Bodrum destination guide

Bodrum is one of the most popular tourist sports in Turkey.  This beautiful Mediterranean town is an inspiration for the traveller from all over the world. Not to forget artists ad famed celebrities. Visitors choose Bodrum because of its many different beaches, fantastic restaurants with excellence in cuisine, exciting excursions and of course shopping. But there is also another side of tourism in Bodrum, and this is gulet cruises.

The Marina of Bodrum is one of the most important and busy gulet “hub”. All gulet cruise lovers will sooner or later board a cruise from here. From here you can sail several itineraries to Greek islands or along the beautiful Turkish coastline.

The town has two faces it is up to you to find the one suits you better. Either it comes at you as mass tourism place with packed crowds, squashed into narrow streets bargaining, sipping drinks and dance till dawn. Or there is also a quieter Bodrum in the back lanes between whitewashed houses overloaded with Bougainvillea.

There are many critical historical pieces of evidence. The city was named Halicarnassus of Caria in ancient times and was famous for housing the first Mausoleum which is one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Bodrum Castle from the Knights of Saint John overlooks the harbour and the marina. Not to forget the Father of history, Herodotus, was born here.

The centre of the town is located on the southern coast of the Peninsula 35km from Milas airport.  Greek islands of Kos is reachable by daily ferries and catamarans across less than 1-hour navigation of the Aegean Sea. There are weekly connections also with the Greek islands of Rhodes, Leros and Patmos.

Boarding a gulet in Bodrum

Port of Bodrum is a base port for most the gulets. All gulets enter the port Friday afternoon and almost all leave for next cruise Saturday afternoon or Sunday morning. Weekend is extremely busy for gulet staff and us. Gulets are lined along Bodrum sea side prommenade Neyzen Caddessi that starts at the Casle and end at the Milla Marina.

If you book a cabin charter, you will most probably spend the first and last night in Bodrum. So, you will have plenty of time to visit the town, its markets, maybe try a hammam and enjoy some nightlife.

When chartering a whole gulet for your group, you will probably prefer to start your cruise immediately and maybe to spend the last night at the port. If you want to leave the port the same day make sure your arrival time is before sunset. If you decide to cruise Greek islands your arrival has to be even earlier as the custom close after 5 pm.