of bay, limited facilities and food repetitive, but value for what you pay.

Siesta Beach are apartments next to Jasmine Beach.

Serpina Hotel. Pleasant budget place near beach.

Hotel Bagevleri next to Serpina is of similar standard.

Parkim Ayaz Hotel. On beachfront, lays on kiddy entertainment, but a busy area with disco and street noise.

Nagi Beach Hotel. Beachfront hotel, a bit worn and dated, but clean and good service.

Water Garden Apart Otel. 20 simple rooms in a clean welcoming apartment hotel.

Tropicana Beach Hotel. Friendly midrange hotel, good service.

Ağar Apart Otel. Simple hotel 1 km from beach, well managed by Irish couple.

Club Shark Hotel. Basic hotel 500 m from beach, cleanliness varies and food indifferent.

Green House Apart Hotel. Simple town apartments with pool and friendly helpful staff, great value for what you pay. Some rooms have kitchenettes.

Bronze Hotel. Simple family-friendly place near the beach.

Gümbet Cove Hotel. Spotless friendly budget hotel on beach.

Asteria Bodrum Resort. "Selectum" is the silly new name, but the Asteria continues to deliver good comfort, service and cuisine.

The north-facing coast, along the highway from the airport to Bodrum town, and near the inter-city bus terminal

Voyage Torba. Rave reviews for comfort and service here.

Casa Dell'Arte. Smart hotel with a private beach.

Vogue Hotel. Good inclusive resort hotel.

Işil Club Resort. Good standards at this resort hotel on the north-facing coast.

Rixos Premium. Good service and comfort at this beachfront resort hotel.

Lujo Hotel. Slick upscale resort hotel, most visitors are on package holidays.

La Blanche Island. It's a peninsula not an island, but does feel away from it all. Mixed reviews for comfort, cleanliness and food.

TUI Magic Life. Great reviews for comfort and service at this all-inclusive resort hotel. It's mostly block-booked for package holidays by TUI but they may have availability for independent travellers.

Bodrum Holiday Resort. Friendly service; good rooms in the main building but those in the annex are tiny, and the site is hilly.

Kempinski Hotel Barbaros Bay. This is some distance from town or anywhere else, so regard it as a secluded luxury destination in its own right. Good facilities, some visitors have found it rattling empty.