Bodrum
It was a remote fishing village for centuries following it great days after King Mausolus until Turkish journalist and writer Cevat Şakir Kabaağaçlı, known as Fisherman of Halicarnassus was exiled to Bodrum for three years nearly a century ago. Immediately fell in love with it, he returned and spent another twenty-five there. Until about fifty years ago, Bodrum remained pretty much the same as in its long history, a peninsula with remote fishing villages accessible from the sea where sponge diving and fishing was the main income of its people.
Then the locals discovered it and made it their first choice holiday spot in Turkey. Its unique architecture of two storeyed and whitewashed buildings with flat roofs has been one of the main attractions. Bodrum is now an international luxury hotspot.
Today, the town of Bodrum is still adorned by the handsome castle of Crusaders in its picturesque harbor. The castle sits in the middle of the bustling center of the town and houses a unique collection of underwater archaeology. The rest of the peninsula is lined with developments of high profile, upscale boutique hotels, chic and glitzy marinas with superyachts and luxurious shopping, beach clubs, fine restaurants and on top of that a great nightlife that surpasses any other place in Turkey during the summer months.
Here around the peninsula, lush green forests run to the deep blue Aegean waters are crystal clear and offer great swimming in their many hidden coves and lagoons and small unnamed islands off the coast.
• Jump off a gullet into the sea, elegant cruise boats typical of the area
• Try the local octopus, other seafoods and mezes at restaurants by the sea
• Visit remote villages for a local experience
• Dive at Orak Island, the Bodrum peninsula offers an exciting underwater adventure
• Experience a sailing regatta
• Spend your entire day at one of the elegant beach clubs on the peninsula
• Visit one of the local farms and taste delicious Bodrum tangerine
• Discover Tuzla area, every year nearly 2,000 flamingos arrives in the wetland areas of Tuzla
• Visit Euromos Archeological site, The Temple of Zeus Lepsynos in Euromos is one of the best-preserved temples in Anatolia
• Explore the peninsula via 4x4 jeeps, enjoy the wild nature
• Visit Bodrum Museum of Underwater Archaeology, it is an unmissable stop