Bodrum

BODRUM – WHY GO?

Set at the heart of Turkey’s Turquoise coast, Bodrum is just the place for a chillout holiday. Clear seas, pretty fishing villages and 300 days a year of sunshine make the Bodrum peninsula a holiday hotspot.

MUST DO, MUST SEE

Beach life
Beach bums should head along the coast to Gumbet or Bitez, where there’s also great windsurfing.

Ephesus
A two-hour drive from Bodrum, the 2,000 year old ruins of Ephesus are an astonishing throwback to early Roman civilisation.

Pools and waterfalls
Swim in warm Cleopatra’s pool and see the famous calcified waterfalls at this spectacular heritage site, three hours from Bodrum.

Fishing villages
The bays of the Bodrum peninsula have a number of pretty villages easily reached by boat or bus . Make time for an al fresco fish lunch at sleepy Gümüslük.

Nightlife
There’s plenty of bar-hopping to be done in Bodrum, and lots of good eateries along Restaurant Alley. You’ll also find one of Europe’s biggest open air nightclubs in town.

Shops
Stock up with everything from a fake Rolex to a Turkish carpet in Bodrum’s bustling pedestrianised shopping streets.

Greek island daytrips
Leave Turkey behind and hop on a ferry or hydrofoil to the islands of Kos or Rhodes for the day.

Historic Bodrum
Take in the stunning sea views from the top sights: St Peter’s Castle or Bodrum’s hillside amphitheatre.

MAKE A DATE

May
Get in the saddle for Bodrum’s Bicycle Festival, which culminates in live music, shows and dancing along the quayside.

October
See scores of wooden sailing yachts from all over the world participate in the Bodrum Cup Yacht Regatta.

BODRUM ROMANCE
Go cruising: drift along the coast on a traditional wooden gulet, dropping anchor in a quiet cove for a (possibly skinny) dip.