Izmir Airport to Bodrum Transfer | Bodrum to Izmir Airport

Bodrum occupies a peninsula at the southwestern tip of the Aegean coast, jutting out into the waters between the Greek islands of Kos and Kalymnos. It is one of Turkey's most characterful destinations — a place that has managed to attract both the international jetset and the culturally curious without losing its distinctive identity. The whitewashed hillside architecture, the twin-harboured town centre, and the imposing silhouette of Bodrum Castle are as instantly recognisable as anywhere in the Aegean.

The town itself is compact, hilly and full of life. The marina is home to one of Turkey's most celebrated boat cultures — gulets and yachts fill the harbour, and daily boat tours weave between the Aegean islands. Private yacht charters are available for those who want to explore the coves and inlets of the peninsula at their own pace. The old bazaar district and the cluster of meyhanes around the marina provide the kind of authentic evening that larger resort towns rarely manage.

Beyond the centre, the peninsula spreads into a series of distinct resort areas with very different characters. Gumbet is lively and youthful; Bitez and Ortakent are calm and family-oriented; Yalikavak has become the peninsula's luxury hub, built around a glamorous marina with international brands and superyachts; Turkbuku and Goltürkbükü are where Bodrum's celebrity visitors and Istanbul society go in summer. Gümüslük, at the far western tip, is the quietest and most romantic — a protected fishing village where ancient ruins emerge from the shallow water.

Bodrum Castle — formally the Castle of St Peter — was built by the Knights of St John in the 15th century from the stones of the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, one of the original Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The castle now houses the Museum of Underwater Archaeology, one of the finest of its kind in the world. The peninsula sits on a coast that was once the heart of ancient Caria, and the layers of Greek, Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman history are never far from the surface.