Bodrum, the capital of Turkish Riviera
Hills filled with look alike white residential houses, beach clubs, resorts, restaurants, cafés and bars, bays of the Aegean sea that guarantee you a perfect swim, pine trees and bougainvilleas, it is hard not to please someone in Bodrum. Compared with St Tropez or Hollywood for Turkish celebrities its fame comes from the top luxurious resorts that have opened in recent years but Bodrum has something for everyone.
A big peninsula with various centres here is a brief about what to find and where to find it. If you are into top luxury travel and have some money to spend the northern part of the peninsula is the place. Yalıkavak Marina, a place for a marina for yachts, an open shopping mall with luxury brands, restaurants with good food. Right next to it are located Turkbuku and Golturkbuku, where some of the top end properties are located. The Edition Bodrum, an English hotel brand for urban, upper middle classes, Mandarin Oriental on Paradise bay, an Asian hotel chain for the very top end are located about ten minutes drive from one another.
A rather bohemian sea side place is Gumusluk, on the western edge of the peninsula. Before it was a modest fisher town but now it is lined with Turkish style tavernas, karaoke bars, and a jazz cafe where you will find nice music. All of them are by the sea and decorated with traditional lamps. The centre of Bodrum where the Castle and the archeological underground museum are located is the most touristic place thanks to it Gran Bazar like passage lined with shops one after another. The traditional marina here is rather modest, it is the marina where daily regular boat tours depart that take you to the bays that cannot be reached by car. It is also where ferries to nearby Greek islands depart like Simi, Kos, Patmos and Kalimnos. You can also find daily ferries that go to another peninsula, Datca, which is known with its gorgeous and less explored bays.
If you are not staying in a resort, it will be easier for you to move with a car so that spend your time on a different bay every day.. Most rent a car companies have offices at the airport, you may buy from one of them and considering the distances between the places in Bodrum the taxis will cost you much more than the rent a car option.
A typical and very delicious food you may find in this area is the ‘cokertme kebap’, the ice cream and the mandarin of Bodrum are also quite famous. Though many people from Istanbul chose to live in Bodrum also in winter time in recent years it is not very recommendable to visit during this time. Plan your visit from end April to end October.
