WELCOME TO BODRUM

Bodrum where tourists from all over the world flock into particularly in the summer is an indespensable centre for entertainment addicts.

BodrumGuide.com's aim is to provide information for the tourists coming to Bodrum Peninsula. In our site, you may explore the history, museums, beaches, landmarks, nightlife, events, blue cruise, hotels, restaurants and many other places. Also you will find out answers for this questions: "How to get to Bodrum", "Where to visit in Bodrum", "What to eat in Bodrum".

Some landmarks, museums, hotels, restaurants and other places in our site have their 360 degree panoramic photos which allows you explore the place as if you are there turning and looking around yourself. We hope you will enjoy exploring Bodrum with us. Your feedback will help improve our site. Thank you for being in our site.

ABOUT BODRUM

There are only a few cities in the world boasting a history of 5000 years comprising traces from numerous civilizations and standing out as a bridge extending from the past to the present. Throughout history of Bodrum, known as Halicarnassos in ancient times, has always been fought over and people have been unwilling to share its beauty with others. Homer, who is the purported author of the Ancient Greek poems the Iliad and the Odyssey, describes Bodrum as "The land of eternal blue".

Bodrum, hosting the Mousoleium which is one of the Seven Wonders of the World does not attracts tourists due to the sunny beaches, renowned nightlife and blue tour but with cultural tourism as well. Built on a peninsula, Bodrum, with its quite narrow streets winding down to the sea, is famous for its castle, amphitheatre, windmills, world-renowned gulets and the white painted houses.

Bodrum, has the all facilities to meet the expectations of tourists from all income levels. You will enjoy wandering around the white houses in Bodrum's narrow streets, swimming in the deep blue and purely clean sea and having fun at the resplendent nights full of entertainment and music.

Bodrum is one of the most beautiful cosmopolitan and sophisticated holiday resort in Turkey. At any time of the day and night, there is always something going on here.

Bodrum is subject to the Mediterranean climate and the weather is always temperate. The average temperature for winters is 15°C, and for summers is 30°C. However, the level of humidity is not high. Precipitation occurs mainly in winter and spring.

The population of peninsula in winter off-season is about 120 thousand, with about 32 thousand in Bodrum Town. In summer season population reaches to 700 thousand. The centre of the district and resorts in environs such as Turgutreis, Gümüşlük, Yalıkavak, Gündoğan, Göltürkbükü, Torba, Yalıçiftlik, Gümbet, Bitez and Ortakent, famous for their sandy beaches, Bodrum's natural beauty as well as its typical white houses with blue framed windows, enchant every visitor.

Located on the Mediterranean coast of Turkey, Bodrum gets a solid 300 days of sunshine per year, giving it a very long season, and even better the resort areas are alive all year round. Would you like to have a property in this beautiful place? Please go to PROPERTY section.

WHERE IS BODRUM?

Turkey (Turkish: Türkiye), known officially as the Republic of Turkey (Türkiye Cumhuriyeti), is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia (mostly in the Anatolian Peninsula) and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe. Turkey is a democratic, secular, unitary, constitutional republic with an ancient cultural heritage.

Bodrum is located at the soutwest tip of Turkey (the western part of Muğla Province) and, with the peninsula, covers an area of 680 km2. Surrounded by Milas from northeastern and Aegean Sea from northwest, west and south directions. Bodrum located as a peninsula between the Güllük Gulf from northern part and Gökova Gulf from south. Soils of Bodrum mostly uneven especially coasts are indented and outdented. Yaran and Pazar mountains shapes the rugged land of Bodrum. Coast line of the Bodrum district is 86 sea miles.

ARRIVING IN BODRUM

By Air

There is an international airport 30 km. away from Bodrum and many airlines operate charter flights to Bodrum in summer season. Besides, Turkish Airlines flight to Bodrum from many countries via Istanbul.

Airport Tel: 02525230101

There are also Dalaman and Izmir Airports which are 3 hours far away from Bodrum.

Airport Transfers

After arriving at Bodrum Airport, there are regular bus services (HAVAS) and taxis taking 35 minutes from the airport to Bodrum city center. If you want to be picked up from airport with a private car, there are several companies for airport transfers.

