By air
Milas-Bodrum (BJV), ~35 km
Middle East · Türkiye
Bodrum, Türkiye
A castle, a harbour and Aegean coves
Getting there
Best time to visit
May to October — the season
Don't miss
Bodrum Castle
The Mausoleum ruins
The marina
The windmills
Things to do
The castle
Boat trips
The beaches
Where to eat
Sources: Photo: The 3B's · CC BY 2.0
What to pack
Swimwear
A quieter corner
Gümüşlük's sunset over the sunken ancient city
Questions travellers ask
When is Bodrum's season?
May to October. Pack swimwear for the beaches and the boat trips.
What should I see in Bodrum?
Bodrum Castle, the Mausoleum ruins, the marina and the windmills — then take a boat trip out to the Aegean coves.
Where should I watch the sunset near Bodrum?
Gümüşlük, where the sun sets over the sunken ancient city. Then settle in for seafood meze.
Which airport serves Bodrum?
Milas-Bodrum (BJV), about 35 km away.
About Bodrum
- Coastal
Where it is
Bodrum is a harbour town on the Bodrum Peninsula in Muğla Province, south-western Türkiye, on the Aegean Sea facing the Greek island of Kos across the water.
History
Bodrum stands on the site of ancient Halicarnassus, the birthplace of the historian Herodotus and the capital of the Carian ruler Mausolus, whose monumental tomb was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The Knights Hospitaller built the Castle of St Peter in the 15th century, partly with stones from the ruined tomb, and in the 20th century writers and artists helped turn the fishing town into a resort.
People
Bodrum's people speak Turkish, and the old fishing and sponge-diving town now lives largely from tourism, sailing and the building of wooden gulets. Villages across the peninsula grow the small Bodrum mandarin, and fish restaurants line the harbour.
Known for
- The Castle of St Peter
- The Museum of Underwater Archaeology
- The ruins of the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus
- Gulet cruises and wooden boat building
- The coves of Gümüşlük and Yalıkavak
Did you know?
The word mausoleum comes from the tomb of Mausolus at Halicarnassus, the ancient city beneath modern Bodrum.
We haven't written a guide for this place yet — you can still plan a trip here.