Bodrum

Bodrum, Turkey Bodrum, some 270 kilometers south of Izmir, is the most popular holiday destination on the Aegean coast of Turkey, both with Turks and foreign holiday-makers. It is easily accessed from Bodrum's Milas airport and its marina, which makes it the place to be during the summer season. You'll find Bodrum to be more expensive, but superior, to resorts such as Kusadasi or Marmaris. Bodrum is a place both for the rich with their yachts as well as the package vacation or charter-flight traveler, there is something there for everyone.

The heart of the Bodrum surrounds its harbor, where shops, bars and restaurants jostle together in narrow streets under the shadow of the Castle of Saint Peter. The main street in Bodrum is Cumhuriyet Caddesi (Republic Street), even better known as "Bar Street," for reasons you can easily imagine. This street is a pedestrianized showcase of what Bodrum has to offer. Shopkeepers there can make you a pair of snugly fitting leather sandals in the traditional Aegean style, while small boutiques offer creations inspired by local designs and fabrics. Mainstream Turkish fashions are well represented, with clothes designed for hot summers. Souvenir shops sell onyx, copper and brass ware, along with toy camels and slippers. Cafes and restaurants offer a cosmopolitan choice.

Within easy reach by dolmus (a shared taxi), you can visit picturesque villages on the peninsula all with a distinct character of their own. The remaining sections of Bodrum's town walls, which are a remarkable example of ancient Western Anatolian architecture, have undergone major restoration. The town walls began west of the harbor and encircled the ancient town of Halicarnassus, renowned for its mausoleum, which is one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Unfortunately, a massive building spree which began in the 1970s had severely damaged the walls.

How to Get to Bodrum

By Air

Bodrum's Milas Airport is 35 kilometers from Bodrum's city center. If you're flying with Turk Hava Yolari (Turkish Airlines, or THY), they provide a courtesy bus to and from Bodrum Milas Airport and their office in city center. Your hotel may also provide airport transfers for free, or for a fee. A taxi will cost somewhere around 40 TL.

By Bus

The otogar, or bus station, is on Cevat Sakir Caddesi, which is the main road running north to south through the center of Bodrum, running between the otogar and the castle and ferry port. You can take a bus to Bodrum from just about any city in Turkey, since Turkey's inter-city bus companies provide regular service to Bodrum. From the otogar, you can take a taxi, or dolmus (shared taxi) into town. In Bodrum, the bus company offices are typically located on Neyzen Tevfik Caddesi, along the harbor waterfront.

By Ferry

Ferries depart for Bodrum from Marmaris, Datca, Dalyan, Kos, and Rhodes. The ferries dock at the feribot iskalesi (ferry port) on the west side of the castle. The tourism information office is just across from the ferry terminal.

Driving and Getting Around in Bodrum

There are a lot of one-ways streets in Bodrum. When you drive into Bodrum on the main Cevat Sakir Caddesi, drive down to the castle and turn right onto the main harbor road (Neyzen Tevfik Caddesi), which is one-way. to get back to where you came from, you have to take another right onto one of the connecting streets to get up to Turgutreis Caddesi. Finding a free parking space might present a problem, but avoid parking illegally, since trucks make regular patrols to impound illegally-parked vehicles, taking them to a compound where you will have to go and pay a fine to retrieve your car. Paid parking is abundant, and the Tansas shopping center has a free car park for anyone who shops there. One suggestion might be to find a hotel with free parking, then take a taxi to your destination, since taxies are both abundant and cheap by European standards.

Cevat Sakir Caddesi is the main road in the city, running north to south, perpendicular to the shore. It extends from the castle to the otogar (bus station), and roughly divides the town in two. On the west side is the harbor area, with its nice hotels, restaurants and marina, and on the East side is, well, party town. The pedestrianized main bazaar is just north (inland) from the castle.

To the east of the castle, along the shore line is a coastal road, called Uzunyol (or "long street"). This is where you'll find Bodrum's main beach. While not pristine and quite crowded in the Summer, it's a convenient place to go when you don't want to stray far from the main center of Bodrum.

Hotels

Most of the hotels may be found on Menekse Sokak, which is one street inland from the main harbor road, and on Turkkuyusu Caddesi, which joins with the Belediye Meydani (municipal square) where the Belediye, or main municipal building, is located. You can book a hotel here Bodrum hotels.

Restaurants

Typically eating in Bodrum is more expensive than some of the other resorts along the Aegean, since Bodrum attracts a rather rich clientele from Istanbul and the yacht crowd. Restaurants along the waterfront are more expensive than those inland. West of the castle, along the harbor, lie the more upscale restaurants, with high-quality food and a price to match.