Turkish Flight Companies

Turkish Airlines   Atlas Jet   Onur Air   Pegasus Airlines

By the Sea

Bodrum is reached by sea from Cos and Rhodes (Greek Islands). Daily ferryboat and hydrofoil services from/to Cos and Rhodes to/from Bodrum are available during the summer season. There are also connections to Knidos, Didim and Dalyan. The ferryboats and sea-buses all leave from the main harbor.

Bodrum - Cos is approx. 1 hour by ferry; 20 minutes by hydrofoil. Bodrum - Rhodes is approx. 2 hours and 15 minutes by hydrofoil.

Bodrum Ferryboat Agency: 02523160882 - Bodrum Express (Sea Bus): 02523161087

By Road

There are many intercity bus companies in Turkey which operate bus services to/from Bodrum from/to major cities of Turkey such as Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, Adana, Bursa, Konya ,etc... Bus terminal is located in the city center. Bus Station Tel: 02523162637

By bus; Istanbul - Bodrum takes 13 hours, Izmir - Bodrum takes 4 hours and Ankara - Bodrum takes 10 hours.

Some of Intercity Bus Companies

Varan   Metro   Ulusoy   Kamil Koc   Pamukkale

HOTELS IN BODRUM

Bodrum has numerous options in the way of accommodation facilities, being able to cater for very different budgets and tastes. It has a total capacity of 80 thousand beds and some 600 accommodation facilities, with Holiday Resorts, various quality Hotels, Catered Apartments, Villas and Pensions.

Of these, about 200 facilities, with a total of about 37 thousand beds, have the Tourism Ministry classification certificate. Other facilities run by municipalities and under license from the office of the governor also are of good quality.

There are more than 20 "five star hotels" in Bodrum Peninsula such as; Rixos, Baia, Agean Dream, Club Blue Dreams, Diamond of Bodrum, Karia Princess, Kefaluka... You may compare "best hotel prices" in Bodrum.

NIGHTLIFE IN BODRUM

The nightlife in Bodrum is something special. People who live in Turkey will say that Bodrum has more bars per area than any other places in Turkey. Bodrum nights begins just before sunset. There are a number of clubs that offer live music, either jazz or Turkish folk music.

Intimate seaside cafes, with magnificent views of the illuminated Castle mingle with busy, energetic streetside bars featuring the latest music. Some hotels arrange Turkish Nights, where local musicians play the "zurna" (similar to flute) and the "saz" (similar to a guitar) in accompaniment to belly dancers swaying between tables.

You can listen to most famous singers of Turkey who often give concerts at the Bodrum Castle or at the Ancient Theatre of Bodrum. In addition to these concerts, popular singers of Turkey have shows at various well known night clubs in Bodrum.

Bodrum is famous throughout the world for it's noisy and vibrant nightlife! If you don’t experience the Bodrum nights, there’s no way you can say you’ve been there.

RESTAURANTS IN BODRUM

There is a wide variety to eat delicious food in Bodrum. You can taste various popular cuisines here. You'll be offered Chinese, Italian, Mexican, Thai and European cooking and Turkish food from simple meals to gourmet feasts.

Dining in Turkey is lighthearted, lingering and can last hours. Bodrum restaurants offer everything from traditional Turkish cuisine to contemporary Western to everything in between. Dinner usually begins with drinks, followed by "meze" Turkish starters or hors d'oeuvres and then progresses through entree to desert, usually fresh fruit in the summer season. Each course, of course punctuated by liberal doses of Raki.

There are many places serving Turkish food, and you can find shish kebab, döner and pide on every corner in Bodrum, it is highly recommended to taste fish and seafood, particularly octopus, calamari and squid.

BEACHES IN BODRUM

Bodrum is located on one of the prettiest peninsulas of southwestern Turkey. It has numerous bays and coves around the Bodrum Peninsula; Bitez, Göltürkbükü, Gümbet, Gümüşlük, Gündoğan, Kadıkalesi, Ortakent, Torba, Turgutreis and Yalıkavak beaches are all clean to swim.

Bodrum is not only entertainment, art activities, history or geography. If you don't think that holiday is not only sunbathing all day while lying on the beach, listening sound of waves, diving into the cool waters whenever you want and idling all day long... If you are addicted to sports and sea, want to fly over the waves, to hoist sails, Bodrum is a Godsent blessing...

You can go to Bitez or Gümbet for surfing, sailing and parasailing. Beach Clubs are all over the peninsula waiting for you.

