Bodrum Peninsula

About — Bodrum Peninsula

Bodrum Milas Airport (BJV) has more than fifteen flights a day from Istanbul in summer, taking 1 hour 10 minutes, and limited direct services from the Gulf in the summer months. The airport is 40 minutes from Bodrum centre and 60 from Yalikavak and Turgutreis. The peninsula is a string of towns with different characters: Bodrum centre (castle, bazaar, lively), Gumbet (budget and beach), Yalikavak (luxury marina and boutique hotels), Turgutreis (calm and sandy, good for families) and Gumusluk (fishing village and sunsets).

What to see: the 15th-century Bodrum Castle and, inside it, one of the world's best underwater archaeology museums; the remains of the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, one of the Seven Wonders; the ancient theatre; yacht-watching and shopping at Yalikavak Marina. Bodrum's real pleasure is the sea: daily bay cruises on wooden gulets (Karaada, Aquarium Bay, Camel Beach) with lunch on board and four or five swimming stops. Private gulet charters for families start from 350 USD for four.

Family tips: all-inclusive hotels in Gumbet and Turgutreis have kids' clubs and ladies-only beach hours; Yalikavak hotels are calmer and more luxurious but pricier. The peninsula is breezy (the meltem wind), so a cardigan helps in the evening. Boat trips carry child-sized life jackets; water shoes are needed for rocky coves. The Greek island of Kos is 20 minutes by ferry from Bodrum; remember that most Gulf passports (UAE citizens excepted) need a Schengen visa. Halal restaurants are easy to find in the centre and Gumbet.