On the east side of the castle, you'll find more expensive places along the seaside, and less expensive ones farther inland. There's a type of cuisine to suit every taste, including Chinese, Mexican, Tai, Indian, and Italian. Some restaurants offer a mix of all of these cuisines.

In the Bazaar, look for Meyhaneler Caddesi, where you'll find traditional Turkish lokantas offering Turkish cuisine. You'll find live music in many of the restaurants in Bodrum. Restaurants called meyhanes began as simple places for eating and drinking, but today are very popular with Turks as a place to listen to their favorite singers and musicians. During the music shows, it's traditional for the customers to join the singer in sing the songs together. Dancing is also done, wherever you can find a place to stand. Eating, drinking, and enjoying yourself are what it's all about in a meyhane. To accompany your meal, try the light aniseed flavored national drink Raki or locally produced wine.

As with most resorts popular with Europeans and Brits, you'll find ample touristy British restaurants serving more more inexpensive food as well.

Nightlife

Bodrum is world-famous for its night life, ranked second only to Istanbul. It has more bars per square meter than any other city in Turkey, offering an atmosphere to suit any taste. So you won't be lacking for places to party here. Most of the drinking establishments are along Alim Bey Caddesi on the sea side, having access to the beach as part of the experience. They're mostly seasonal, expensive, and packed during the summer. Some will have a cover charge.

The Halikarnas Disco is the most famous night club in Turkey, and well know throughout the world. It's an absolutely huge open-air disco on the sea, with a 5,000 person capacity, on Cumhuriyet Caddesi. The Halikarnas Disco offers some of the best DJs from around Europe, shows, and laser shows which will dazzle you until the early morning hours. Proper dress is required, and their is a cover charge. You can check out their website for the latest happenings at www.halikarnas.com.tr, or call them at 0252 316 8000.

Club Bodrum is a nightclub ont he sea, with a 2,000 person capacity catamaran which departs nightly at 1:00 AM for a four hour dance and party cruise. Get your tickets in advance during the high season.

Tourist Office

The tourist office is at Iskele Meydani, also known as Baris Meydani, near the castle, across from the Iskele (ferry port). It is open from May to September, from 8:00 AM to 5:30 PM.

Things to See and Do in Bodrum

Kale Caddesi

Kale Caddesi is a pedestrianized street near the castle, borders the main bazaar, a nice place for a stroll to see the local sites and the castle.

The Market

Located near the Tansas Shopping Center near the otogar (bus station), sells produce on Thursdays and Fridays, and clothing on Tuesdays.

The Mausoleum

The Mausoleum, or what's left of it, is on Turgutreis Caddesi, which is the second main street inland from the harbor, running parallel to the shore line. When the mausoleum was built, it measured 39x33 meters, and consisted of a colonnade with a pyramidal roof adorned with a chariot, friezes depicting King Mausolus and Artemesia. The Knights of Saint John cannibalized the mausoleum to build the castle, but thankfully saved the reliefs to use as decoration on the inside of the castle. The roof and reliefs were later taken to the British museum. The mausoleum is open Tuesday to Sunday, from 8:00 AM to Noon, and from 1:00 PM to 5:30 PM.

The Castle of Saint Peter

The main landmark of Bodrum is its castle, which is illuminated at night, providing a lovely view as well as a landmark to see where you are. It now hosts the Museum of Underwater Archaeology, where you'll find a collection of finds from ancient shipwrecks in the area.

The castle was created by the Knights of Saint John, who were headquarter at the Greek Island of Rhodes. When the knights came to Halicarnassos, they found a small Selcuk fortress and built atop it, finally completing the first version of it in 1437. After that, more fortifications were added on the landward side, since because of their sizable fleet, they didn't feel the need to expect a successful invasion by sea. The castle was finally completed in 1437.

When Suleyman the Magnificent captured Rhodes, the knights were cut off, and they abandoned the castle, and until the 1800s, it was neglected. In the 1800s the chapel in the castle was converted to a mosque, and other parts were used as a prison and a haman (Turkish bath). The Bodrum castle finally became a museum in the 1960s.

The Ancient Theater

North (inland) of town, along the ring road called Kibris Sehitler Caddesi is the ancient theater, which has been restored and is now used for concerts and various events, especially during the Bodrum festival.

Bodrum Festival

Held in early September, the Bodrum festival features music and arts in central Bodrum, mostly centering on the castle. Numerous events, parades, exhibitions, and live concerts are held during this time. Check with the tourism information office for details.