Bodrum itinerary

1. 1

   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…

   Address

   Kale Caddesi 25, Cumhuriyet Mahallesi, 48400 Bodrum, Mugla

   Nearest transit

   10-minute walk from Bodrum otogar; bus 1 from Bodrum centre stops at the castle entrance for TRY 30

2. 2

   Mausoleum at Halicarnassus Site

   The Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, built between 353 and 350 BC for the Carian satrap Mausolus, was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World and the source of the word mausoleum itself. Earthquakes between the 12th…

   Address

   Turgutreis Caddesi, Tepecik Mahallesi, 48400 Bodrum, Mugla

   Nearest transit

   12-minute walk uphill from Bodrum Marina; bus 2 from the Castle stops at Tepecik for TRY 30

3. 3

   Bodrum Marina and Bardakci Bay

   Bodrum Marina, run by D-Marin, has 450 berths and is the launching point for the traditional gulet boats that cruise the Aegean. The promenade runs 1.2 km from the marina entrance to the eastern Kumbahce beach, lined…

   Address

   Neyzen Tevfik Caddesi 5, Cumhuriyet Mahallesi, 48400 Bodrum, Mugla

   Nearest transit

   Marina entrance is a 5-minute walk from the otogar; all peninsula dolmus terminate at the otogar for TRY 30 to 80

4. 4

   Gumusluk Village (Sunset and Submerged Ruins)

   Gumusluk sits on the western tip of the peninsula on the site of ancient Myndos, a Lelegian harbour mentioned by Strabo. Building restrictions since 1989 have kept the village low-rise and unhurried, with stone houses…

   Address

   Yali Mevkii, Gumusluk, 48400 Bodrum, Mugla

   Nearest transit

   Bodrum to Gumusluk dolmus runs every 25 minutes for TRY 60 from the otogar; 35-minute ride

5. 5

   Bitez Beach

   Bitez has the calmest swimming bay close to Bodrum centre, sheltered behind a 1.6 km crescent and lined with mature tangerine groves that scent the lanes in winter. The beach is shallow for 30 metres before the seabed…

   Address

   Bitez Plaji, Sahil Yolu, 48400 Bitez, Mugla

   Nearest transit

   Bodrum to Bitez dolmus runs every 15 minutes for TRY 30 from the otogar; 12-minute ride

6. 6

   Yalikavak Marina (Luxury Yachts)

   Yalikavak Marina is the largest superyacht harbour in Turkey, with 612 berths capable of accepting vessels up to 130 metres. Opened in 2014 and run by D-Marin, it has become the social anchor of the northern peninsula…

   Address

   Yalikavak Marina, Cokertme Caddesi 4, 48430 Yalikavak, Mugla

   Nearest transit

   Bodrum to Yalikavak dolmus runs every 20 minutes for TRY 70; 40-minute ride to Yalikavak otogar

7. 7

   Turgutreis (Best Sunsets)

   Turgutreis claims the peninsula's best sunsets thanks to its westward orientation and unobstructed views over the Greek islands of Pserimos and Kalymnos. The town runs along a 5 km palm-lined promenade and has the…

   Address

   Turgutreis Sahil Yolu, Bahceli Mahallesi, 48960 Turgutreis, Mugla

   Nearest transit

   Bodrum to Turgutreis dolmus runs every 15 minutes for TRY 60; 30-minute ride to the otogar

8. 8

   Bodrum Ancient Theatre

   Carved into the northern slope of Goktepe hill above modern Bodrum, the Ancient Theatre is one of the oldest in Anatolia, originally built in the 4th century BC during the reign of Mausolus and expanded by the Romans to…

   Address

   Antik Tiyatro, Goktepe Mevkii, Eskicesme Mahallesi, 48400 Bodrum, Mugla

   Nearest transit

   18-minute walk uphill from Bodrum otogar via Cevat Sakir Caddesi; bus 5 stops at the theatre layby for TRY 30

9. 9

   Myndos Gate

   The Myndos Gate is the surviving section of the 7 km city wall built by Mausolus in the 4th century BC to protect Halicarnassus, and it is the spot where Alexander the Great breached the city in 334 BC. Two large…

   Address

   Myndos Kapisi, Konacik Bulvari, Konacik Mahallesi, 48400 Bodrum, Mugla

   Nearest transit

   20-minute walk from Bodrum centre via Konacik Bulvari; bus 4 stops on Konacik Caddesi for TRY 30

10. 10

    Akyarlar Beach

    Akyarlar has the only stretch of soft white sand on the peninsula, with most other Bodrum beaches running to coarse pebble or imported gravel. The 800-metre beach faces south toward the Greek island of Kos, just 6 km…

    Address

    Akyarlar Plaji, Sahil Yolu, 48970 Akyarlar, Mugla

    Nearest transit

    Bodrum to Akyarlar dolmus runs every 30 minutes for TRY 80 from the otogar; 45-minute ride

11. 11

    Karaada (Black Island) Day Boat

    Karaada, the largest island in Bodrum bay, is uninhabited and accessible only by boat from Bodrum harbour. The day cruise is a peninsula tradition and stops first at the island's mineral mud cave, where a thermal spring…

    Address

    Bodrum Liman Iskelesi, Cumhuriyet Caddesi, 48400 Bodrum, Mugla

    Nearest transit

    Departure pier is a 6-minute walk from the otogar along the harbour; no transit needed once aboard

12. 12

    Pedasa Ancient Ruins

    Pedasa was the principal Lelegian city of the Halicarnassus peninsula, established around the 8th century BC and abandoned in the 4th century BC after Mausolus relocated the population to Halicarnassus. The site…

    Address

    Pedasa Antik Kenti, Konacik Yolu, Konacik Mahallesi, 48400 Bodrum, Mugla

    Nearest transit

    Bus 4 from Bodrum otogar to Konacik runs every 15 minutes for TRY 30; from there a 30-minute uphill walk

From the trip1 travel guide “12 Top Places to Visit in Bodrum, Turkey” · trip1.com