A guide to the best beaches in Bodrum
The peninsula of Bodrum has several stunning bays and seaside towns, making it a huge draw for anyone who wants to live the beach life during cheap holidays to Turkey. Expect to find a mix of sand and pebble, while almost every shoreline offers good access to facilities including places to rent watersport equipment, sunloungers and parasols. Along the Bodrum coastline are delicious restaurants, as well as spots to do a bit of shopping and even get your hair cut. This area of Turkey boasts incredible clear-blue water, ideal for snorkelling and for checking out the colourful marine life.
Bitez Beach - Bodrum City
This thriving beach is popular with both locals and tourists, most likely because of the fantastic facilities available. Just opposite the beach you’ll find numerous Turkish cafes and restaurants as well as barber shops, nail salons and great places to shop. The beach itself is rocky for the first few metres and then dissolves into soft sand. Watersports are big on this beach and there are free sunloungers available where you can duck under parasols.
Yahsi Beach - Ortakent
Yahsi Beach is a fantastic place to bring the kids on your Bodrum holiday because of its quiet location and shallow water. There are several restaurants and cafes by the coast all with competitive prices, but the absence of bars makes this area less noisy than its next-door-neighbour beaches. The water is beautifully clear with small stones underneath, so it’s a good idea to bring some beach footwear. Looking out over the ocean you can spot the Greek island of Kos.
Camel Beach - Bodrum City
12 kilometres from the centre of Bodrum City is this long sandy beach. Named after its camel rides, you can sign up to experience the bumpy transport for yourself on this coast. It’s impossible to miss these large beasts sleeping on the sand. Camel Beach also has a wooden pier that juts out into the ocean and is a docking spot for numerous boats and yachts. Things can get fairly busy here when the boats come in, but it makes for great people-watching.
Cleopatra's Beach - Bitez
For a quieter and more relaxing coastline experience you can head to Cleopatra’s Beach. Legend has it that Anthony had the sands moved over from Egypt to this beach because Cleopatra demanded white sand. Today the white sand still sparkles in the sunshine and is ideal for stretching out and darkening that tan. This beach is often not as busy as its nearby alternatives, so you’ll have lots of room to claim your own bit of sand. The water here is extremely clear and makes for some unforgettable snorkelling experiences.
Xuma Beach Club - Bodrum City
After visiting this beach and beach club you may never want to leave. With a long pier stretching out into the ocean, visitors have a brilliant time jumping into the warm water and doing a spot of snorkelling. This bay is encircled by trees, adding some much needed shade from all that hot Turkish sun. At the cafes you can order food and cocktails while DJs set the backdrop to your meal, mixing the most current tracks and dance tunes. There’s also watersport equipment to hire and beach volleyball facilities for any sport enthusiasts.