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Bodrum is one of the most interesting sun and beach destinations in Turkey precisely because it is far from the prototypical resort town. away from the prototypical resort town. without more interest than crowded beaches and all-inclusive bracelets in the hotel.
And you can understand it just by pronouncing its old name: Halicarnassus.
Este lugar ocupó una posición destacada en la Antigua Grecia y sus civilizaciones anteriores y posteriores, y desarrolló tiempo después un cierto aire bohemio del que todavía no se ha desprendido, para deleite de sus visitantes.
En esta página te contamos todo lo que debes saber sobre la actual Bodrum: qué ver, qué hacer y otras informaciones de interés.
Bodrum is a city of about 200,000 inhabitants located in the province of Muglain the Aegean Region.
Therefore, in the southwestern sector of the Anatolian peninsula.
In fact, it is one of the southernmost destinations in this area, since shortly after this coast takes another name and another consideration: the Mediterranean Coast.
Below is a list of the distances distances that separate Bodrum from other destinations of interest in the country, both in its vicinity and in other more distant points:
But Bodrum’s specific location is, in itself, a factor of interest to the visitor.
It is nestled in the peninsula of the same nameThe peninsula is surrounded by gentle green hills and is dotted with small beaches and coves, where bathing is a very pleasant experience, as well as touring the coastline aboard a private boat.
The climate, not surprisingly, also helps position Bodrum as one of Turkey’s most attractive sun and beach destinations.
Despite its generic classification as a hot and dry summer Mediterranean ( Csa in the Köppen table), there are some details that differentiate it from other coastal cities.
For example, its higher rainfall (about 700 mm per year, with almost 80 days of precipitation).
But luckily for its tourists, practically all that rainfall is concentrated in the low season, between the months of November and March, when temperatures are also cooler, although they rarely drop below 8º.
On the other hand, the rest of the year Bodrum’s climate is much cooler. pleasant, with really hot days in summer, with temperatures approaching or even exceeding 40º in some cases.and can approach or even exceed 40º in certain cases.
There are several transportation options to get to Bodrum, literally by land, sea and air.
Below is an overview of all of them.
The most comfortable way to get to Bodrum is by plane, especially if you are flying from other distant points of Turkey or even if you want to fly directly from your country.
The airport serving the city is called Milas-Bodrum and is located about 35 km to the northeast, a distance that takes about half an hour by road.
This journey can be made by shuttle bus, but also by cab.
Although it is not the largest in Turkey, it does offer some international international air routesThe number of flights to Bodrum, which increase in variety and frequency in high season, including charter flights.
This is a generic list of destinations from which you can fly to Bodrum (IATA code: BJV):
Chisinau (Moldova), Vienna (Austria), Baku (Azerbaijan), Belgrade (Serbia), London, East Midlands, Newcastle, Glasgow, Leeds/Bradford, Belfast, Birmingham, Cardiff, Bournemouth, Doncaster, Exeter, Bristol, Edinburgh, Liverpool (United Kingdom), Sofia (Bulgaria), Eindhoven, Groningen, Amsterdam, Rotterdam/The Hague (Netherlands), Dublin (Ireland), Zurich (Switzerland), Katowice, Poznan, Warsaw, Krakow (Poland), Moscow (Russia), Frankfurt, Munich (Germany), Luxembourg City (Luxembourg), Paris (France), Brussels, Liège, Ostend (Belgium).
In addition, Milas-Bodrum airport is also connected to other airports in Turkey. with other airports in Turkeysuch as Ankara, Istanbul, Antalya, Trebizond, Samsung or Gaziantep.
To access Bodrum by car it is necessary to take the D330 highway, which is a branch that deviates from the great axis of communication of the region: the D525-D400 highways, which runs parallel to the coast.
Also, if you come from Bodrum and its surroundings, you can consider taking a ferry to transport your car, because depending on the time, it may be faster than driving along the coast.
Below you can check the driving time from the main tourist destinations in Turkey:
Bodrum has a remarkable seaport with the capacity to accommodate large cruise ships. large cruise ships.
Y precisamente por ello, este destino se encuentra en el programa de importantes rutas que recorren la costa turca y las islas griegas del Egeo.
