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Top 10 off the beaten track Bodrum

8th June 2015 Print
Bodrum

Journey Anatolia's founder, and former film-maker, Serkan Cetin gives his personal low down on the top 10 things to do on the Bodrum peninsula. Presenting the wonders of Turkey with an emphasis on responsible tourism, Serkan's Journey Anatolia offers holidays around the country with an emphasis on getting to know the culture first-hand and exploring some off-the-beaten-track destinations. 

Bodrum is alive with bars, restaurants and bustling market stalls. Here you can get lost in time bargaining for virtually anything from exotic spices to silk carpets. In contrast to this hive of activity are the many sheltered anchorages cleft deep into the mountainous coastline. Explore and discover small fishing villages, farming settlements and hidden coves where simple wooden jetties are the watermark of cheerful easy-going restaurants.

Serkan's top 10 things to do on the Bodrum peninsula …

Explore Bodrum's fascinating Crusader castle and the world of ancient mariners shipwrecked on Anatolian shores at its Museum of Underwater Archaeology. Here you can also see the remains of the oldest-known sunken ship in the world.

Get into the groove at the SunSplash Festival, Turkey’s most intimate music festival, on 21-28 June. Aspat Beach, a beautiful, palm tree-fringed bay on the Mediterranean will shimmer and sparkle to the sounds of top international artists at a festival catering for all. sunsplash-festival.com

Enjoy the wonderful harbour village ambience of Gumusluk with its charming flower-bedecked houses. One of the oldest settlements on the Bodrum peninsula it stands on the site of the ancient Carian city of Myndos. The pretty bay provides a natural harbour for yachts and local fishing boats and the waterfront restaurants enjoy a reputation for excellent fresh fish.

Sip a cocktail while admiring the sunset and the glorious views at the quirky bar at Limon Restaurant in the fishing hamlet of Gumusluk.

Take a stroll around the ancient ruins of Pedasa, the capital of the Lelegs, the people who originally settled the Bodrum peninsula but about whom very little is known. The site has been newly opened and offers great views of the peninsula. 

Get off dry ground by taking a day boat excursion around the coast to visit the area's hidden, enticing bays and have a swim and snorkel in the crystal clear waters. You'll also have the opportunity to take in panoramic views of Bodrum's coastline.

Have lunch at Kismet Restaurant in Konacik where local cuisine is prepared to impeccable standards and with the finest ingredients. Choose from a selection of traditional hot dishes on display with the option of zeytinyagli dishes (vegetables cooked in olive oil) for vegetarians.

Dine at Musto, a great local hangout on the waterfront of Bodrum town with good bistro food and classy ambience – open all year. The food is great but the real treat is the friendly service and the amazingly affordable wine list. 

Saunter around Yalikavak, the St Tropez of Bodrum, to gasp at the millionaires' yachts and see how the other half live. A charming town on the northwestern corner of the Bodrum peninsula, there is a white sandy beach and fish restaurants along the harbour.

Enjoy a different beach every day of the week! Bodrum has a number of good beaches and beach clubs to choose from with the best beaches at Bitez, Gumbet, Gundogan, Ortakent and Turgutreis and uber-cool beach clubs including Bobeach Bodrum, Billionaire Club Bodrum and Ottoflamm.

Journey Anatolia's holidays in Bodrum include catamaran sailing and traditional gulet cruising holidays as well as the fabulous SunSplash Festival during June. Find out more at: journeyanatolia.com

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Bodrum