Bodrum sits on Turkey’s Aegean coast, approximately 300 kilometres west of Antalya and served by its own international airport (BJV) with direct flights from UK airports throughout the summer season. It is not part of the Antalya coast resort strip — it is a different destination entirely, with a distinct character that sets it apart from every other resort area in the GotoBeach Turkey portfolio.
The town of Bodrum itself — built around a beautiful natural harbour, dominated by the 15th-century Castle of St Peter and stretching across two bays with the white-washed houses and bougainvillea that have made it one of Turkey’s most photographed towns — is genuinely one of the most attractive resort towns on the Turkish coast. The marina is one of the finest in the eastern Mediterranean. The old town, with its narrow streets, market traders and excellent fish restaurants, rewards an evening on foot in a way that few Turkish resorts can match.
The hotel offer here is different from Antalya. Large ultra all inclusive resorts exist — Titanic Luxury Collection Bodrum, Rixos Premium Bodrum and Maxx Royal Bodrum are among the finest in the country — but Bodrum also has a strong boutique hotel culture that the Antalya coast largely lacks. Properties like Caresse Luxury Collection and Kempinski Hotel Barbaros Bay sit in secluded bay positions with an intimacy and aesthetic quality that is difficult to find in the larger resort areas. For couples and guests who want genuine style alongside their beach holiday, Bodrum offers options that Belek and Lara do not.
The nightlife in Bodrum is Turkey’s most developed — a marina bar scene, rooftop terraces and a club culture that is genuinely Turkish rather than simply tourist-facing. Gümbet, immediately west of Bodrum town, is the livelier, more resort-oriented area that suits younger travellers and those who want easy access to bars and entertainment. Türkbükü on the north of the peninsula is the most upmarket and exclusive area — a bay of superyachts and boutique hotels that is as close to the Greek island experience as Turkey offers. Bitez and Ortakent are quieter, more family-oriented bays that combine good beaches with a relaxed local atmosphere.
One honest note: the beaches in and around Bodrum town are generally smaller and pebbly rather than the long, sandy beaches of the Antalya coast. Guests who specifically want a long, broad sandy beach as the centrepiece of their holiday will find Side or Lara more satisfying in that respect. What Bodrum offers instead is atmosphere, style, an extraordinary town to explore and a stretch of Aegean coastline with some of the clearest water in Turkey.
For luxury Bodrum hotels, all inclusive holidays in Bodrum or Bodrum holidays from the UK — book through GotoBeach with full ATOL protection under licence #11211, low deposits from £30 per person and the honest advice of a team that knows this destination properly.
