The Bodrum peninsula is tiny, but its reputation is huge — and growing. This is the most exclusive part of the Turkish riviera, where the super-wealthy bring their yachts each summer and celebrities dodge the paparazzi in hidden bays. There’s also a thriving culinary scene, which has been recognised by Michelin with the launch of its first Bodrum guide in 2023. But you’ll find plenty of Turkey’s traditional village life in Bodrum too, together with a wine industry undergoing a full-blown renaissance. If you have big bucks you’ll find plenty of upscale places to blow them, but there are also lots of bargains, from family-run pensions to low-key restaurants where the food is unforgettable. Here’s our pick of the best things to do in Bodrum.
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1. See some local villages
In today’s blingy Bodrum it can be easy to forget that, not too long ago, this was a quiet, undiscovered region of farmers and fishermen. Luckily, you don’t have to venture too far from your luxury sunlounger to find the authentic Bodrum. Join a tour to Etrim, a village where residents still live the nomadic lifestyle that was once common in this part of Turkey. You’ll see locals weaving the traditional kilim carpets, learn about the pastoral traditions of the region, and enjoy a lunch cooked in the authentic way with local ingredients.
2. Take a boat trip around the peninsula
Bodrum looks most impressive from the water — so book a boat tour to swoon over its surreal turquoise waters and peer into the coves along the rugged coastline. Popular destinations include Orak, an uninhabited island freckled with some pit-stop-perfect bars, bays and a lighthouse. Some packages include lunch or a barbecue, while other boats are set up for foam parties, so make sure you check exactly what’s on offer when you book. There are lots of operators and routes to choose from; haggle to get the best price or, if you are in a big group, consider hiring a private boat.
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3. Step back in time through the Myndos gate
In the eastern part of the modern city you’ll find the ruins of Halicarnassus, built in the 4th century BC and considered one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Its most famous landmark was the mausoleum of Halicarnassus; when it was destroyed by earthquakes in the 11th century, some of its stones were incorporated into the walls of Bodrum castle. The city was surrounded by walls for protection against the invaders and could be entered through two monumental gates; one of which, the Myndos gate, is still partly intact. Inside, you’ll find the foundations of the mausoleum.
4. Cruise down the Dalyan river
The emerald green Dalyan River winds its way from the scenic Koycegiz Lake to the sea, taking in ancient ruins, mud baths and natural beauty along the way. It’s a couple of hours’ drive from Bodrum but easily doable on a day trip, and there are lots of operators that will pick you up from town or your hotel. Most will give you time to slather yourself in the healing mud, and spend some time on Iztuzu beach, where the river meets the sea. If you’re lucky you might also spot some turtles.
5. Spot sea life and shipwrecks on a scuba dive
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There are dozens of dive sites around Bodrum with plenty of well-run schools that cater for everyone from pros to total beginners. The area under the sea is as striking as the town itself — there are several shipwrecks, a sunken plane, and caverns and reefs. Venture a little out of town and you can dive among sandbar sharks and the endangered Mediterranean monk seal at Gokova Bay. Most dives are packaged as day trips where you’ll be taken to two or three different sites, with lunch included.
6. Take a day trip to a Greek island
The Greek island of Kos is only a mile away across the water and you can reach there, and the nearby island of Rhodes, in a trip so quick and easy that locals on both sides regularly go for shopping or a day out. There are services from both Bodrum and Turgutreis, but check the times and book in advance in peak season — and remember that you’ll be crossing a border, so factor in the time needed for passport and visa checks.
7. Sample the wine at Karnas vineyards
Turkish viticulture has undergone a renaissance in recent years, with a growing number of vineyards opening up to the public. Karnas is a short distance from Bodrum town and offers the full wine-tasting and dining experience, set in an Instagram-worthy backdrop. The friendly owners will show you the cellars and explain how they produce their wine using traditional methods. Karnas’s zinfandel is the first to be planted in Turkey, and its syrah is award-winning; get your supplies at the onsite shop.
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8. Relax in the Karaada Hot Springs
Karaada — or Black Island — is a small outcrop close to Bodrum harbour where you’ll find a cave with mineral springs made for bath-warm dips. Like most thermal pools, it has a strong sulphurous smell, but a quick splash is said to do wonders for skin ailments. The only other thing on the island is a waterside restaurant where you can get a quick lunch before heading on. Many of Bodrum’s boat trips include Karaada in their itineraries — or you can find a private boat to take you out there.
9. Explore on horseback
Saddle up — there are few better ways to take in Bodrum’s beauty spots than on horseback. You’ll trek through olive groves, shallow rivers, pine forests and hills; some tours will take you down to the beach, too. There are several ranches in the area that keep well-trained and friendly horses, so you can hop in the stirrups for an adventure with them even if you don’t have any riding experience.
10. Sunbathe alongside the stars
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Bodrum is the place where Turkey’s most beautiful people spend their summers — and in recent years it has become a destination for the international elite, too. Some of the public beaches along the Bodrum peninsula are extremely ritzy, though those with serious money head to the resorts with private beaches. For everyone else, Yahsi has the best waters and Gumusluk the fanciest fish restaurants, while Torba is fringed by a stirring pine forest. If you’ve got kids, pack the buckets and spades for Bitez or Camel beach, where camel rides across the sand await.
11. Take a Segway tour through the hills
Part of Bodrum’s charm is its geography, with a wave of blue-and-white houses ranged over the hills around the harbour. However, these striking hills can also make walking here an effort — particularly in the hotter months. Instead, take a Segway tour to whizz around the smaller lanes and pathways and admire the town’s beauty from all angles. There are several operators in Bodrum and the local area that will provide you with a guide, short training and protective gear as part of the package.
