Destination Bodrum
To see
Maussollos’ mausoleum
One of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Although there are very few people who know what the mausoleum really looked like, it is assumed that Skopas, the famous sculptor, was responsible for parts of the building’s decorations. It was without doubt extravagant. Today, visitors can only see the remains of the building’s walls. The ruins of the old theatre are close by. Address: above the marina.
Boat trips
Bodrum’s harbour is full of Gülets, traditional boats that visitors use for short or long trips along the beautiful coast. These boats are comfortable and have big rear decks and good cabins. Trips vary from one day to several days and the captain is usually the cook too. You can also hire a sailing boat and crew for day trips or take a so-called bathing boat to one of the beaches. There are small, shady bays everywhere, sometimes with simple cafés on the beach.
Didyma
You don’t need to be interested in ruins to visit an archaeological site. On the way, you will see the countryside and encounter small towns and villages that you would never have seen otherwise. Several kilometres from the Altinkum holiday resort, in Yenihisar, visitors will find Didyma, a beautiful temple dedicated to Apollo. Didyma was a religious place and the oracle there was just as famous as the oracle of Delphi. The temple was destroyed by the Persians in around 400 BC and the existing ruins date back to Roman times. Public transport: Dolmus or local bus; sometimes, there’s a boat from Bodrum as well.
Milas
Milas, situated some 50 km to the northeast of Bodrum, is an important carpet centre and Milas carpets are woven in soft tobacco colours. It is a pleasant, small town to stroll around, and the bazaar is a good place to shop. The prices are lower than in Bodrum. Public transport: Local bus or dolmus.
Beach life
The beaches on the Bodrum peninsula are ideal for diving and snorkelling. Most can be reached by ‘bathing boat’ or dolmus. Bagla, on the south coast, has beautiful sandy beaches, but windsurfers usually prefer Gümbet. On the west coast, you will find good beaches in Akyar, Turgutreis, Gümuslük and Yalikavak. There are small villages with fish restaurants and popular anchor places for seafarers. In the bay of Karaada, you will find caves with hot-water springs.
