Secrets of the Bozburun Peninsula By Dan Williams At Isnare.com Ezine Articles

When you think of holiday resorts in Turkey the towns of Bodrum, Marmaris and Ismir are usually the first to spring to mind, but Turkey is a huge country and the southern coast which stretches from Antalya in the East to Bodrum in the West has plenty more to offer.

Resorts like Antalya and Marmaris have both seen plenty of improvements over the past 30 years and now offer everything to make the summer family holiday a perfect experience. The weather is reliably warm and sunny, fantastic beaches and nearby hotels provide the facilities everyone expects. Antalya is a large city providing an exciting mix of exotic Asian charm and cosmopolitan style. There is still plenty in the way of history and culture to the region but many people travel here to just enjoy the sunshine and sand.

Marmaris has a similar focus on beach holidays with its large sheltered bay offering the added attraction of perfect conditions for watersports. The town is home to the largest marina in Turkey and sailing, windsurfing and waterskiing are all popular activities off the coast of Marmaris. The traditional Turkish Gulets are wooden boats that are used for sailing holidays in the area and many companies use Marmaris as their base.

All this activity and development starts to fade away as you travel further west from Marmaris and after just 50 kilometres by road you will find yourself on the amazing Bozburun peninsula. Until recently only the committed traveller would have reached these areas and so development and tourist facilities are still very limited.

The coastal town of Turunc acts as a gateway to the peninsula itself and provides a gentle introduction of things to come. Turunc has a pleasant beach area and a few new developments on the outskirts but the town center still shows its traditional charm and prides itself on its welcoming and relaxed atmosphere. Turunc offers a similar protected bay although on a much smaller scale to Marmaris. The town is really not much more than a large village and has plenty of charm to offer everything required for visitors seeking a peaceful and relaxed holiday. The choice of bars and restaurants is more limited and nightlife is also much quieter making it perfect for family holidays.

The town which bears the name of the peninsula itself, Bozburun, is a quiet town which owes its history to the sea, being primarily a community of fisherman and boat builders. Its transition into the modern era has been assisted by the development of a new marina and a few hotels. The boat building tradition of the inhabitants is being used to grow a new industry in yacht maintenance and developments supported by tourism include some luxury villas in the surrounding hillsides.

Other parts of the peninsula are even less developed but some do attract daily tourist traffic which visits certain bays on day trips from Marmaris. One such bay is Ciftlik Bay just beyond Bayrirkoy. The bay has a fantastic beach and a small marina but can become very busy with arrival of the hundreds of day trippers that stop off here. The ancient village of Syrna sits on the hillside of the bay and the ruins of acropolis will be of interest to those fascinated by the history of the area. Another bay close by is that of Gebekse Bay which is also very nice but even smaller and with less to distract the tourist seeking peace and quiet.

Halfway down the peninsula is Selimiye bay which is another beautiful spot surrounded by attractive countryside. Development here has been closely controlled with only small low-rise buildings allowed and because it is further away from the larger towns of the area the area is very quiet. There’s little in the way of sandy beaches here but there are a few restaurants and mooring points for passing yachts. The area must have been much busier in the past as there are ruins of several castles, a theater and a monastery. Like other bays on the peninsula, this one also provides good shelter for sailors and is a favoured stopping point for cruises along the Bodrum to Marmaris coast.

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