We are in Bodrum, once a major touristic destination. For us, every corner of the Aegean is special, but Bodrum stands out from the rest in many ways. Bodrum did not become the tourism center of the country in a day, its bays with blue cruises, ruins of ancient cities, hills with beautiful views, villages with different characters, architecture are its main beauties. However, the bays closed to private vacation sites and chain hotels, unplanned growth and the traffic brought by this growth have a great impact on the astronomical prices that are talked about today rather than these beauties. Despite everything, there are places in Bodrum that we love, businesses that do their job properly and inspire the masses who respect their essence.
In this list you can find some of our favorite good restaurants and places that are unique to the neighborhood:
Restaurants:
Breakfast & Cafe:
For wine tastings:
Bar:
Ice cream:
About 10 km from the center of Bodrum, this region, which is quite quiet compared to the center, is actually the region where the valley between the main road and the coast is located. In Bitez, you can see the stone houses & cisterns, enjoy the sea on the beach, take a walk to Aquarium Bay, which fascinates us with its deep blue water. This route, where you will see plenty of olive and tangerine trees, also has many flavor stops. In this post, we briefly describe 9 of our favorite places.
#zaiyasam: Located on the Konacik side, Zai is a very valuable venue for Bodrum. Appealing to 5 senses and bringing together different branches of art, this place is a paradise for us. Inside, you can visit its library and enjoy its art-filled garden with your purchases from its cafe.
#bağarasırestaurant : Very good appetizers, good wine list, successful meat dishes. Bağarası Restaurant, which has been serving since 2005, offers a very pleasant experience under the tangerine trees.
#trattoriailmandarino : One of our favorite restaurants in Bodrum, a trattoria that fascinates us with its tables interspersed among tangerine trees and a dimly lit environment.
#pizzeriamia : Right next to Manuel, Bitez’s favorite beer place, there is Pizzeria Mia, an Italian place whose pizzas we love.
#kornelbodrum : Kornel is open all day long and you can stop by for breakfast, lunch or dinner. It has a bistro concept, is pet friendly and we are always very satisfied with the service.
#vamosbodrum : The front garden facing the street is beautiful, the back garden is even more beautiful. It’s a place we like to stop by for snacks and a drink during the day. Their burgers are very popular. Their iced tea with satsuma is also delicious.
#kurulbitez : Across the street from Vamos there is also a Ocakbaşı we love in Kurul Bitez. One of our favorite food stops in the neighborhood.
#FikaCoffee : One of our favorite coffee shops in this neighborhood. Recommended for a quiet day sitting on the back terrace.
#bitezdondurma : Finally, let’s finish with a dessert. Bitez Dondurmacısı, which is no longer unknown. You can now also find this flavor in Istanbul, Ankara or Antalya. In 1995, they first started their activities in Bitez village square.
In Derekoy:
Our favorites: Dereköy Lokantası, Newly discovered collection garden: Rino’s Garden is a must visit.
Atgeç Meyhanesi, on the way to Dereköy, is a Bodrum classic with its appetizers.
In Gümüşlük: We love being away from the chaos on the beach in Gümüşlük, which stands out with its bohemian character.
Greta Gümüşlük with its view for breakfast, Müptelal with its breads and desserts, Umut Şef’s restaurant Yeni Hayat with its constantly renewed menu, Oi Filoi with its Greek tavern concept 5 days a week, and Tuz Duman on the beach are our favorites. A pub we love in the neighborhood, Social Gumusluk.
Keep in mind Oda Bodrum as a pet-friendly option for accommodation in the area.
If you are looking for a mixed breakfast: Sefte Bahçe and Asmalı Çardak, the tiny Suzika, open only 3 days a week, are good places to start the day.
AltUst with its cocktails and snacks on the beach and Arka Pizzeria right next to it, Ent Restaurant, one of the best chef restaurants in the region, should be on your list.
Memedof Yalikavak, a good seafood restaurant in Bodrum, has a spectacular sunset.
Lika Bodrum, one of this year’s newly opened chef restaurants, and Pilevneli Yalıkavak with its exhibitions/unique venue should be on your list.
In Turgutreis, Fener Restaurant is a good choice for a seaside dinner.
We tried both places in Turgutreis that we learned about this year with Ayaküstü Lezzetler. Sakallı Restaurant Sinan, with its daily changing menu, and Turgutreis Doğal Dondurma, with its ice creams, were both popular.
Ekmek&more, where you can come throughout the day for both breakfast and sourdough pizzas in Dağbelen, has also become one of our favorite places.
Anthaven in Aspat, which we visited for the first time this year: Karabatak for coffee, Juniper Cafe for breakfast and Hadi Balık Bistro for dinner were the other places we enjoyed.
At the top of Gumusluk, a village that impressed us with its stone houses and architecture: Karakaya Village.
Located at the foot of Peksimet Mountain, this village is said to have a history of 800 years. It was built inside the valley to protect it from threats from the sea. Good examples of stonework in Greek houses can be seen with a pleasant walk in the Karakaya valley. The best times to come here are early in the morning or at sunset. It has one of the best views to watch Gumusluk from the top.
Karakaya was abandoned during the population exchange; Although this place was once known for its quiet and unspoiled naturalness, the construction that has spread throughout the peninsula has also come to this valley. The old photographs of the valley, when both sides of the valley were lush green, seem to be long gone. It saddens us to see new construction around every corner in Bodrum.
Formerly known as Halicarnassus, once the capital of the region, the Tomb of Mausolus, one of the world’s 7 harks, is here. The artifacts that have survived from that glorious period can still be found in unexpected places, albeit in small numbers. The theater, which has survived to the present day, hosts concerts and watches Bodrum from the hill.
Bodrum is not just about this center, there are settlements & experiences with completely different characters all over the peninsula.
It is often compared to the famous French seaside town of Tropez. It has a similar fate to St. Tropez, which was transformed from a quiet fishing village by Brigitte Bardot’s movie; Rediscovered by celebrities in the 60s and subsequently by local and foreign tourists, Bodrum is no longer a quiet seaside town;
It may seem absurd to compare Bodrum, with its cultural richness and splendor, to a small Greek Island. But there is clearly a big difference in terms of tourism. Every year tourists from all over the world come to the Greek islands.
Prices are compared every year. In Greece, more or less, you see a slight difference between the places you go to. They are generally friendly and sympathetic; No one is afraid that they will treat me badly because I spend little money here.
On the contrary, we have been talking about Turkey for years. In a 2008 article, Vedat Milör mentions that foreign tourists coming to Turkey do not leave the ‘all-inclusive’ vacation sites for fear of being ripped off. So are domestic tourists now.
A bigger problem is planning, cities are growing so unplanned that we now face unavoidable problems. Artificial environments & experiences are created with plants that are tried to be grown where they should not be. At a time when resources are so limited, we are witnessing the slaughter of forests right next to us. In coastal cities that grow so unplanned, traffic, lack of water and ‘a blow to tourism’ are inevitable.
The result, yes they are not on a comparable scale. But in general, the Greek Islands are more preferable with their calmness, peaceful establishments, self-created entertainment elements and people who don’t give up their rights with the Towel Movement.
You can check our Kos guide here.
