Bodrum Centre, Turkey – My stay on the Turquoise coast

The superb location on the Aegean Sea, the picture perfect coastline and of course the amazing weather that this cute town bathes in, was the perfect place to start a tour along the Turquoise coast. A place rich in maritime history though now one of the most famous seaside resorts in the Mediterranean. A long search scouring booking.com for a cheap but pleasant base, brought me to Petra Butik. It’s excellent reviews and unique rooms meant this was the chosen one. It is part of the Akkan group who own many other hotels along the Bodrum coastline, though this one is the closest to the centre.

Now on to the destination! Bodrum Castle stands proud on the edge of the harbour. Wherever you are along the coast, it’s grand towers stand in view, just ignore the current cranes (for restoration work) and it makes the perfect centrepiece for the town. As the first stage of restoration has now finished, we entered the castle at the price of  65tl, which also includes one of the finest underwater archaeological museums in its grounds. Highlights included one of the oldest shipwrecks in the world and the ‘glasswrecks’ which sees tiny glass pieces put back together to rebuild vases and other glassware. An incredible feat, the amount of hours that must have gone into searching through pieces and carefully placing them back together is stunning. Most areas of the castle are accessible including the four towers named after the country that built them. The grounds are also filled with statues, columns and other ancient sculptures retrieved from the seas.

Continuing to explore the town we wandered down backstreets unearthing the cutest of houses. The sun bounced off the walls as they gleamed with their colours shining brightly. Of course it wouldn’t be a tourist town if it didn’t have huge letters spelling the region’s name, as pretty much every destination has nowadays! The large bazaar in the centre of town was filled with unique craft shops and amazing looking street food. Everyday we passed through but be careful of the maze of pathways, it’s easy to get lost! We continued to explore and relax along the 2 bays either side of the castle, the west side being home to an enormous harbour displaying the very best of sailboats and yachts. A famous visitor had docked while we were there too, see the photos below! 😉 The opposite bay was crammed full with beachside restaurants and bars, literally on the beach with tables and chairs set up centimetres from the waves. A few hundred metres further east, one of the many famous beaches with its clear waters gave the perfect opportunity to rest our legs while watching the many pirate ships sail out around tours of the nearby islands, you could just make them out in the distance.

Finally, thoughts on the hotel, this one of the best ‘budget’ hotels I’ve stayed in and with accommodation in this area being on the more expensive side, Petra Butik blows them all out the water by providing excellent facilities, service and breakfast all at a very reasonable price. The room was sparklingly clean while modern accessories are mixed in with the old wooden/stone features and complemented by rustic furniture. When all put together it gives a feeling of luxury rather than budget! Then a short walk from the chalet-style room brings you to the sea facing restaurant for a fulfilling traditional Turkish breakfast every morning delivered by the most accommodating hotel team. Forgive me for promoting this place, I haven’t been paid for this section, honest! I always give an honest opinion and I would love for others to have a great stay too!

Taking in most of the sights of Bodrum centre itself, we then headed to the Bodrum region’s north bay – Torba to check out one of the many luxury hotel resorts in the area. What a resort it was! One of the finest waterparks, excellent food and a beach you could only dream of. The full review and continued travel posts from my trip along the western coast of Turkey will arrive shortly!

Check out more posts from my Travels!

New York City – Amazing views, Attractions & Central Park

Paris – Eiffel Tower, Lovre & Arc de Triomphe in One Evening!

Cappadocia – Fairy Chimney Rocks & Fantastical Valleys

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