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From Marmaris to Bozburun

For another day, if you get tired of the crowds of Marmaris, you can visit Bozburun to the south west. Your stopping points will be Bayırköy, Çiftlik, Orhaniye, Selimiye, Bozburun and Söğüt. Barring Bayır, you can get to all of these by sea. However, if you travel by boat you should reserve at least three days for the trip. You can also get to Orhaniye, Selimiye and Bozburun from the Datça road by passing through Hisarönü. But we will go through Bayır.

You leave Marmaris, pass through İçmeler and follow the road to Turunç. The road starts to wind more sharply and climbs for a while until it get to a short flat area. After this there is the turn for Bozburun. After half an hour driving through the pine forest and small settlements you are in Bayır.

Bayır

The village of Bayır in recent years has become a popular stopping point for jeep safari tours. Do not forget to take a break here and have a cup of tea or foamy ayran under the shade of the giant ancient trees in the village square. We do not know where the rumour came from but it is said that walking once around the ancient tree increases the lifetime of the whoever circles it. The Bayır villagers have written this on an information plaque near the tree.

It is believed that the village itself was founded on the top of the ancient city of Syrna and where the mosque now stands there used to be a temple dedicated to the God of Health, Asklepios. Some traces of the temple have survived. The acropolis of Syrna is two kilometres to the north east of the village, on top of Yancağız Hill. You can get to the acropolis by using the ancient stone-paved road that is still in use. The climb to the hill takes about half an hour. You can see the acropolis, some parts of the city walls, lids of stone tombs and the ruins of buildings.

After Bayır, the road divides in two. One of the roads, the one to the right, heads to the village of Turgut. The other goes to Bozburun. We will first go to Bozburun and approximately one kilometre later take the turn to Çiftlikköy. We will talk about getting down to Orhaniye and Selimiye from Turgut later.

Çiftlik

Take care not to miss the turn to Çiftlik on the road from Bayır up to Söğüt, one kilometre along. There is a signpost but it hardly noticeable. After you take the turn you travel a bit through a flat area and then you go down towards Çiftlik Cove. On the one hand you will the see the cove and on the other Hisarönü Gulf at your back. At this point you should take a break and get out for a breath of fresh mountain air. You will be surrounded by the pine forest. You get to Çiftlik via a slightly winding road that takes 15 minutes. The thick sand of Çiftlik’s beaches attract many visitors. There are only a few of this type of beach around Marmaris and the nearby coves, especially as it has crystal clear and clean waters. Leave yourself to enjoy the waters, swim for while and then lie down on the sand beach. The beach, which runs all around the cove, is not crowded barring at midday when daily boat tours take a break here. However, by comparison with the past, Çiftlik Cove does not have its former quietness. Now you can feel a bit crowded with a holiday house complex, two hotels, a water sports facility, a holiday village that as yet only has its restaurant and entertainment centre running and the restaurants on the waterfront.

At the entrance of Çiftlik Cove there is an island, though as it is privately owned you can’t visit without permission. The rocky areas at both ends of the cove are suitable for diving but there are hardly any fish to hunt with a spear. For better diving you can go to the nearby Gebekse Cove by boat. On the point of this cove in the sand you will see archaeological remains. The Gebekse ruins are believed to be of a church.

Gebekse Cove is one of the main stopping points of the Blue Cruise boats and a small number of day cruise boats also come here. There is a small beach and an open air restaurant. You will get great pleasure from swimming with goggles and seeing the wonderful colours beneath the water.

Şelale (Waterfall)

Next return to the village of Bayır, though this time follow the road down to the village of Turgut. After you travel 5.5 kilometres you see the sign saying _elale on the right. It is possible to drive on the dirt road, which brings you to the _elale region after 200 metres. This _elale is not one of the giant size waterfalls. It falls from a height of just three or four metres, coming from a valley of thick vegetation where the water levels drop in summer. However, the water of the stream is icy cold and, if you have your swimming costume with you, you should take to the waters of the small two to three metre deep lake formed by the waterfall. You can get relief from the suffocating heat even if it is only for a short time. In the area near the waterfall there are open air restaurants. The ayran and the gözleme, freshly cooked right there by village woman, will make you feel good after the cold water. You can also order trout or chicken dishes. If you have the time you can also walk by the banks of the stream into the valley, though don’t forget that the thick vegetation can make hiking difficult at times.