HISTORY OF BODRUM

Bodrum, the ancient Halicarnassus that was portrayed by Homer as "the heaven of eternal blue land", is situated at the intersection of Anatolian and Greek civilisations. Myths say it is the lanf of gods and goddesses, and the archaeological finds of various civilizations have indicated that the history of the region extends well beyond five millennia. As one of the most important colonies of the Caria in the antiquity, it was the land that gave the world such key historical figures such as Herodotus, renowned as the father of all historiographers, and Artemisia I, who is regarded as the first fighting female admiral.

By the 6th Century BC, Halicarnassus had fallen under the Lydian and then the Persian rule and it reached its zenith when it became the capital of Caria in 353 BC. During his 24-year- rule, King Mausolus started building his own tomb, which is regarded as one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Today only its foundations are visible. After the death of the King the magificent Mausoleum was completed by his sister and wife Artemisia II.

After the death of Alexander the Great, the region was ruled by the Ptolemaic and Seleucid empires respectively. After it entered under the domination of Rhodes, it was declared free by the Romans. However with the foundation of Anatolian-Asia Province by the Romans as the inheritors of Kingdom of Pergamum in 133 BC, Caria was also included within the territories of the region. The Roman Empire split in two in 395 AD, and Caria came under Byzantine rule. Following acceptance of Christianity as the official religion in 324 AD, it became a Diocese under the Archbishop of Aphrodisias. In 1071, the Great Seljuk Empire took the city and ruled it until 1402 when the unity in Anatolia broke up and Halicarnassus was transferred to the Knights Hospitaller of Rhodes. When Rhodes was conquered by the Süleyman the Magnificient in 1523, Halicarnassus became part of the Ottoman Empire. During the First World War, Bodrum was occupied by the Italians, and it was recovered by Turkey in 1921.

MUSEUMS AND ANCIENT SITES IN BODRUM

The Bodrum Castle

You can start your sightseeing at Bodrum Castle which has become a symbol of the region.

Built by the Knights of Rhodes during the Crusades of the Middle Ages, it was given the name The Castle of St. Petrus, or Petronium. It was built partly from the remains of the Mausoleum of Mausolus which had collapsed as the result of an earthquake. It has five towers known as the Italian Tower, the French tower, the German tower, the English tower and the Snake tower. No visitor should miss Bodrum Castle. More

Bodrum Museum of Underwater Archeology

Visitors to Bodrum should start with the castle of Knights of John, which is great witness to amazing history of the castle. Thanks to efforts of Turkish and foreign scholars who carried out successful archeological digs both on land and at sea, the castle is turned into one of the greatest Underwater Archeology museums of the world. The museum starts an Amphora Park where visitors enjoy various types of amphorae coming from famous wine producing centers of the world. More

Mausoleum

Mausoleum was one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Dimensions were 32 meters by 38 meters and it rose from an area which dimensions were 105 meters by 242,5 meters. Mausoleum was made up of four parts. There was a large platform from which 36 ionic columns rose to form a temple. The roof was shaped like a pyramid with 24 steps and over the roof there was a carriage drawn by four horses. In the carriage were statues of Mausolos and Artemisia. The word "Mausoleum" came to be used in several western languages to mean any important monument or tomb. Today only its foundations are visible. More

Bodrum Maritime Museum

Maritime history of Bodrum has its own dedicated museum which displays meticulously prepared models of the boats that were used for sponge diving, fishing and transportation. The upper floor of the museum is home to a rich collection of seashells collected by Hasan Güleşçi over 40 years from all over the world. Bringing together up to 4000 shells from 125 family, this striking collection further emphasizes Bodrum's vital relationship with the sea. More

Myndos Gate

The Myndos Gate is one of the witnesses for the great history of Halicarnasus.This impressive gate which faced to Myndos City was built during the reign of King Mausolos. It was the scene for one of the greatest bloodiest battles during the siege Alexander the Great. After he liberated many cities from the Persian domination, he had strong resistance of Persians at Halicarnasus. Alexander placed his wooden towers and catapults facing to Myndos gate. More

The Bodrum Antique Theatre

The only monumental structure which has come down to our day from Classical Age is the theatre. The Bodrum Antique Theatre which dates from the reign of King Mausolus, is one of the oldest theatres in Anatolia. The theater of ancient Halicarnassus has recently been excavated and restored. It is located in the Bodrum - Turgutreis road. It has an audience capacity of 13,000 seats. The stage area has been uncovered and the seats have been restored. Today, The Bodrum Antique Theatre hosts many concerts, dance and shows in July and August. More

