Bodrum

Bodrum is rammed during high summer (July and August), not the time to be sitting in a stationary vehicle on the winding coast road or trying to secure a table at the best restaurants. Crowds and temperatures fall away in both spring and autumn, which are perfect times to visit; it’s then that Bodrum takes its foot off the partying pedal and reveals itself as an Aegean town with a more nuanced appeal. The winter months tend to bring grey days and rain.

Buses and taxis connect Bodrum’s airport with the city in about 30 minutes. Regular minibuses connect Bodrum’s bus station with the various destinations around the peninsula. Ferries and hydrofoils serve Bodrum from the Greek island of Kos.

Car hire is available, though Bodrum’s labyrinthine roads and lack of parking hardly commends the place to drivers. Visitors are advised to use the ubiquitous dolmuses or taxis, while confident/fearless riders might even hire scooters or mopeds. Be prepared for heavy traffic in Bodrum and along the peninsula’s coast roads.

The Bodrum Peninsula is Turkey’s nightlife capital, with the promenade along Bodrum’s eastern bay widely referred to as ‘Bar Street’. Bodrum’s western waterfront, Neyzen Tevfik Caddesi, is altogether chicer, and home to the city’s best restaurants and its marina.

Nearby Turkbuku – Turkey’s Saint-Tropez – is awash with trendy bars and beach brasseries.

The region is famed for ‘Tuesday’ markets in towns including Bodrum, Fethiye and Milas, where everything from local produce to ‘genuine fake’ Breitling watches are on offer.

Bodrum’s covered market area is good for upmarket artisanal products like silver jewellery and hand-made sandals.

For international brands head to Bodrum’s Karada Marina and to the Oasis Mall on the road to Gumbet, or to Turkbuku’s many boutiques.