Lady’s Guide to a Bodrum Weekend Getaway

Today I want to share my guide to a Bodrum weekend getaway in Turkey. This city on the Bodrum Peninsula in southwest Turkey is a gem on the Aegean Sea. It’s the perfect place to stay on a trip to the Turkish Riviera.

Bodrum Weekend

It’s windy in Bodrum. There are whitecaps on the Mediterranean, and when I open the doors to the balcony, it’s the cold that I notice first.

I suppose it makes sense. High season on the Turkish Riviera is coming to an end, and the hot summer weather has to cool off sometime.

Despite the chill, the view is spectacular. The edge of an infinity pool blurs into the sea of a private bay, and mega-yachts dot the water like little toy boats.

Kempinski Hotel Barbaros Bay

I’m at the Kempinski Hotel Barbaros Bay, a beautiful luxury hotel in Bodrum.

A friend and I have been invited to stay the night on a complimentary basis, and after arriving late we wake to find ourselves on a balcony ensconced in pink bougainvillea facing a spectacular Mediterranean sea. Not bad.

We head down to breakfast to help ourselves to a massive buffet featuring everything from fresh honeycomb to local yogurt and sweet rolls covered in pistachios.

Afterwards we walk past several of the Kempinski Hotel Barbaros Bay restaurants and head to the spa. The space is immense, and we spend the early afternoon in the indoor pool and gorgeous marble hammam.

Later we brave the wind and walk down to the secluded private beach to lounge by the sea.

But we don’t have much time for relaxing. Our Bodrum weekend getaway is short and there’s much to explore in town.

Things to Do on a Bodrum Weekend Getaway

We check out of the Kempinski Hotel Barbaros Bay and travel into the city, with its pretty marina, historic castle, and legendary Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

We walk through the streets and visit Bodrum’s famous food market. The scent of fresh limes, local olives, and rich spices fills the air.

Bodrum Restaurants

It makes us hungry. We stroll along the waterfront and have dinner in a fairy-tale outdoor courtyard at a restaurant called Kocadon.

Our server dotes and flirts, making sure we’re well taken care of as we dine on tender fried calamari and red snapper fillets.

Our desserts are the highlights. My fresh figs in white chocolate sauce and my friend’s bergamot oranges with unsalted cheese are both unique and delicious.

The following night our Bodrum weekend continues with dinner at the Marina Yacht Club. A famous dining establishment, it has great views of Bodrum Castle and good food to go with it.

Our mezzes of green beans and spicy walnut dip go down a treat, and our halloumi and zucchini salads are also nice. We’re too full to order dessert, but we do anyway.

Bodrum Weekend Sightseeing

Back outside, we brave the wind to explore more of Bodrum. We walk through the narrow covered alleys full of souvenir shops and along the pretty waterfront promenade.

We stop at the tourism office, where we find the staff both friendly and helpful. We have a leisurely lunch at a cafe on the marina, filling up on halloumi and skewers of grilled chicken.

We sit in a park and watch the world go by, and ultimately we follow the wind to the next destination on our Bodrum weekend itinerary: the Turkish Riviera’s newest hot spot. To be continued…

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