12. See how a legend lived at the Zeki Muren Arts Museum
Zeki Muren was a true Turkish legend who started out a strait-laced, suited singer in the 1950s and evolved into a flamboyant, cross-dressing icon whose music still rings out everywhere in Turkey today. Bodrum was his adopted home, and when he died in 1996 the ministry of culture turned his house in the centre of town into a museum. Come to see a collection of his outfits, learn about his life and work, and find the house preserved exactly as it was when he lived here. His impressive drawings and paintings are also on display.
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13. Imagine you’re a crusader in Bodrum Castle
The Castle of St Peter, perched on a natural peninsula in Bodrum bay, dominates the town and was built in the 15th century by crusader knights from England, France, Italy and Germany, who each constructed one of its four towers. Soon after they had completed it, however, it was seized by the conquering Ottomans and converted into a mosque. Poke around its layers of history and drop in at the incorporated museum of underwater archaeology, which houses a collection of artefacts retrieved from shipwrecks around the coast.
• Best all-inclusive hotels in Bodrum
• Best all-inclusive hotels in Turkey
14. Climb up to the Bodrum windmills
The white windmills on the hilltops, built in the 18th century and still in use as late as the 1970s, are an unmistakable Bodrum landmark. The best known are the seven that line the ridge of the peak between Bodrum and Gumbet, and they are the perfect backdrop for pictures snapped at sunset or sunrise.
15. Browse the Saturday market at Turgutreis
Turgutreis is a sleepy little resort town at the end of the peninsula — only half an hour from Bodrum and well worth a visit. Do so on a Saturday when the centre comes alive with one of the best street markets in the area. Haggle over street food, fresh produce, handicrafts, clothes, textiles and trinkets — and be aware that, if you see cheap designer labels, they’re likely to be remarkably well-made fakes.
16. Spot the yachts at the marina
Every summer, some of the world’s most expensive superyachts moor up in and around Bodrum, while their owners enjoy a holiday in the peninsula’s most exclusive resorts. There are several glitzy marinas where you can enjoy a dinner at a high-end restaurant and marvel at the sheer displays of wealth in front of you. Milta Bodrum marina in the city centre, and Yalikavak, 12 miles outside town, are two of the most sumptuous in the area, and where you’ll also find plenty of stores selling designer clothes and jewellery.
17. Get lost in the old town
Bodrum’s old town is a maze of souvenir shops and fish restaurants, and makes for the perfect respite from the glaring sun, with narrow alleyways providing shade. Avoid the usual overpriced knick-knacks and look for leather sandals, soaps, and the cotton towels that Turks use in the hammam (known here as pestemal) — they will be locally made, high quality and extremely low in price.
18. Enjoy the local nightlife
Bodrum’s clubbing scene is one of the best in Turkey, with a huge range of venues attracting big-name performers in the summer. Choose your destination according to your tastes — the main drags in Bodrum town and Gumbet are aimed firmly at the young, package tourism market, with cheap drinks and loud music the main selling points. You’ll find a more sophisticated vibe in Turkbuku, where some of the clubs are so exclusive that if your name’s not on the list, you might not be getting in.
19. Sample some Michelin-starred food
Bodrum has long been known for its fine dining, but it wasn’t until October 2023 that the Michelin guide took note. The guide lists 19 restaurants in the area, but only two have received a star — Kitchen and Macakizi (located within the high-end hotel), both of which offer modern takes on Turkish cuisine. There are new places opening all the time, many of them run by the best chefs in Turkey, so don’t despair if you can’t get a table. And ask your server to recommend the best local wine to accompany your meal: Turkish vintners have really upped their game in the past few years.
20. Take a cooking class
If you’re determined to take some of Turkey’s flavours home with you (and who wouldn’t?), book yourself onto a course where you’ll learn how to make some of the classics, including meze (mixed platters that are served before your fish, and are generally doused in olive oil), kebab and baklava (no explanation needed). Courses range in length from one day to residential stays of up to a week, and many include a trip to the local farmers’ market to gather fresh ingredients before you get started. For those who really want to go back to basics, some schools also offer to take you olive harvesting.
21. Learn about Bodrum’s links with the sea at the Maritime Museum
This small, charming museum avoids the usual focus on naval history and instead features a collection of seashells, gathered by a local couple over the past 60 years and accompanied by scientific and cultural explainers, and exhibits on the local sponge-diving and boat-building industries. You’ll also find a fascinating section on the story of Cevat Sakir Kabaagacli: a dissident journalist who was exiled to Bodrum castle in 1925, realised the beauty of the then-unknown fishing village, and stayed there for the next three decades working as a writer, fisherman and guide.
bodrumdenizmuzesi.org
22. Catch an open-air film screening at Dibeklihan Culture Village
This Ottoman-era han, a complex arranged around a courtyard which once functioned as a resting place for traders and their camels as they travelled the Silk Route, now houses numerous independent artisans selling ceramics, silk scarves and rugs. Fuel up after shopping at one of several small cafés, and stay until the evening to see the open area transformed into a stage for concerts and exhibitions. From May to October, a film bar pops up and you can watch classics over a glass or two of vino.
dibeklihan.com
23. See the installations at ARThill
This museum exhibits the work of local artist Ender Guzey, much of which takes the form of impressive installations and performances set among its stirring surroundings. The building itself, a modernist cube that seems to float above the hillside, will also impress. Leave some room in your case before you visit — there’s a reasonably priced selection of ceramics decorated in his signature, runic style in the shop. Call ahead to check on upcoming events and opening hours.
arthill.org
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