En realidad, el puerto empleado para los cruceros es el nuevo, ubicado al sur de la ciudad, aunque el antiguo (el puerto del castillo) sigue teniendo actividad.
Regarding the regular ferry lines regular ferry linesThere are several routes that usually offer a certain frequency of departures: to the Greek islands of Kos, Rhodes, Patmos or Kalimnos, and also to the holiday destination of Datça, in the same province of Mugla but further south, located in an elongated peninsula that makes it coexist with many other islands around it.
Up to here arrives the mentioned ferry in which it is possible to transport the car to speed up certain displacements.
Given the tourist attraction of Bodrum, different bus lines arrive here. different bus lines from other nearby cities and even from other strategic points of the country, such as Istanbul, Ankara or Cappadocia.
However, given that the profile of the tourist in Bodrum is of a certain level, this means of transportation does not enjoy the popularity of others, such as the airplane.
In any case, if this is your preferred option, you can take into account that some of these buses are night buses. some of these buses are night busesThe bus service is available with additional space and comfort compared to other standard regular buses.
Some of the companies offering this service are Kamil Koç and Pamukkale, with services specifically aimed at tourists, as the public transport network in the region is limited.
Unfortunately, Bodrum lacks a train stationsince the railway network does not pass through here.
The nearest train stations are about 150 km to the north, on a line of east to west development and leaving the southern Aegean coast and the Turquoise Coast unserved… although that remote and relatively isolated touch of the environment gives it a certain charm.
Suffice it to mention several details about ancient Bodrum (called Halicarnassus), located in the so-calledlocated in the so-called region of Cariato realize the renown it had for the Greeks, who by the way founded it, although they themselves recognized a son of Poseidon, Anthas, as its true founder and protector.
The first curiosity is that great intellectuals were born here, such as Dionysius of Halicarnassus (1st century BC) and, above all, Herodotus (5th century BC), historian, geographer and, in a way, precursor of tourism.The first curiosity is that great intellectuals were born here, such as Dionysius Halicarnassus (1st century BC) and, above all, Herodotus (5th century BC), historian, geographer and, in a way, precursor of tourism.
But undoubtedly, the one who gave most glory to ancient Halicarnassus was Mausolus, satrap of the Persian rulers (for he reigned in their name in the middle of the 4th century BC) (for he reigned in his name in the middle of the 4th century B.C.) and, above all, his wife Artemisia II of CariaThe latter had a great funerary monument built for her late husband and it was of such magnitude and majesty, that it came to be considered one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World and a reference for all subsequent funerary monuments… hence the current name of mausoleum for this type of construction.
However, this Persian domination was short-lived and eventually fell to the side of Alexander the Great and his empire. Alexander the Great and his empireand subsequently governed by his successors.
And although it enjoyed a brief period of independence in the second century B.C., by the end of that century it was left to the under the control of the Romansthe Romans, the great dominators of the Mediterranean at that time.
With the rise of ChristianityHalicarnassus became a prominent episcopal see, but at the same time its economic and social situation deteriorated more and more, mainly due to successive earthquakes that, in addition, completely destroyed the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus. Barbarians, Arabs and pirates of the Mediterranean harassed this place, and Byzantines did not manage to refloat the city, so that for the century of the Byzantine conquest the city was in such a state of decline.the city, so that by the 14th century, the crusader knights of the Order of crusader knights of the Order of St. John reused the ashlars from the ruins of the Mausoleum to build the Castle of St. Peter of Halicarnassus.
The name it received was Petronium, and that seems to be the origin of the present name of the city.
Today this castle is one of its main tourist attractions, although the failure of the Christian project for the Holy Land and the subsequent Ottoman conquest of the subsequent Ottoman conquest This fortress occupied a relatively secondary place.
As a result, Bodrum remained more of a small fishing village where not much happened.
In fact, Bodrum’s function in later centuries was precisely that of a place of exile. place of banishment of uncomfortable characters for the central power, especially after the establishment of the Republic of Atatürk.
This was the case with critical intellectuals and politicians who, inspired by the beauty of the place and the evocation of its ruins, conceived Bodrum as an idyllic place for a golden retreat.
The forerunner of this trend was the writer Cevat Sakir Kabaagacliand other intellectuals followed in his footsteps.
