Photo courtesy of Richard G. Hilsden
If Turkey is on your list of destinations to research for 2012, then the stunning Bodrum peninsula should be too. Our Turkey holidays expert, Marc Dubin, shares his hassle free guide to planning an affordable, low-stress, unforgettable holiday on this gorgeous peninsula on the south western Aegean coast.
White-washed, bougainvillea-decked Bodrum, the ancient Halikarnassos, is Turkey’s longest established and most versatile seaside resort. From humble beginnings as a sponge-diver’s anchorage and place of internal exile, it has evolved into a cosmopolitan and lively Aegean town. Cruises along the coast ply from the busy marina, while the crusader-built castle houses one of the world’s best underwater archaeology museums. The town is gateway to a sizeable peninsula, speckled with twenty villages, mostly coastal. Enduringly popular with Brits are the party-cove of Gümbet, Ortakent with its long beach, the market centre of Turgutreis facing terrific sunsets, and charming, upmarket Gümüşlük, the ancient Myndos.
The Best of the Best of Bodrum’s beaches
Photo courtesy of Benjamin Claverie
Our Turkey holidays expert, Marc Dubin, has researched the best beaches that the Bodrum region has to offer. He has the low down on where to do your snorkelling, your windsurfing and your sunbathing on this beautiful peninsula on the south west of Turkey’s Aegean coast.
Although Bodrum town has some ancient monuments, hamams and a superb medieval-castle with museum, its beach – on easterly Kumbahçe bay – is merely functional.
Serious beaches around Bodrum are in the coves that speckle the entire coast of the peninsula extending west of town. These are surprisingly accessible. Every resort has frequent access from Bodrum’s otogar (bus station) by minibus (cars can be a liability in summer, what with limited parking space and fees charged). But a cruise on a gulet (traditional wood-hulled schooner) is probably the most relaxing way to arrive at south-shore beaches.
So where are the real treasures? Read on for enlightenment.