The Best Beaches in Bodrum, Ranked Honestly

Let's get the disappointment out of the way: Bodrum does not have long, wide, soft-sand beaches. The peninsula is rocky, the coves are small, and most of the swimming happens off pebbles, concrete platforms, wooden decks or beach-club sunbeds. The water, though, is the clear, clean Aegean, and there are a handful of genuinely sandy bays if you know where to look, mostly at the southwestern tip. Here is how they rank, from the ones we would send a family to down to the ones that are more scene than beach.

At a glance

Sandiest

Akyarlar and Karaincir, in the southwest

Calmest water

Bitez and Akyarlar; both are shallow and sheltered

Best for kids

Karaincir, then Bitez

Best sunset

Gümüşlük, swimming or eating at the waterline

Best by boat

Camel Beach, Kargı and the coves between Bitez and Akyarlar

Beach-club scene

Yalıkavak (Küdür side) and Türkbükü

Sea temperature

Around 72°F (22°C) in June, 77°F (25°C) in August and September

Wind

Afternoon meltemi on the north coast; the south side (Bitez, Akyarlar) is more sheltered

1. Akyarlar and Karaincir: sand, shallows, families

At the far southwestern corner of the peninsula, about 40 minutes from Bodrum town, the coast turns to actual sand. Karaincir is a sheltered bay with fine sand, water that stays knee-deep for a long way out, and a row of simple restaurants and sunbed operations behind it. Akyarlar, the village round the point, has a smaller town beach and a line of fish restaurants on the water. This is where Turkish families go, and it is the first place we would send anyone with small children.

It gets windy in the afternoons in July and August, because the Greek island of Kos is right there and the channel funnels the breeze, which is why kitesurfers like the next bay along. Go in the morning for still water.

2. Bitez: calm, shallow, windsurf

Bitez, 15 minutes west of Bodrum, is a long shallow bay backed by mandarin groves, with a narrow strip of sand and pebble and a string of low-key beach clubs and hotels. The water is calm enough for toddlers in the morning and gets just enough afternoon breeze for the windsurf schools at the eastern end. It is the most relaxed of the beaches close to town and the easiest to spend a whole day at without spending much.

3. Gümüşlük: swim off the restaurants

Gümüşlük is not a beach, it is a fishing village where you swim between courses. The restaurants put their tables at the waterline and most have a ladder or a strip of pebbles; there is a small public beach at the northern end and the famous wade across to Rabbit Island. Underwater lie the remains of ancient Myndos, so diving and snorkeling over the site are restricted. Come at four, swim, eat fish as the sun goes down behind the island. There is no better late afternoon on the peninsula.

4. Yalıkavak: beach clubs and the Küdür coves

Yalıkavak's town beach is modest; the reason to come is the marina and the beach clubs strung along the Küdür peninsula to the north, where rocky coves have been built out with decks, pools and restaurants. The water is deep and clear and the clubs range from relaxed to very expensive. There are also a few undeveloped coves on the Küdür side if you walk, and the northern beaches catch the full afternoon meltemi, which is why the windsurf and kite crowd like the stretch east toward Gündoğan.

5. Türkbükü: platforms and the scene

Göltürkbükü, on the north coast, has almost no beach at all. What it has is wooden platforms built out over the water from the hotels and clubs, with sunbeds, waiters, DJs from mid-afternoon and the most looked-at swimwear in Turkey. The water is lovely and the people-watching is unmatched in August, when Istanbul's rich and their boats are all here. It is a day out, not a beach, and if you want to swim in peace go to Gölköy, the quieter western half of the same bay.

6. Gümbet: sand, but a party

Gümbet, the bay just west of Bodrum town, has one of the longer sandy stretches on the peninsula and is also the budget party resort, with bar streets, cheap hotels and watersports touts. The beach is busy, the water is fine, the music starts early. If you are 22 it is perfect. Otherwise swim here in the morning and sleep somewhere else.

7. Torba: quiet and resort-led

Torba, on the north coast ten minutes from town, is a calm bay with a small pebble-and-sand beach, a few fish restaurants and several large resort hotels with their own private frontage. It is sheltered, pleasant and quiet, and best if you are staying in one of those resorts; as a destination beach for day visitors it is unremarkable.

8. Bodrum town's beaches: not the point

Bodrum town has a thin strip of sand and sunbeds along Kumbahçe, east of the castle, and some platforms on the bar-street side. People do swim there and the castle view is good. But the town is for the castle, the harbor and dinner; drive 15 minutes in any direction for a real swim.

9. Kargı, Bağla and Aspat: the coves you drive or sail to

Between Bitez and Akyarlar the south coast breaks into a series of coves reached by rough tracks off the main road or, more easily, by boat. Bağla is a sheltered bay with a small sandy beach and a beach club. Kargı has a long gravelly beach, a camel or two (this is also where boats stop for Camel Beach) and deep clear water. Aspat has a conical hill with ancient walls behind a quiet bay. None of them have much infrastructure; bring water and shade. These are the beaches that look like the brochure, which is why they are not next to a road.

10. Camel Beach: by boat

Camel Beach (Deve Plajı) is a sandy bay in the Kargı area that most of the Bodrum gulet day trips stop at for a swim, and yes, there are camels you can pay to sit on. The sand is good and the water is shallow and warm. You can reach it by road, but it is a better day as a stop on a boat trip, with the coves either side.

Beach-club etiquette

Most of the good waterfront in Bodrum is run by beach clubs, so you should know how they work. You pay either a flat fee for a sunbed and umbrella for the day, or a minimum spend on food and drink that covers the bed, and at the glossier places in Yalıkavak and Türkbükü both. The numbers climb steeply with the view and the DJ, and they change every season, so ask before you sit down and check whether the sunbed charge is deducted from your bill.

Reserve the front row in July and August, especially on weekends. Towels are usually provided; a sarong and your own water are not frowned upon at the relaxed places and are at the expensive ones. Tip the beach attendant who sets you up. And remember that under Turkish law the shoreline itself is public: you are always allowed to walk along the water and swim, even in front of a club you are not paying for. Just don't use their beds.

Frequently asked questions

Does Bodrum have sandy beaches?

A few. Karaincir and Akyarlar in the southwest are the sandiest, Gümbet and Bitez have sand mixed with pebbles, and Camel Beach and Bağla are sandy coves reached by boat or rough road. Most of the rest of the peninsula is pebbles, platforms and beach clubs.

What is the best beach in Bodrum for families?

Karaincir, near Akyarlar, is the best family beach: fine sand, very shallow calm water and simple restaurants behind it. Bitez is the best option closer to Bodrum town.

Are Bodrum beaches free?

The shoreline is public by law and you can always swim, but most of the good frontage is run by beach clubs that charge for sunbeds or require a minimum spend. There are free public stretches at Karaincir, Bitez, Gümbet and in Bodrum town.

Is the sea in Bodrum warm?

In summer, yes. The Aegean here is around 72°F (22°C) in June and 77°F (25°C) in August and September, and still around 72°F (22°C) in early October. In May it is cooler, around 66°F (19°C).

Which Bodrum beach has the best sunset?

Gümüşlük, on the west coast, where the restaurant tables sit at the water's edge facing the sun going down behind Rabbit Island. Swim first, then eat.

Can you swim in Bodrum town?

Yes, there is a small sandy beach at Kumbahçe, east of the castle, and platforms on the other side of the harbor. It is fine for a dip with a castle view, but the better beaches are a 15-minute drive away in Bitez or Gümbet.