TÜRKİYE IN COLOUR · CITY GUIDE
⛵ Bodrum in Colour
White houses, a crusader castle and the bays of the Aegean
by Fatih Koçoğlu, born in Şanlıurfa, raised in Istanbul
Bodrum is white cube houses with blue doors, bougainvillea on every wall, and a castle of the Knights of St John on the harbour. It was ancient Halicarnassus, home of one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Today it is the summer capital of Türkiye, with quiet fishing villages and turquoise bays all around the peninsula.
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At a glance
- Best time
- May, June, September and October. July and August are busy and expensive. In winter the town is very quiet.
- How long
- Three days. Add more if you want beach days.
- Airport
- Milas-Bodrum (BJV), about 40 minutes by taxi or airport bus.
- Getting around
- Dolmuş minibuses connect Bodrum town with all the villages of the peninsula. Cheap and frequent in summer.
- Where to stay
- Bodrum town for walking, Gümüşlük for sunsets and calm, Yalıkavak for luxury.
The itinerary
DAY 1 · Bodrum town
The castle, a Wonder of the World and the windmills
- 09:30
Bodrum Castle (Castle of St Peter)
Built by the Knights of St John in the 15th century, partly with stones from the Mausoleum. Inside is the Museum of Underwater Archaeology with ancient shipwrecks and treasures from the sea.
📍 Open in Google Maps › - 12:00
Bodrum Marina and the old bazaar
Walk along the harbour full of wooden gulets, then into the narrow bazaar streets behind it.
📍 Open in Google Maps › - 13:00
Lunch: çökertme kebabı
Bodrum's own dish: thin strips of beef over crispy potato sticks with garlic yoghurt.
📍 Open in Google Maps › - 14:30
Mausoleum of Halicarnassus
The tomb of King Mausolus, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Only the foundations remain, but the small museum shows how huge it once was. Our word "mausoleum" comes from here.
📍 Open in Google Maps › - 16:00
Ancient Theatre of Halicarnassus
A Greek theatre on the hill with a great view over the castle and both bays.
📍 Open in Google Maps › - 18:30
The Windmills (Yel Değirmenleri)
Old stone windmills on the ridge between Bodrum and Gümbet. The best sunset spot in town.
📍 Open in Google Maps ›
DAY 2 · A day on the sea
Gulet trip, then sunset in Gümüşlük
- 10:00
Boat trip (gulet) from Bodrum harbour
Day boats leave from the harbour every morning in season. Swim in the turquoise water of Orak Island and visit Karaada with its warm spring cave and healing mud.
📍 Open in Google Maps › - 18:00
Gümüşlük
A fishing village at the end of the peninsula, built on the ancient city of Myndos. Walk through the shallow water to Rabbit Island (Tavşan Adası).
📍 Open in Google Maps › - 19:30
Dinner by the water
Tables right on the sea, fresh fish and meze, and the sun going down behind the Greek islands.
📍 Open in Google Maps ›
DAY 3 · Around the peninsula
Villages, windmills and quiet bays
- 10:00
Yalıkavak
An old sponge-diving village with a stone windmill and a famous luxury marina.
📍 Open in Google Maps › - 12:00
Gündoğan
A calm green bay with an old church ruin in the water and good lunch spots.
📍 Open in Google Maps › - 14:30
Türkbükü and Gölköy
Wooden piers stretching into the sea. Rent a sunbed and swim.
📍 Open in Google Maps › - 17:30
Got more time?
- +
Pedasa
A small ancient city in a pine forest above Konacık, with almost no visitors.
📍 Open in Google Maps › - +
Bodrum Tuesday market
Fruit, cheese, textiles and everything else at the big weekly market.
📍 Open in Google Maps › - +
Kos (Greece)
Ferries go to the Greek island of Kos in about 30 minutes. Bring your passport.
📍 Open in Google Maps ›
🍽️ What to eat and drink
- Çökertme kebabıBeef strips on crispy potatoes with garlic yoghurt.
- Fresh fish and mezeSea bass, sea bream, octopus salad, sea beans with olive oil.
- Bodrum mandarinsSmall, sweet and famous. Best in winter.
- Kabak çiçeği dolmasıCourgette flowers stuffed with rice and herbs.
- RakıThe anise spirit, mixed with water. Drink it slowly with meze and good friends.
✅ Good to know
- Bodrum Castle and the Mausoleum close one day a week outside summer. Check before you go.
- In July and August, book restaurants in Gümüşlük for sunset.
- Dolmuş minibuses stop running late at night. Check the last one back.
- The water is cold until late May, then perfect until October.
🗣️ Speak a little Turkish
Locals light up when you try. Tap a phrase for audio and a full lesson.
- Merhaba!mehr·hah·bahHello!Listen
- Teşekkür ederim.teh·shehk·kewr eh·deh·reemThank you.Listen
- Lütfen.lewt·fehnPlease.Listen
- Bu ne kadar?boo neh kah·dahrHow much is this?Listen
- Tuvalet nerede?too·vah·leht neh·reh·dehWhere is the toilet?Listen
- Hesap lütfen.heh·sahp lewt·fehnThe bill, please.Listen
- Burası çok güzel!boo·rah·suh chohk gew·zehlThis place is beautiful!Listen
- Afiyet olsun!ah·fee·yeht ohl·soonEnjoy your meal!Listen
▶ Video lessons
Turkish guides for your trip
What's next
Next destination🌊 İzmir🧭 Türkiye travel essentials
Istanbulkart, taxi apps, airport transfers, tickets, a SIM, money, 112 and the official e-Visa — plus the Turkish phrases you need.
🎁 Get all 13 guides free
All thirteen “Türkiye in Colour” PDF guides in one go: itineraries, Google Maps links, food and phrases for the whole country.
Information checked in November 2026. Opening hours, ticket prices and visiting rules change often, so check the official site before you go.
More destinations
- 🕌 IstanbulThree days in the city on two continents
- 🎈 CappadociaFairy chimneys, cave churches and balloons at sunrise
- 🏖️ AntalyaOld town, ancient theatres and the turquoise sea
- 🌊 İzmirThe Aegean city, Ephesus and the windmills of Alaçatı
- 🫒 Aegean TownsAncient cities, olive groves and white villages by the sea
- 🪂 Fethiye & ÖlüdenizRock tombs, the Blue Lagoon and a ghost village
- 🐢 Turquoise CoastLycian tombs, sunken cities and the bluest water in the Mediterranean
- 🐟 ŞanlıurfaGöbekli Tepe, the City of Prophets and my hometown
- 🍯 Southeast TürkiyeMesopotamia: mosaics, stone cities and the best food in the country
- ⛰️ Eastern AnatoliaMount Ararat, a lost medieval capital and a church on an island
- 🕋 Central AnatoliaRumi's Konya, Ankara, colourful Eskişehir and the Hittite capital
- 🍃 Black SeaGreen mountains, tea fields and a monastery on a cliff
Photo credits
- Bodrum Castle and sailboats, Türkiye — Hamdigumus, CC0
- Sunset at Yalıkavak marina, Bodrum, Türkiye — Tirebolu, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Bodrum Castle, Türkiye — Serhio Magpie, CC BY 4.0
