Bodrum Peninsula Holiday Villas Turkey

About the area

Bodrum and its surrounding towns and villages are situated on a Peninsular.  The Aegean Coast is one of the most chic and popular holiday resorts in Turkey, its charm resides in its blend of relaxed Mediterranean atmosphere with its lush greenery and high mountains, ancient historical sites and its proximity to many fantastic beaches, quaint sleepy fishing villages and trendy nightclubs. All of which combine to ensure the Bodrum Peninsula is a great place to holiday. 

All over the Bodrum Peninsula are many wonderful towns, villages and attractions lending themselves to day trips. An abundance of day trips are available all summer long such as the boat trips Greek Island of Kos and Rhodes along with the Dalyan & Mud baths / Bodrum Aqua Park / Scuba Diving  / Jeep safari / Fishing Trips / Swimming with Dolphins / Ephesus  / Pamukkale .

A trip to Turkey would not be complete without a visit to a local market where bargaining is expected and tasting the local foods, indulging in a glass of the famous Raki known as ‘Cow’s milk’ is a must.

Whether its lazing by the pool, partaking in watersports, visiting historical sites, shopping, dining out or partying till the small hours Bodrum Peninsula has something to offer everyone of all ages.

The one sight which is seen for miles around is the stunning Castle of St Peter. This sits in the middle of the town and dates from the 15th century, it is home to the excellent Museum of Underwater Archaeology - a must see.

There is an unbelievable huge indoor market which is home to the largest array of fresh products I have ever seen! Fruits and vegetables straight from the farms, spices and leather goods fill the senses. If your feeling nostalgic whilst on holiday, opposite the Marina near the Yacht Club you will even find a Marks and Spencer store!

The town's main street is lined with bars, English-style pubs and sports bars so you could even indulge in a good old-fashioned pub crawl. There are good Latin American-themed bars too, if you fancy a bit of a salsa.The largest floating nightclub ‘The Catamaran’ ‘leaves from the marina each night and heads out into the bay to party

You will be spoilt for choice. If you fancy getting stuck into some Turkish food, try vine leaves stuffed with vegetables, roast meat kebabs and tasty kofte, meatballs of minced lamb seasoned with spices, served with rice and salad. Turkish pizza (pideci) is very tasty.

Along the front of the Marina you will find the fishermen selling their vast array of freshly caught sea food at give away prices - haggle with them, it is expected! Gumbet district 'smudges' into Bodrum and is filled with bars, nightclubs, shops and restaurants many open until the early hours.

Bodrum is one of the top destinations in Turkey for night-life. When you have finished promenading around the Marina or going from bar to bar, there is still plenty to do. For some people it is the freedom to stay up all night that makes their holiday, here that is a matter of fact.

Nearby Gumbet is a fantastic option for a good disco and the partying often continues until dawn. The club with undoubtedly the biggest and noisiest reputation is Halikarnas, perched on the edge of the bay. You need never visit the same club twice even if staying for 14 nights.

Dolmus

The Dolmus (dolmush) is typically Turkish and can be found everywhere. These are mainly minibuses travelling relatively short distances. A dolmus usually waits and starts in the bus station until it is full and then leaves. You can board a dolmus anywhere on its route by signalling it to stop for you. Similarly you can get off at a convenient point anywhere along the route. The destination of the dolmus is posted in the windscreen. There are services to all places on the Bedroom peninsula. In summer the latest hour of departure of the minibuses or dolmus is 24.00. This kind of public transport is cheap and efficient and works very well all over Turkey.

Market day in Bodrum

Every Tuesday there is a cloth market and every Friday, there is a market with fruit and vegetables in Bodrum. Traders and farmers come to Bodrum to sell their produce. This ranges from all kinds of fruits and vegetables to imitation Rolex watches and items of clothing. It is well worth a visit and you should try to bargain before buying anything

National holidays

Official holidays are:
January 1st - New Year's Day
April 23rd - Children's Day
May 19th - Day of Youth and Sport
August 30th Victory Day.
October 29th Republic Day

Tipping

The service on bills is not specially indicated in hotels or restaurants, you should calculate 5 to 10%. In some of the existing travel guides the amount of 15% is recommended - (living here) this we found to high. Of course as for every service, tipping is expected and the salaries are very low in Turkey, so many people are dependent on this sort of extra income. In general - like everywhere all over the world: the right tipping can open doors - so it does in Turkey.

Drinking water

Water from the tap is mainly water for use, like for washing, you should not drink it. To have drinking water -we recommend the mineral water in those plastic bottles. This water has an outstandingly good quality all over Turkey.