Turgut

The village of Turgut is nine kilometres from Bayır and has begun being developed by the tourism sector. The largest carpet shops within the Marmaris region are at the entrance to Turgut. The shops selling carpet and souvenirs to which tourists are brought to in groups are now responsible for the main livelihood of the village. In Turgut there are also many good restaurants where you can eat. In the cove of Turgut there are ancient remains that attract one’s attention. The ruins are to the side of a garden wall and further up there is the wall that is believed to have surrounded the sacred area of Ygeia. It is believed that these ruins are from the small ancient city of Hygassos.

Orhaniye, Kızkumu

Orhaniye is only 2.5 kilometres from Turgut. After you leave Turgut the road divides in two. In order to get to Orhaniye you turn to the right while the road leading to the left goes to Selimiye. One of the most important tourism centres on the Gulf of Hisarönü, Orhaniye sees the yachts that come to Hisarönü pass through.

The sea of Orhaniye is always as flat as a sheet. The colour of the pine trees that surround the area are reflected on the sea, giving it a shade peculiar to this region. The area is so quiet that when you swim you can only hear the sound you create in the water.

You will be puzzled by the sight of people apparently walking on the sea. Thanks to the movement of the sand there is a shallow bar in the middle of the cove that divides it in two. This ribbon, of approximately 600 metres, is called Kızkumu. There is also a legend attached to it. "A girl who wanted to meet with her lover put some sand in the hem of her skirt and planned to fill the sea with this sand to get to her lover. However, there was not enough sand and she was drowned". By way of explanation, the word Kızkumu means "girl sand".

In the middle of the cove there is an island and on top of the island there are the ruins of a castle. It is believed that the castle belonged to the ancient city of Baybassos. You can get to the island by hiring a caique (small boat) and then walking to the ruins of the castle along the path. The view from here is brilliant and is worth the effort.

The people of Baybassos brought water to the island from the waterfall in Turgut through aqueducts and a pipe laid under the water.

From Orhaniye there are boat tours to the Gulf of Hisarönü. There are stops at places such as the coves of Selimiye, Hisarönü and İnbükü and the island of Dişlice. The tours include lunch and last until the evening. Dişlice Island, located opposite the hill facing Hisarönü where the Robinson Club Maris Hotel is, is popular for its small canyons and stone formations.

At the entrance of Orhaniye Cove there is the Keçi Bükü (inlet) where yachts moor in summer and winter and where they are maintained at the Martı Marina and the Hotel. Just next to these facilities are the ruins of an ancient monastery. It is worth seeing the mosaics in the garden.

It is possible to get to Hisarönü or the Marmaris-Datça road from Orhaniye. The distance between Orhaniye and Hisarönü is only 3.5 kilometres, the road being wide and is asphalted.

Where to stay?
There are motels and pensions in Orhaniye where you can stay.
The Kızkumu Motel (252) 487 10 23

Selimiye

From Orhaniye, if you follow the asphalted seaside road, you get to Bozburun. From Orhaniye, ten kilometres from the Turgut turn, you travel another seven kilometres and you get to Selimiye, another of the popular stops for boats on the Blue Cruise between Bodrum and Marmaris.

The cove is green, the sea is clean and generally calm but there is not much in the way of sand beaches. There are small restaurants around the quay area. There is an eternal quietness that rules the area, perfect for those that want to have a holiday away from the crowd.

There are also historical remains around the Selimiye region. There are ruins of three castles of the ancient city of Hydas in the area. One of them is on the highest hill of Selimiye, one other on Sarıkaya Hill and the last in Aşarkale in the Kızılköy district. To the south east of the cove you can visit the Hellenistic era city walls. Among the ruins it is worth seeing, 100 metres off the outlet to the sea, the monitoring tower built to show ships the way, the lighthouse, monastery and the theatre.

The pieces that were salvaged from the wrecks in the region are displayed in the Bodrum Underwater Museum.

At Selimiye Cove, which is used by boats for shelter in stormy weather as it is a natural port, if you are seeking a beach you should go to "Sığ Liman" (Shallow Port) two kilometres away where there is very fine sand.

Where to stay?
Pensions at which to stay:
Emre Motel:  0252 446 40 10
Beyaz Güvercin Motel:  0252 446 42 76
Emin Motel:  0252 446 40 87
Begovina Motel:0252 446 42 02

What to eat?

There are many restaurants in the area of the quay where the yachts moor. There is a wide variety of fish available and, according to its type, your choice can be either be grilled or stewed. Fish stewed in virgin olive oil and with bay leaves adds another flavour. Stuffed marrow flower is a speciality of the southern Aegean region.