Sports & nature

Bodrum: ’’the land of eternal blue’’, a stunning town both for its spectacular nature and variety of ruins with a history estimated to go back to the year 1000 BC. Bodrum is one of the magnificent bays of Muğla and among the most beautiful areas of the Aegean region. It offers different beauties to its visitors in every season.

Known as Halicarnassus in the ancient times, Bodrum has many ancient relics and sites left behind by the Romans, Byzantines and Ottomans. The year 353 BC was the most significant era in the history of the town when it was capital of the Caria region. Nevertheless, Bodrum still maintains its significance in the present day.

The Tomb of King Mausolus, one of the Seven Wonders of the World constructed within a time span of 100 years, is a popular open air museum.

Bodrum is shrouded in a dreamlike atmosphere with its castle located at the junction of the eastern and western ports, the cupolas and narrow streets and its famous white Bodrum houses lined up along the beautiful shore.

The holiday resort offers a wide range of natural sceneries such as a magnificent coast and beautiful bays where one can take refuge and enjoy the beauties of nature.

Bodrum, hot and dry during the summer and mild and rainy during the winter, is described by the famous poet Cevat Sakir the fisherman of Halicarnassus as a place “where one can live in peace instead of somewhere else resting in peace.”

Offering a variety of luxurious resorts and boutique hotels by the turquoise sea, Bodrum is a haven for visitors fond of history and entertainment all the year round.

Nightlife info

As soon as the sun sets in Bodrum, the sound of live music starts rising all over town. Often considered to be the nightlife capital of Turkey, Bodrum has enough discos and clubs on just one street - Cumhuriyet, nicknamed "Barstreet" - to keep the parties going late into the night and early into the morning.

Follow the crowds and flashing neon lights and you’ll arrive in Halicarnas, a nightclub to end all nightclubs. If you don't let the line of people waiting to get in and the steep cover price discourage you, you'll get to hobnob with Turkey’s young and beautiful as well as dance the night away (or at least until 3:30 in the morning, when the action starts to wind down.) Halicarnas also puts on a light show that you can enjoy from the outside.

Moored up just behind the castle is Club Catamaran,exactly what the name says- a huge boat that sails out at 01.00 returning just before dawn.You can dance the night away on the glass dance floor!

Near to the morring point is Club Hadigari a well known venue for many types of live music and a little more low key than the previous twpo clubs.

In addition to conventional nightclubs, the Turks have the meyhane , a place where yo ucan eat,drink,converse and generally make merry Turkish syle.. Going to a meyhane is like attending a concert, because crowds gather in front of the band and often start singing along. The Veli, among Bodrum's oldest bars, is one such place where you can hear a live band while sipping your drink.. The singers don’t arrive until midnight or later, so you may have to sacrifice sleep to truly appreciate this aspect of Bodrum.Many non Turks feel intimidated about going into these seemingly Turk only bastions but please don't be,everyone is made very welcome and even though you may not understand the words of the songs the cheery rhythms are guaranteed to get you up and dancing!

Along by the marina there are several well known and more upscale bar/restaurants where you can watch the Turkish jet set at play.Bodrum has bars to suit all ages and all tastes,whether you want high energy dance or just a low key laid back intimate drink.

Culture and history info

And there is history in Bodrum. Two meters under the narrow streets of Bodrum lies 5000 years of history. A few monuments attest to this history: the castle, the Myndus Gate, the Roman theatre and the Mausoleum.

Bodrum, known in ancient times as Halicarnassus, was the birthplace of Heredotus and the site of King Mausolus' Tomb, the Mausoleum (4th century B.C.), one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. In the harbour, the Bodrum Castle, or the medieval castle of St. Peter, is a fine example of 15th-century crusader architecture, and has been converted into the Museum of Underwater Archaeology, with remains dating as far back as the Bronze Age.

The town's charm is well-known, attracting a diverse population of vacationers who stroll along its long palm-lined waterfront, while elegant yachts crowd the marina. Not far from town, you can swim in absolutely clear, tideless, warm seas. Underwater divers, especially, will want to explore the numerous reefs, caves and majestic rock formations. The waters offering an immense variety of aquatic life.

Bodrum has gained the reputation as the center of the Turkish art community with its lively, friendly and Bohemian atmosphere and many small galleries. The evenings in Bodrum are for sitting idly in one of the many restaurants, dining on fresh seafood and other Aegean specialties. Afterwards night clubs (some with live music) and, of course, some of the best discos in Europe keep you going until dawn.

The boatyards of Bodrum have been famous since ancient times and today the craftsmen still make the traditional types of yacht: the pointed bow and stern (tirhandil) and the broad beamed and rounded stern (gulette). The latter, especially, is used for excursions and pleasure trips. The gulette is also used in the Bodrum Cup Race held every October.

There are daily ferries to the Greek island of Kos in summer, and a weekly hydrofoil to Rhodes between May and September. see ferry page

Bodrum also is South Aegean's prettiest resort for scuba diving, with a yacht harbour and a port for ferries. Bodrum has several dive centers that rent out equipment, arrange excursions and even provide diving lessons for the inexperienced individual, eager to try out this underwater sport. see activities.

A different spectacle in Bodrum is its marina, which is a busy place hosting elegant yachts that come from all parts of the world. Bodrum Cup, a unique race for wooden sailing yachts is held every 3rd week in October. The reputation of Bodrum's boatyards dates back to ancient times, and today, craftsmen still build the traditional yachts: the well known Bodrum Gulet

Bodrum is the one of the starting points for an unforgettable »Blue Cruise« (or 'Mavi Yolculuk'as it is called here) along the turquoise coast of the Gökova Gulf or down to Marmaris.

Shopping makes a delight in Bodrum. Leather goods of all kinds, natural sponges and the local blue glass beads (the Boncuk) are among the bargains to be found in the friendly little shops along the narrow, white-walled streets. Charming boutiques offer kilims, carpets, sandals and embroidery as well as original fashions.