Things To Do in Bodrum area

Built in the 2nd century AD, the Aphrodisias Stadium, about an hour and a half from Bodrum town, was once the equivalent of Wembley. More than 30,000 ancient Greeks would take their seats here to roar, cheer and boo their way through athletic contests, gladiator duals and Olympic-style games. These days, the stadium is surrounded by the ruins of a temple, Roman baths and an ornamental gate.

You can easily spend the whole day at Gumusluk Beach, half an hour away from Bodrum town. As well as a great beach, it comes with a side-order of restaurants, so you can tuck into a fish lunch just footsteps from your sunlounger.

Ephesus is up there with Rome’s Colosseum and Athens’ Acropolis. Two and a half hours from Bodrum town, Turkey’s most-visited site was once one of the largest cities in the Roman Empire and the capital of Asia Minor. You can get a feel for the Roman way of life when you wander around the crumbled buildings. Don’t miss the Great Theatre, which used to hold 25,000 people, and the Library of Celsus, where philosophers once studied.

For one day in mid-May, Bodrum town’s locals abandon their cars and get on their bikes to promote environmental awareness. A two-wheel procession takes place between Neyzen Tevfik Street and Quay Centre, and acrobats and musicians perform in the streets.

You’d be forgiven for thinking sunbathing takes a backseat at Bitez Beach – it's a huge windsurfing hotspot. That said, the stretch – seven kilometres west of Bodrum town – has plenty of sunloungers along the sand. Paddle-friendly waters edge the beach on one side, and cafés and restaurants the other.

Give your body a deep clean at a hammam. These traditional bathhouses have been used as places of relaxation since the BC years. The full hammam experience is more than just a soak in a steamy room, though. The process also involves an exfoliating scrub down and an oil massage. There’s no shortage of hammams in Bodrum town centre, and some hotels offer their own hammam experience.

Didyma, on Turkey’s west coast, was a sacred site in Ancient Greece. People flocked here from far and wide to visit the Temple of Apollo and see the famous oracle. Back then, the pilgrims would walk the 12-mile journey from nearby Miletus every spring. Nowadays, though, most visitors take the easier route, and jump in a mini-bus from Altinkum instead.

For a scrub-down that’ll leave you smoother and softer than the day you were born, head to a hammam. They’re a bit like Roman bathhouses of old, with different rooms for treatments. Once you’re inside, expert hands will set about exfoliating, oiling and massaging your skin. Just bear in mind, although they’re single-sex, some places are strictly swimmers-off.

The Bodrum peninsula’s good looks aren’t just reserved for its beaches and pine-stacked hills. Underwater, there’s a whole other world of coral reefs and shipwrecks that’ll fascinate experienced divers as well as first-timers. If you haven’t got your PADI certificates yet, you can learn the ropes at one of the coast’s diving schools. And if you’d rather stay closer to the surface, try snorkelling instead.

Get your heart racing with a trip to Aquapark Dedeman. Just outside Bodrum town, this waterpark is home to more than 20 chutes and flumes. You can ease yourself in with a ride on the 350-metre Lazy River, build up your courage on mid-range slides like the Black Hole, then take the plunge on the white-knuckle Kamikaze.

This kilometre-long curve is the heart and soul of Gumbet, and running right along its backbone are hotels, bars and restaurants. If you’re prepared to stump up for drinks and meals, most hotels will let you spend the day on their sunbeds. And if you fancy letting off some steam, there’s everything from jet skiing to banana boating on hand.

In its heyday, this elaborate tomb, in Bodrum town, was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Built between 350 and 353 BC, it was created as the resting place of Mausolus, the governor of the Persian Empire. The finished product speared 45 metres into the air, and each corner was adorned with reliefs, which were created by the best sculptors of the time.

Queen Artemisia ordered this tomb to be built back in 353BC, as a tribute to and final resting place for her late husband, Mausolus. The extravagant building went on to become so famous that Mausolus’ name is now associated with all great tombs, in the word ‘mausoleum’. The ruins are right next to Asia Minor’s oldest amphitheatre, Tiyatro, so you can tick them both off in one trip.

Dating back to the 3rd century BC, this temple, in Didyma, was once home to one of the world’s original fortune tellers. People from all over ancient Greece would travel to this sanctuary to seek the advice of the Oracle of Apollo, who was thought to be able to predict the future. Today, the highlights of this ruined site include a sacrificial altar and a fierce-looking headstone of Medusa.

The clue here is in the name – you’ll spot camels ferrying people from one end of the beach to the other. The so-called 'ships of the desert' aren’t the only things that draw people to this runway of sand around a half-hour drive from Bodrum town, though. Go snorkelling here and you’ll spot ancient ruins on the sea floor.

This three-day festival is staged at various different venues around Bodrum town, including Erdal Cerci Square. The celebrations consist of energetic dance performances and concerts of traditional music.

This annual festival is held in St Peter’s Castle and Tyatro Amphitheatre. The schedule for the event includes theatre shows, concerts and classical music performances.

The Knights of St John didn’t spend all their time in the Holy Land during the crusades. Turkey was also on their world tour, and their 15th-century handiwork included the castle of St Peter. Nowadays, the best things about it are the top-notch views from its battlements, and the world-class archaeological treasures within its walls.

Translated, Altinkum means ‘golden sands’ and that’s exactly what you get when you visit this place. The main beach is just a few footsteps from Dolphin Square, the town centre’s main hub of activity, so it’s within easy reach of watering holes and restaurants.

The scenery at Turgutreis Beach is photo album-worthy. The stretch of white sand is backed by palm trees and looks out over the Greek island of Kos in the distance. There are plenty of free sunloungers, and the local restaurants offer waiter service on the sand.

Based in Bodrum town, this boat race comes with a big fanfare. The party starts before the boats have even raised their anchors, with live music and dance groups performing in Iskele Square. Then the sailing contests start and spectators cheer their teams on, with cocktails in hand, naturally.

Overlooking Bodrum’s twin bays, St Peter’s Castle is the city’s ancient watchman. It was built by the Knights of St John in the 15th century to protect the area from invasion. Today, the castle is home to the Museum of Underwater Archaeology, which showcases items salvaged from local shipwrecks. You can also walk around the ancient dungeon.

Get a different view of Turkey’s coastline on a gulet cruise. On board one of these traditional wooden boats – which take their name from the French ‘goulette’ or schooner –you can nip in and out of little coves, and find your own secluded beach. Or just stretch out on the roomy deck and make the most of your day at sea.

Pamukkale is nature’s answer to the bubble bath. The white rock terraces here are home to more than 17 hot water springs that steam and bubble like cauldrons. The area is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, but you can still get in to the pools as if they were hot tubs. It’s worth noting that Pamukkale is about a four-hour drive from the Bodrum area, so the best way of seeing the place is to sign up for an organised daytrip.