The peninsula
Discover Bodrum
A castle and a marina, bays and villages. All a short trip from Kadıkalesi.
Ancient Halicarnassus, modern Bodrum
Bodrum town is about 22 km from our homes. Once Halicarnassus, it is the liveliest place on the peninsula: gulets in the harbour, shops in narrow lanes, old windmills on the hill.
After the calm of Gümüşlük, a day in Bodrum makes a good change. See the castle in the morning, walk the marina in the afternoon, and be back on the quiet western side by evening.
Halicarnassus was the capital of Mausolus, who ruled Caria in the 4th century BC. His tomb counted among the Seven Wonders of the ancient world and gave us the word “mausoleum”. Its stone is said to have come from the Koyunbaba quarry near Gümüşlük, so the link between Bodrum and our side of the peninsula is an old one.
Bays and villages
Each coast of the peninsula has its own mood. The north is polished and busy, the south has long sandy beaches and wind, and the west is our side: quiet and turned towards the sunset.
- Yalıkavak: the busiest village on the north coast, with a large marina, restaurants and shops.
- Gündoğan: a calm northern bay, considered one of the oldest settlements on the peninsula.
- Türkbükü: wooden jetties and beach clubs; Bodrum at its most glamorous in summer.
- Bitez: a shallow, sheltered bay lined with cafés, popular with families.
- Ortakent: a long sandy beach, close to town yet quieter.
- Akyarlar: open sea and steady wind; a meeting point for surfers.
- Karaincir: a sandy beach right next to Akyarlar, loved for swimming.
- Aspat: a quiet bay with the ruins of Aspat Castle on the hill above.
- Turgutreis: the big town on our side, with a marina, the Saturday market and fine sunsets.
- Kadıkalesi: our small village. Eucalyptus trees, a wooden swimming dock, the ruin of a Greek Orthodox church, and windsurfing on a breezy shore.
Markets
The rhythm of the week
Every village on the peninsula has its market day. The best known is the Saturday market in Turgutreis, a few minutes from our homes, with everything from vegetables to fabric. Gümüşlük’s market is on Wednesday. In Bodrum town there is a clothes market on Tuesday and a fruit and vegetable market on Friday.
In winter the stalls fill with Bodrum mandarins, olive oil, wild greens and village cheeses. Days can change, so check with İrfan before you go.
A week
The peninsula in seven days
A different direction each day, back to the garden each evening.
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Kadıkalesi and Gümüşlük
The beach at Kadıkalesi in the morning; sunset and dinner on the sand in Gümüşlük.
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Bodrum town
The castle and its museum, the Mausoleum, the ancient theatre. The windmills at sunset.
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Turgutreis
The market if it is Saturday. A walk along the marina, then back to Kadıkalesi on the bike path.
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The north coast
Yalıkavak marina, the quiet bay at Gündoğan, the jetties of Türkbükü.
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Southern beaches
Wind at Akyarlar, a swim at Karaincir, a quiet afternoon at Aspat.
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Bitez and Ortakent
A long swim in shallow water and a slow drive home past the citrus groves.
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The hill villages
Karakaya, Koyunbaba and Dağbelen. Lunch in a village, a barbecue in the garden at night.
Getting around
You can manage well without a car. The municipal dolmuş stops about 100 m from the complex and connects the whole peninsula. Between Kadıkalesi and Turgutreis there are cycling and walking paths.
- Dolmuş: the stop is about 100 m away and links the whole peninsula.
- Car: Gümüşlük and Turgutreis are about 5–7 minutes, Bodrum town about 22 km. Free parking in the complex.
- Bike and on foot: cycling and walking paths between Kadıkalesi and Turgutreis.
- Airport: Bodrum–Milas (BJV) is about 55 km, roughly an hour by car. Havaş and Muttaş shuttles run to Bodrum bus station, where you change to a dolmuş.
Map
The peninsula
Beaches, historic sites, markets and transport.
İrfan recommends
Our peninsula favourites
Bays away from the crowds, good markets and places worth the drive.
Rabbit Island and Myndos
The remains of ancient Myndos are scattered around the bay and across Tavşan Adası. On calm days you can wade over from the beach along an old submerged path, the water about knee-deep.
İrfan’s tipThe island is an archaeological site and access is sometimes restricted, so message me before you go and I’ll tell you how things stand that week.
DirectionsGümüşlük beach
The village beach, on a calm, shallow bay. After a swim, the waterfront cafés and restaurants are a few minutes’ walk away.
İrfan’s tipCome early in the morning, when the water is glassy and the bay hasn’t woken up yet.
DirectionsAncient Stone Quarry, Koyunbaba
A quarry some 2,500 years old at Koyunbaba, said to have supplied stone for the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus. In summer it is the main stage of the International Gümüşlük Music Festival.
İrfan’s tipThe festival runs from mid-July to early September, so book early for an evening concert among the stones.
DirectionsKadıkalesi beach and jetty
A narrow strip of sand and shingle about 500 metres’ walk from our homes, with a wooden swimming jetty, eucalyptus trees and cafés along the shore. One of the windier coasts on the peninsula, popular with windsurfers.
İrfan’s tipThe end of the jetty for a morning swim, and the same spot again for sunset: both are my favourites.
DirectionsKadıkalesi Greek church
The ruin of a 19th-century Greek Orthodox church in the village. Only the walls still stand, but it is the loveliest trace of the village’s past.
İrfan’s tipIt is a two-minute detour on the way to the beach, and the late-afternoon light suits those stone walls beautifully.
DirectionsKadıkalesi–Turgutreis path
A walking and cycling path linking the two coastal villages, with coffee stops, swimming jetties and wide views of the sea along the way.
İrfan’s tipWalk to the market on a Saturday morning and bring the heavy bags home on the dolmuş.
DirectionsYour base
The quiet side of Bodrum
Spend the day in Bodrum and the night in the garden. Three homes in Kadıkalesi, open all year.