Blue Cruise Zones, Bodrum/Turkey

Bodrum; Bodrum, hometown of the famous historian Herodotus, catches attention not only with its historical but also its natural beauties. According to Herodotus, born in Halicarnassus (the former name of Bodrum) in 484 BC and known as “the Father of History” the first city located in today’s Bodrum’s residential area was a settlement area in the times of Kayra and Leleg people.

Then the Dorians settled in this area and they used the name Halicarnassus ancient city. Halicarnassus came under the sway of Persians in 386 BC. The heyday of Halicarnassus was when Mausolos, who lived between 378 and 353 BC, moved the capital of Kayra area from Mylasa (now Milas) here.

At this time his sister and simultaneously his wife Artemisia II. built the Mausoleum, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, in commemoration of King Mausolos. Bodrum was captured by the Romans in 193 BC, but it made no significant progress at this period. In 395 it was seized by the Byzantines and in the the XI century it was captured by the Turks.

During the first Crusades it was conquered by the Byzantines, but the Turks took the possession of the town again in the XIV century. In 1415 the Rhodes Knights invaded the town. It again became a part of the Ottoman Empire in 1523 in the reign of Suleiman the Magnificent. After the declaration of the Turkish Republic its name changed as Bodrum.

The Gulf of Gulluk is located to the north of Bodrum and the Gulf of Gokova in the south. Its climate is a synthesis of the Aegean and Mediterranean climates. As a peninsula it has the features of a microclimate area: There is no humidity during summer months and its humidity rate is very low in winter. In summer it is hot and dry and in winter it is calm and rainy.

With its beaches, night-life and its Castle, Bodrum is one of our most important tourist areas . There are also other beaches in villages like Gumbet, Turgutreis, Yalikavak, Gumusluk, Yaliciftlik and Turkbuku, around Bodrum where green and blue integrates. The town is also famous for gulet tourism.

About 35 km away from the centre of Bodrum, the town of Gumusluk attracts tourists with its natural beauty such as Tavsan Adasi (Small Island of rabbit). If you like quiet and calm areas, we recommend you to call at here. If you wish you may include this town famous for its fish restaurants in your blue cruise program. Moreover there are lots of historical ruins in this area as it has been a settlement area since ancient times.

Some of them are: Termera, Mindos, Telmissus, Pedasa, Ancient Theatre, Mausoleion, Goktepe and Gate of Myndos. Until now we told you about the historic wealth of Bodrum and now let us travel from Bodrum Harbor and travel along the bays till Antalya Harbor. Indeed it is impossible to define these beauties in writing; you should experience them. Half an hour away from Bodrum Harbor, bay of Akvaryum Bay (Island Strait) is really worth seeing. We recommend you to stay the night here.

When you look at the South at night, you see the sparkling world of Kos Island and when you look at the Northeast, you see the sparkling world of Bodrum. When we travel inwards from this route, we come across numerous beautiful bays, villages and ports such as: Kara Island, Tavsan Burnu (Rabbit’s Nose), Pabuc Burnu, Kizilburun, Yaliciftlik, Orak Island, Kisse Buku, Mazi, Cokertme, Oren, Akbuk, Cleopatra Island.

“On the small bay in the northwest side of the Island there is an interesting beach on which Cleopatra was supposed to be seen. What makes the island special is its specific sand called Oolotik and its turquoise sea. On the city island, called Cleopatra Island there is the ruin called Cedrae from Roman times. According to legend this small bay is the place where Cleopatra and Mark Antonius used to swim.

For his beloved Cleopatra Antonius made the sand brought from Africa with ships. According to the common belief this kind of sand can be seen only in Egypt today. In the east of the Saray Adasi or Cleopatra Island there are ruins surrounded by city walls from Roman times.

The small Theater building is in a better condition compared to others. A Christian basilica was built on the foundations of the Apollo Temple belonging to the Dorians. In the west of the Saray Adasi there is an Agora. From some epigraphs it is understood that athletics festivals were organized in honor of Apollo in this area.”

Our next locations are Karacasögüt, Ingiliz Limani (the British Port), Löngöz, Tuzla, Yediadalar (Seven Islands), Çati, Armonika Bay, Gol Yeri, Kormen Limani and Mersincik. When we arrive at Mersincik Bay, it means that we have completed travelling along all the bays of the Gulf of Gokova. Travelling 1,5 hours away from Mersincik we reach Knidos, the first port of call of the Gulf of Hisaronu.