Southern Aegean
Southern Aegean Region is on the southwest coast of Aegean Turkey. It has a 2000 year tradition of tourism, and most international visitors are heading for party-town Bodrum. But beyond the resort strip are some of Turkey's top attractions, with quiet coves, Roman cities, hot springs, and mountains clad by pines and wild olives.
Towns
- 1 Bodrum is a lively resort city with a castle, Roman ruins, and bars and clubs.
- 2 Turgutreis on Bodrum peninsula's west coast is a large modern resort strip.
- 3 Gümüşlük is an attractive fishing village just north.
- 4 Yalıkavak is the main resort on the north coast of the peninsula.
- 5 Akyaka is a small beach resort and Gökova is an adjoining village, both with beautiful traditional architecture.
- 6 Datça is the resort on the tip of the peninsula dividing the Aegean and Mediterranean.
- 7 Didim is a large resort town near the Temple of Apollo of Didyma.
- 8 Milas is an industrial city but near many archaeological sites.
- 9 Muğla is industrial but has a well-preserved old quarter.
- 10 Aydın is also industrial but has a good museum.
- 11 Denizli inland is th hub for visiting Pamukkale.
Other destinations
- 1 Pamukkale is a spectacular cascade of white travertine pools, overlooked by the Roman spa town of Hierapolis.
- 2 Aphrodisias is a well-preserved Roman city yet tourist buses seldom visit.
- 3 Priene, Miletus and Didyma are a trio of Grecian cities, usually visited on a combined "PMD" day-trip.
Understand
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Datça is the long peninsula west of Marmaris which is taken as the boundary between the Aegean Sea to the north and the Mediterranean south. These are effectively the same body of water, pinched into channels here and there by Greek islands a few km offshore. Ancient people got around by sea: Caria was a Hellenistic kingdom which came under the sway of the Romans and later the Byzantines. Castles were built to defend their ports, and shrines to placate their gods: these suffered multiple earthquakes, conquests, desecrations and stone-robbing, but many remain as the region's finest assets. There was little industry apart from quarrying, and agriculture on the river plains between rugged hills. Tourism has a 2000-year tradition here but only brought in a mass market from the 1980s, drawn by the "blue voyages" lyrically described by Halikarnas Balıkçısı, the Fisherman of Halicarnassus. Wide-bodied jets could by then reach Turkey non-stop from anywhere in Europe, and the upgrade of Milas-Bodrum airport meant a short transfer from baggage reclaim to beach resort.
The climate is Mediterranean, with hot dry summers where the sea breeze stops you noticing how sunburned you're getting. Winters are above freezing but distinctly raw from that breeze. Early summer and autumn are ideal times to visit, with less crowding at the major sites.
Get in
- 1 Milas–Bodrum Airport (BJV IATA) 35 km northeast of Bodrum is the main arrival point for international tourists.
- Denizli Çardak Airport (DNZ IATA) has flights from Istanbul.
- Izmir and Antalya are other large airports within a few hours drive.
- Ferries sail from Kos in the Dodecanese islands of Greece to Bodrum and Datça. From Rhodes sail to Marmaris further south, and from Samos to Kuşadası further north.
- Buses run roughly hourly from Istanbul and Izmir to major cities such as Bodrum.
- Roads are mostly good, and traffic is light by western standards. Major divided highways are E87 from Izmir through Aydın continuing as D320 to Denizli and Antalya, D550 south from Aydın to Muğla and Akyaka, and D400 from Datça, Marmaris and Akyaka east to Fethiye and eventually Antalya, Adana and beyond.
- Trains in this region are beyond tedious. Pamukkale Ekspresi trundles once a day from Eskişehir to Denizli, and Göller Ekspresi sleepwalks from Izmir to Denizli and Isparta at a time of night that makes it impractical for most visitors.
Get around
Muttas is the regional bus service. A swarm of Muttas buses and dolmuşes link the main towns and associated villages.
Your own vehicle will make life easier at Pamukkale (to reach the main gate) and Aphrodisias (which is off the main bus routes).
See
- Ancient cities: Hierapolis has pride of place, as it was a Roman spa overlooking the Pamukkale travertine pools.
- Aphrodisias was built around the temple to Aphrodite or Venus.
- Miletus and Priene are Graeco-Roman, while Didyma has a grand temple but was never part of a city.
- Castles: Bodrum has the best, as later rulers had reason to keep it in good repair.
- Rock tombs carved into the cliff face are best seen at Akyaka.
- Ottoman architecture: Muğla surprisingly has the best, as it's otherwise industrial and modern. Most towns have "traditional" mosques built recently.
Do
- Water sports are available at the main beaches and resort hotels. Scuba diving here is mellow and suitable for low-experience divers.
- The Carian Trail is a leash of hiking trails with coastal sections around the Gulf of Gökova, and inland sections to Muğla, Milas, and Lake Bafa.
Buy
All but the tiniest villages have supermarkets for self-catering supplies.
Eat
Expect to dine on the same Turkish and Med staples night after night. Even Bodrum doesn't offer other cuisines.
Drink
- Most cafes serve beer, wine and the national drink rakı. Bodrum tourist strip has free-standing bars.
- Vineyards open to visitors can be found near Bodrum and Çal, northeast of Denizli.
Stay safe
This is prime territory for not-always-sober tourists. Beware of traffic including water traffic (mad bats on jet skis) and take care of valuables.
Go next
- In Central Aegean region to the north the big resort is Kuşadası, near the must-see site of Ephesus. Izmir is the chief city, the third largest in Turkey.
- Lycia south is on the Med coast, with Marmaris and Fethiye its main resorts.
- Lakes District to the east is seldom visited by tourists, but Beyşehir has Seljuk monuments and a UNESCO-listed mosque.
- Central Anatolia to the northeast is the heartland of Turkey, with Ankara the capital, historic Konya and other-worldly Cappadocia.
- The Dodecanese are Greek islands to the west: Rhodes and Kos are the easiest to reach.