BODRUM – BODRUM
The Gokova Gulf
Bodrum is a good starting point for a number of itineraries. The Gokova Gulf is large, outstandingly beautiful and ideal for a week or ten days cruising and sailing. You could combine a week here with a few days north of Bodrum to visit the small village of Iasos in the Gulluk gulf (an interesting archaeological site here), the Temple of Apollo at Didyma close to Altinkum and Gumusluk on the Bodrum peninsular.
Alternatively, a two week programme starting at Bodrum could take you round the Gokova Gulf, to Knidos (an important Carian city in ancient times) on to Datca and the Hisaranu Gulf before finishing at Marmaris or returning to Bodrum. Another one week itinerary would be to start at Bodrum and finish at Marmaris, or in reverse, Marmaris to Bodrum.
The Gokova Gulf has many faces depending on the time of year you travel. In April and early May the coastline is awash with the many colours from masses of wild flowers. The mountainous coastline is covered in pink and white cistus, blood red poppies, wild orchids and many other varieties of wild flowers. There are some wonderful walks from wild and beautiful bays. Throughout the hot summer the pine clad mountains provide a wonderful backdrop to the turquoise blue sea. Degirman Buku or English Harbour (as it’s known locally) is a famous beauty spot, deservedly so, with a couple of restaurants. The village of Sogut provides an opportunity to top up on supplies and to walk through a fertile valley. A variety of garden produce is grown here. There are many lovely spots to drop an anchor and soak up the sun, snorkel or just relax.
Cleopatra’s Island or Cedreae as it was known in ancient times, is located near the top of the gulf and is worth a visit, although very popular with day trippers during the busy part of the holiday season. The approach to the islands is very pretty. Cleopatra is reputed to have spent some time here and a sandy beach was created for her with sand from the Sahara, or at least from that region. There is a small theatre hidden amongst an olive grove and the remains of a temple and city walls.
Another interesting village is at Oren. If the sea is calm, you can drop anchor at the seafront and either walk (about a mile) or take a dolmus up to the old village. Here you will find the villagers living amongst the ruins of ancient Keramos. Follow all footpaths and you will be delighted by an ornately carved temple doorway, now part of a barn wall, the remains of a Byzantine church in the bottom of a garden, complete with fresco clearly visible and the remains of a Roman bath complex. Village life carries on here regardless of tourism (you will not see many tourists, just local men passing the time in the local cafes). Before returning to Bodrum, you will find more lovely bays to anchor including Cokertme.
