The Central and Southern Aegean Coast
We’ve compiled the best of the best in The Central and Southern Aegean Coast - browse our top choices for the top things to see or do during your stay.
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1. Bodrum Castle and Museum of Underwater Archaeology
Built in the early 15th century by the Knights Hospitaller (Knights of St. John), the Petronion, better known as Bodrum Castle or the Castle of St. Peter, rises between Bodrum's twin harbors like an illustration from a fairy tale. With German knight-architect Heinrich Schlegelholt at the helm, the knightly builders plundered the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus for green volcanic stone, marble columns, and reliefs to create this showpiece of late-medieval architecture, whose walls are studded with 249 coats of arms, including the crests of the Plantagenets and d'Aubussons. The castle's towers and gardens are visible from many parts of town, and the name "Bodrum" itself likely derives from the word Petronion. Some of the castle's towers are named after the homelands of the knights who built them: France, Germany, Italy, and England (the English Tower, embellished with a relief of a lion, is known as the Lion Tower, and contains a replica of a medieval hall). The castle now houses the fascinating Museum of Underwater Archaeology, where displays include the world's oldest excavated shipwreck (Uluburun), the tomb of the so-called "Carian Princess," and the sunken cargoes of many ancient and medieval ships that sank off the treacherous Aegean coast.
Kale Cad., Bodrum, Mugla, 48400, Turkey252-214–1261Sight Details
Rate Includes: TL90; audio guide TL30 -
2. Antik Tiyatro
Construction of the magnificent, 5,000-seat ancient theater began during the 4th century BC reign of King Mausolus, back when Bodrum was known as Halicarnassus of Caria. The Hellenistic theater was used and updated through the Roman era, and remains one of the ancient city's best-preserved monuments; it is still used for concerts and other performances. The view of Bodrum and the Aegean sea is breathtaking from this high, hillside vantage point, though the outlook is marred by the loud, busy highway that runs alongside the theater.
Kıbrıs Şehitleri Cad., Bodrum, Mugla, 48400, TurkeySight Details
Rate Includes: Free -
3. Bodrum Deniz Müzesi
This small museum makes for an interesting break from the summer heat, with models of famous boats on the ground floor and a massive collection of seashells of all shapes, sizes, and colors, upstairs. Don’t miss the old black-and-white photos of sponge divers and sponges being delivered from Bodrum harbor—it’s what the town was known for in its pre-tourism days.
Nazım Hikmet Sok. 4/1, Bodrum, Mugla, 48400, Turkey252-316–3310Sight Details
Rate Includes: TL20, Closed Mon. -
4. Dibeklihan
In the olive tree-covered hills above Bodrum, the “culture and arts village” of Dibeklihan is a pretty complex of traditional stone buildings holding artist studios, galleries, boutiques, and a couple of cafés and restaurants. It’s a pleasant place for shopping or dinner, and there is sometimes live music on summer evenings. It’s close to Yakaköy village on the outskirts of Ortakent, and best reached with your own transportation.
Çilek Cad. 46/2, Ortakent, Mugla, Turkey532-527–7649-for dinner reservationsSight Details
Rate Includes: Closed Nov.--Apr. -
5. Mausoleum of Halicarnassus
Little remains of the extravagant white-marble tomb of King Mausolos, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World—and the source of the word mausoleum. During the 4th century, Bodrum (then called Halicarnassus) was governed by King Mausolos. Upon his death in 353 BC, Queen Artemisia, his wife and sister, ordered the construction of the great white-marble tomb. At almost 150 feet in height, it must have been quite a sight—a towering rectangular base topped by Ionic columns and friezes of spectacular relief sculpture, surmounted by a pyramidal roof, and crowned with a massive statue of Mausolus and Artemisia, riding a chariot into eternity. The Mausoleum stood for over a millennium, but the 15th-century Knights of St. John plundered its stones to build the Petronion, while 19th-century Brits carted many of the surviving sculptures off to the British Museum. Admission price is relatively high for what little you'll see, but it does offer a rare opportunity to reflect on how a Wonder of the World has been reduced to fallen masonry and broken columns. The site also contains a bare but interesting earlier underground burial chamber.
Turgutreis Cad., Bodrum, Mugla, TurkeySight Details
Rate Includes: TL14, Closed Mon. -
Recommended Fodor’s Video
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6. Pedasa
On a spectacular perch high above Bodrum, the little-visited ruins of the ancient city of Pedasa date back some 2,500 years, when members of the Leleges civilization built a temple to the goddess Athena here. The site, parts of which are still under excavation, has an acropolis and a necropolis in addition to the temple—and the sweeping views. The archaeological site is located along a new cross-peninsula trekking route, the Leleg Yolu (Leleges Way) that will eventually include 88 km (55 miles) of marked paths. A scenic hike of around 6 or 7 km (4 miles) leads from the side of the motorway in Torba, a short dolmuş ride from Bodrum city center, to Pedasa; the trailhead is a bit tricky to find, but the rest is well marked. From Pedasa, it’s about 3 km (2 miles) down a paved road to the town of Konacık, which while overdeveloped and unlovely, offers two good reasons to stop by: a hearty and well-priced meal at the popular lunchtime lokanta Kısmet, and coffee afterwards in the lush gardens of Zai Bodrum, a beautifully designed and art-bedecked library and cultural center.
Pedasa Antik Kenti, Bodrum, Mugla, Turkey -
7. Zeki Müren Arts Museum
The modest home of one of Turkey’s most famous and beloved singers, Zeki Müren, was turned into a museum after his death in 1996. There’s not much signage in English, but the period furniture and personal effects, performance photos, elaborate Liberace-style stage costumes, and Müren’s own paintings speak for themselves. His music plays throughout the building and there’s a vending machine of quirky souvenirs by the reception desk.
Zeki Müren Cad. 11, Bodrum, Mugla, 48400, Turkey252-316–1939Sight Details
Rate Includes: TL12.5, Closed Mon.
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Recommended Fodor’s Video
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