Zeki Müren Museum

Zeki Müren (1931–1996) was a famous Turkish singer, composer and actor. He was famous for singing both Turkish classical music and contemporary songs. His last home in Bodrum is a museum now. More

Museum Hours

All museums in Turkey are closed on Mondays.
Bodrum Castle and Underwater Museum Opening Hours: 08:30-12:00 and 13:30-17:30
Mausoleum Opening Hours: 08:30-12:00 and 13:30-17:30
Theatre and Myndos Gate open 24 hours

BLUE CRUISE IN BODRUM

Going on a Blue Cruise, is the best way to spend your holidays in Turkey. The peace and tranquility of this unspoilt coastline is what makes this part the jewel of the Mediterranean for sea lovers, relax in the splendour of nature and history and savour excellent fresh cuisine.

Gulet cruising is ideal for couples, friends and families, or for groups who may wish to charter a whole boat on a sole occupancy. Boats which pull up anchor in Bodrum and head for Gökova will soon discover the ultimate harmony of green and blue and the beauties which lie under the crystal clear waters.

How about meeting with underwater and discovering a new world? Do not put off this extraordinary experience. There are many companies and diving schools in Bodrum.

USEFUL INFO FOR BODRUM

Coordinates: 37°02'N 27°26'E
Country: Turkey
Region: Aegean
Province: Muğla
Mayor: Mehmet Kocadon
Population (2010) total: 118,237
Time zone: EET (UTC+2)
Summer (DST): EEST (UTC+3)
Postal code: 48400
Licence plate: 48
Electricity: 220 V.

Telephones and Post Office

Post office in Bodrum (located on Cevat Sakir Street) open 7 days a week, 24 hours a day. There are post office agencies in villages. There are many telephone booths which operate with telephone cards. These can be bought at post offices.
International code for Turkey is 90,
The Area code for Bodrum (and Mugla Province) is 252
For a local call: just dial the number
Trunk call: dial 0, then the area code and the number
International call: dial 00, then the country code, area code and the number.

Tourist Information

Tel: 02523161091 Open seven days a week from 09:00 to 18:00

Banks and Change Offices

Banks are open Monday to Friday from 09:00 to 17:00. Change offices are open 7 days a week from 10:00 to 23:00. Exchange rates change daily and can be learned from newspapers, banks, change offices and post offices.

Traffic

In Turkey traffic drives on the right. Road signs are international. Where there are no posted speed limits, legal speed limit is 50 km. per hour in towns and village, 90 km. per hour on the highways. Seat belts are compulsory and drivers may not use mobile phones while driving.

City Transport

Minibus (Dolmus in Turkish) services to all villages and beaches leave from bus station which is located on Cevat Sakir Street. You can board at bus station or anywhere along the route by signalling it to stop for you. Similarly you can get off at a convenient point anywhere along the route. Minibus (Dolmus) transport is cheap, efficient and regular.

Local Markets

Shopping in local markets is very entertaining and a different experience. You can find there fresh fruits and local vegetables, textiles and embroideries. Market days are as follows:
Bodrum: Thursday and Friday for food / Tuesday for textiles
Gümbet: Sunday
Bitez: Thursday
Ortakent: Wednesday
Yalıkavak: Thursday
Turgutreis: Saturday
Türkbükü: Monday

Hospitals and Medical Centers in Bodrum

Bodrum State Hospital: 02523131420
Bodrum Private Hospital: 02523136566
Universal Private Hospital: 02523191515
Medicare: 02523167051
Karia Medical Center: 02523136233
Oralmed: 02523167950
Vital Med: 02523165107

United Kingdom Consular Office in Bodrum

Tel: 02523170093 - 94 / Fax: 02523170095

Notable people of Bodrum

Herodotus: Ancient Greek historian
Mausolus: Carian ruler
Artemisia I: First female admiral in the world.
Artemisia II: Carian ruler
Dionysius: Ancient Greek historian and teacher of rhetoric in the Roman period
Turgut Reis: Ottoman Turkish admiral
Cevat Şakir Kabaağaçlı: Turkish writer born in Istanbul, resident of Bodrum for decades and a symbol for the town
Neyzen Tevfik: Turkish ney virtuoso and pundit
Zeki Müren: Turkish singer born in Bursa, resident of Bodrum for decades and a symbol for the town