Summer
The sea comes first
Still water in the morning, wind by midday, the sun setting over Gümüşlük in the evening. This is summer on the west coast of the Bodrum Peninsula.
Hespera Suits sits in Kadıkalesi, inside the large garden of the Ormancılar holiday complex. In summer the sea sets the rhythm of the day. Coffee on the terrace, a towel over your shoulder, a few minutes on foot. The crowded beaches stay far away. Salt, pine and eucalyptus stay close.
A beach of our own
The complex has its own private beach, and guests are welcome to use it. In the morning it is usually quiet. Swim, dry off, wander back to the garden and read in the shade of the trees. Our Red home is listed on Airbnb as having beach access and being beachfront; all three homes share the same complex and the same garden.
Kadıkalesi, 500 metres
Walk about 500 metres from the complex and you reach Kadıkalesi’s narrow beach of sand and shingle. Eucalyptus trees for shade, a wooden swimming dock reaching into the bay, a handful of cafés and restaurants. Jumping off the dock into deep water is the village’s summer ritual. Behind the shore stands the ruin of an old Greek Orthodox church, a good goal for an evening stroll.
Sea temperature
The sea through the season
The Aegean is fresh in May and at its warmest in August, at about 24–25 °C. The chart shows average sea temperatures off the Gümüşlük coast, month by month, alongside Istanbul.
Average sea temperature (°C)
Approximate long-term averages.
Wind and windsurfing
Kadıkalesi is one of the windier stretches of the peninsula. On hot days that means a cool breath of air, and for windsurfers it is simply good news. When the wind picks up, the bay ripples and the sails come out. If you would rather find a sheltered cove, ask İrfan. He will tell you which way to head, depending on the day.
Days on a boat
Give one day to seeing the coast from the water. Traditional gulets leave Bodrum for blue cruises, and ferries cross from Bodrum harbour to the Greek island of Kos. For day boats from the nearer marinas, ask İrfan. He knows which ones suit which kind of day, and where and when they leave.
Festival nights
From around mid-July to early September, the International Gümüşlük Music Festival fills the summer evenings. Organised since 2004 by the Bodrum Classical Music Association, its main stage is the 2,500-year-old Ancient Stone Quarry at Koyunbaba, where stone for the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus is said to have been cut. Classical music and jazz, on stone, under the stars. The “Suda, Kumda, Taşta” series (on water, on sand, on stone) carries concerts down to the bay and the beach too. Look at the programme early. Tickets go quickly.
7 am
The early sea
The best hour of a summer day is often the first one. The sun is still gentle, there are only a few people on the beach, and the water is flat and cool.
Walk through the garden, swim, then come back for breakfast on the terrace. Pick a mulberry or a pear from the trees, depending on the month. By the time the day begins, you have already been in the sea.
A few summer notes
- Shade. In July and August daytime highs reach about 32–34 °C. Spend the middle of the day in the garden’s shade and go to the sea in the morning and late afternoon.
- Water. Carry plenty of it to the beach, on walks and on boats. A hat and sun cream too.
- The wind deceives. On breezy days the sun feels softer than it is. It is not.
- Book early. June to September fills fast. If your dates are fixed, do not wait.
- Ask the host directly. Airbnb calendars close quickly in summer. The fastest way to check is to write to İrfan: WhatsApp or the booking page.
- Arrival. Check-in is from 15:00. Arrive early and you can leave your bags in the laundry room and head straight for the water.
Map
Beaches on the map
The beaches and coves İrfan likes best. Tap a point to read his short note.
When summer ends, the sea holds its warmth a while longer, the crowds thin out and the mandarins turn orange in the garden. Which is why our winter escape page might be worth a look too.