Bodrum is often called the pearl of the Aegean, the best destination on the Turkish Riviera and Turkey’s most fashionable seaside resort. As our correspondent was convinced, all the epithets are spot on. Bodrum has everything you need for beach relaxation, gastronomic pleasures, shopping and just a great holiday. TOP 10 reasons to fall in love with Bodrum are in our material.
Turkey is rightly famous for its beach resorts, but some of them stand out from the rest thanks to their harmonious atmosphere, mixed with everything that is associated with a first-class seaside holiday. Bodrum is like that.
On the one hand, it is cozy for living and compact for walking, on the other hand, it is glamorous due to the large number of luxury hotels, yachts, expensive restaurants and shops. But anywhere in Bodrum there is no tension, anywhere you like it, be it a noisy tourist center, a cafe on the city beach, a fish restaurant on the shore or an embankment in a fashionable marina. No one is in a hurry, and thanks to this calm flow of life around, you can just feel the summer, the sun and the sea.
Easy to reach
Bodrum Airport of the same name is one of the three best tourist airports in Turkey. The resort’s air harbor receives thousands of domestic and international flights every year.
Comfortable weather
Unlike Antalya, Bodrum has a milder climate in summer. Thanks to the cool sea breeze, the heat on the Aegean coast is easier to bear. In the summer months it ranges from +30 to +35°C, but there is practically no sweltering heat. According to experts, the tan in Bodrum is a beautiful golden color.
Variety of hotels
Bodrum has a large selection of hotels, ranging from inexpensive city apartments to luxury all-inclusive hotel complexes. Due to this, we are recommended to use Bodrum airport taxi from Kiwitaxi company. This is one of the most reliable and fastest ways to get to the hotel or vice versa to the airport from the hotel.
The sea is nearby
Bodrum and the sea are one whole, so yachts and boats are everywhere here. Nowhere in Bodrum is luxury living more evident than in Yalikavak Marina, which is located in the northwestern part of the peninsula of the same name.
The place has gained popularity due to its extremely convenient location and beautiful surroundings. The quiet harbor is embraced by hills from which the Aegean Sea is in full view. The marina has 620 berths and about 70 docks for yachts (up to 135 meters).
Even those who have nothing to do with yachts will not be bored here. Here, for example, you can have excellent shopping – there are more than 80 stores of famous brands in the marina.
No Regrets Booking Advice
In addition, from the port of Bodrum you can go along the coast on gulets – wooden sailing ships that are made at local shipyards, or by ferry. For example, to the Greek island of Kos, it is only 20 km away. Russians will need a valid Schengen visa.
Fantastic nature
Bodrum is famous for its diverse nature – there are mountains, coniferous, pine and cypress forests, and even palm trees. There are also many olive groves. Bodrum is characterized by clean bays with turquoise water and a long coastline. “Blue flags” fly over many beaches in Bodrum and the surrounding area – this sign confirms the purity of sea water.
Ideal place for photos
There are many landscape and historical locations in and around Bodrum that will be an excellent place for a romantic photo shoot for two or a memorable shoot for the whole family.
One of the most popular places is the windmills. As Kiwitaxi.com reports, The best preserved of these mills are located on a hill between the bays of Bodrum and Gümbet. The hill offers a magnificent panoramic view of the bays of Bardakci and Gümbet, as well as the Bodrum fortress – St. Peter’s Castle. Another windmill is located at the entrance to Yalikavak Bay, so visiting it can be combined with an excursion to the marina.
You don’t have to leave the city anywhere at all, but just go to the local beach – on a sun lounger or at a table overlooking St. Peter’s Fortress. A close-up cocktail at sunset will be a nice way to end a sunny day.
History is everywhere
Bodrum has preserved many unique historical places and monuments from different eras. Among them is St. Peter’s Castle, which has become a symbol of the city, built in the 15th century by the Knights Hospitaller. Today it is a museum, on its territory there is the Museum of Underwater Archeology. It will be a special pleasure to simply walk around the castle grounds and enjoy the panoramic sea views of Bodrum Bay. Our partners from Kiwitaxi inform, that you can book your own guide and driver for such tours.
Another attraction of Bodrum is the ancient theater located above the city, which is almost 2500 years old. You can come here in the evening to admire the sunset, or for an evening concert. The ancient theater of Bodrum is one of the few that is still in operation!
Nightlife
Bodrum has its own street of bars: this is the unofficial name given to Cumhuriyet Street, which starts from the square in front of Bodrum Castle and stretches east along the coast.
Cumhuriyet is full of lively nightclubs where you can dance the night away and beach bars with expensive cocktails. Just a couple of years ago, the hallmark of the resort was the Halicarnassus nightclub, one of the five largest in Europe. Its dance floor could accommodate up to five thousand guests. But during the pandemic, the establishment went bankrupt. However, nightlife is still in full swing. It’s not for nothing that partygoers compare Bodrum to Ibiza and Saint-Tropez.
Fishing place
There are many different restaurants in Bodrum, but fish dishes are a definite recommendation. Some of the most atmospheric restaurants are in the town of Gumusluk on the western side of the peninsula. Gastronomic establishments are located here right on the shore. You can try meze, fish and seafood delicacies, such as octopus or squid.
You can order mussels in almost every restaurant. The most common fish in Bodrum are red mullet and mullet, while levrek and hurpa, popular in Turkey, are said to have a special taste here. The local decor will also add to the charm: white tables are decorated with real flowers, fancy decorations stick out here and there and colorful lanterns hang. In addition, against the backdrop of olive groves and the aroma of the sea, everything becomes much tastier.
Fantastic sunsets
The peninsula’s location in the west makes it one of the best destinations in Turkey. Therefore, there will be a reason to meditate on the shore, take a walk along the embankment, or have a photo shoot in the rays of the sunset sun in Bodrum every evening.
