Hotels near Bodrum Castle (Museum of Underwater Archaeology)

Bodrum Castle of Saint Peter is the most recognisable silhouette on the Aegean coast, built by the Knights Hospitaller between 1402 and 1437 using stones quarried from the nearby Mausoleum. The fortress now houses the Museum of Underwater Archaeology, the largest of its kind in the eastern Mediterranean, with finds from the Uluburun shipwreck (14th century BC), the Glass Wreck of Serce Limani (11th century AD), and a reconstructed Carian princess tomb. Five language-named towers (English, French, German, Italian, and Snake) ring the central courtyard. Entry costs TRY 600 in 2026, opening hours run 08:30 to 19:00 in summer and 08:30 to 17:30 in winter, and a thorough visit takes two and a half hours. Wear flat shoes; the castle paths involve cobblestones and 110 steps to the upper terraces, where the panorama covers Bodrum bay and the Greek island of Kos.

Pro Tip: Begin in the Glass Wreck Hall for the cool dim galleries before climbing to the towers. The reverse order means you finish indoors when summer heat peaks at 14:00.