It was not until the end of the last century that Bodrum was opened to tourism, especially to international tourists with high purchasing power and desire for an idyllic and bohemian vacation spot for their days off.
In Bodrum you will find interesting attractions to visit on your trip, whether you like picturesque coastal scenery, love history or even get excited by evoking past glories… even if in front of your eyes there are only archaeological ruins.
A compendium of all of this makes up Bodrum, which maintains its welcoming air thanks in large part to the prohibition of buildings of a certain height.
Related to ancient Halicarnassus there are quite a few proposals.
The most outstanding is the archaeological ensemble of the Mausoleum, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
En el recorrido verás restos de escalinatas, columnas, lienzos del muro original y algunos detalles más.
Pero por desgracia, no se conserva mucho más debido a la destrucción causada probablemente por los terremotos de la Edad Media, por el traslado de sillares para la construcción del castillo y también porque algunas de sus esculturas más valiosas fueron a parar al Museo Británico, entre ellas la del rey de Caria Mausolo y la de su esposa Artemisia.
Best preserved is the Ancient Theaterbuilt in the 4th century B.C., taking advantage of the slope of the mountainside.
Even today it is the venue for concerts and plays, making it an unbeatable setting for this type of cultural event.
Other archaeological remains in an unequal state of preservation are scattered throughout the city, among which is the Mindos GateIt was part of the wall built by Mausolo in the fourth century B.C. To reach this door is necessary to make a small ascent, because it is located in an elevated position.
The prize is not only to contemplate this construction of large ashlars, but also the panoramic views of its surroundings.
The same is true for other charming monuments in Bodrum: the windmills, the windmills.
Son siete en total y su construcción es mucho más reciente (siglo XVIII), pero nos hablan de la humilde labor de moler el grano para producir harina, en aquella pequeña localidad que para entonces vivía principalmente de la pesca.
Su mirador regala una de las estampas más hermosas de la ciudad.
But if we let ourselves be carried away by the view, the most imposing monument of Bodrum is its castle, built by the Knights Hospitallers in the 15th century. castle, built by the Knights Hospitallers in the 15th century.The Mausoleum was built on the island of Rhodes, which had one of its strongholds on the nearby island of Rhodes.
With a little observation, the visitor will discover that many of its ashlars come from the ancient Mausoleum.
It was dedicated to St. Peter, but after the Ottoman conquest it underwent modifications, such as the conversion of the chapel into a mosque, with its corresponding minaret, although in this case not as prominent as in other temples in the country.
In any case, what this castle houses has nothing to do with religions or wars: it houses the Museum of Underwater ArchaeologyIt is of great interest to discover the wealth hidden in the waters of the Aegean Sea and that dates back to ancient times, in many cases: from amphorae from all corners of the Mediterranean to Egyptian jewelry and even the rich trousseau of a Carian princess.
This museum is not to be confused with the Maritime Museum of BodrumIn this case it is dedicated to the seafaring tradition and fishermen of the city, exhibiting models of boats and educational material on the uses, tools and local techniques.
For a coastal destination, in Bodrum you will find neither overcrowding nor overflowing nightlife, which does not mean that the city is deserted when the sun goes down. idyllic and sereneand that is transferred to the activities and proposals for tourists.
The yacht rides or small motor or sailing boats represent one of the star plans of the city: sailing and contemplating from the sea the Bodrum Castle, its ports or the pleasant silhouette of small hills is quite an experience.
However, those who are looking for more sporty and energetic options, such as the kayakyou will also be able to find them without difficulty.
On the mainland, wellness has a lot to offer: relaxation options are available here, often in wellness centers. wellness centers centers that combine Turkish baths with massages and modern therapies.
In addition, yoga and meditation are options very much in tune with the spirit of Bodrum, and so there is no shortage of them.
In Bodrum, the only only tourist information office is in the area of the castle. and the port of the city, and provides basic material about the monuments and activities in the city.
Its opening hours are not very extensive, but it can be of help to organize the day.
Bodrum’s public transport network is modest, with few buses running through the tourist areas, so the most advisable option is to get around by cab o private vehicle.
Sí son más variadas las opciones de intercity buses to travel around the Bodrum peninsula, but having your own vehicle (rented or chauffeur-driven) is the fastest, most comfortable and effective way to move around freely and autonomously.
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