Bodrum

Bodrum has transformed from a bohemian harbour town into one of the Aegean's most sophisticated resort destinations. Whitewashed houses, marina life, beach clubs and contemporary retreats create a Turkish coastal identity with increasing international resonance.

Bodrum stands on the site of ancient Halicarnassus, home of the Mausoleum that counted among the Seven Wonders of the World. The Castle of St Peter, built by the Knights Hospitaller in the fifteenth century, divides the town’s two bays and now houses the Museum of Underwater Archaeology. Around the town, the peninsula breaks into a series of villages and coves, each with its own character.

Yalıkavak has become the home of a superyacht marina and its restaurants; Gündoğan and Türkbükü on the north shore keep their wooden jetties and beach clubs; the south coast looks across to the Greek island of Kos. Bodrum is also the traditional home of the gulet, the broad wooden sailing boat used for cruises along the Turkish coast and into the Gulf of Gökova.

The season runs from May to October. June and September are the best months, warm but not crowded, with a sea already pleasant in June and still warm in early autumn. July and August are the height of the season, when Turkish and international visitors fill the peninsula, the marinas are full and the beach clubs stay lively until late.

The meltemi, the Aegean summer wind, blows steadily through July and August, cooling the afternoons and favouring sailing. Spring brings wild flowers to the hills and the quietest time to visit the castle and the ancient theatre; from November to March many hotels and restaurants close, and Bodrum returns to its life as a small harbour town.

Bodrum’s luxury hotels each occupy their own stretch of shore. Mandarin Oriental Bodrum, The Bodrum EDITION and Amanruya are set on the peninsula’s northern and western bays; Caresse, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa, Bodrum stands on the south coast close to the town; and Six Senses Kaplankaya occupies a private peninsula on the coast north of Bodrum.

LVXVRY books Mandarin Oriental through Mandarin Oriental Fan Club, The Bodrum EDITION and Caresse through Marriott STARS & Luminous, and Six Senses Kaplankaya through IHG Destined — at the official hotel rate, with the privileges each programme attaches to the stay. For Amanruya, LVXVRY advises on and arranges the stay directly.