About Turkey
Official NameRepublic of Turkey
Date of FoundationOctober 29, 1923
Capital CityAnkara
Largest CitiesIstanbul, Ankara, Izmir, Adana, Antalya
Turkey has so much to offer her visitors: breathtaking natural beauties, unique historical and archeological sites, steadily improving hotel and touristic infrastructure, a tradition of hospitality and competitive prices. It is not surprising therefore that this country has recently become one of the world's most popular tourism destinations. Due to Turkey's diverse geography, one can experience four different climates in any one day. The rectangular shaped country is washed on three sides by three different seas. Its shores are laced with beaches, bays, coves, ports, islands and peninsulas. The summers are long, lasting as long as eight months in some areas. Turkey is also blessed with majestic mountains and valleys, lakes, rivers, waterfalls and grottoes perfect for winter and summer tourism and sports of all kinds.
Bodrum
A world renowned holiday and entertainment peninsula, Bodrum is a paradise for its climate, sea, natural beauty, magnificent coves and history, as well as for its modern nightlife where the show goes on until sunrise. Its many resorts and hotels cater for every need of their visitors. Since the dawn of the time, Bodrum, known in antiquity as Halircarnasus, has amazed human beings, and carried imprint of many cultures and civilizations.
Sights & Attractions: The seaside villages, bays and coves of Bodrum are world-famous, and each has its own charm and peculiarities.
Bodrum Castle, built by The Knights of St. John, which has become a symbol of the peninsula. At present it hosts the Bodrum Museum of Underwater Archaeology which was awarded the "Certificate of Special Commendation" in the "European Museum of the Year Award" competition in 1995. For the history enthusiast, another must see place in Bodrum is the remains of the Mausoleum.
Blue Voyage: The Blue Voyage, also known as the Blue Cruise ("Mavi Yolculuk" in Turkish) is a term used for the recreational boating tours departing from Bodrum, Marmaris, Fethiye, Gökova, Fethiye and Antalya. These trips are a unique tranquil holidays to enjoy the beautiful bays and coves which can only be reached by sea, to swim in unpolluted waters in a myriad of shades of blue, to visit magnificent antique sites such as Knidos.
About Yalikavak
Yalikavak the St. Tropez of Bodrum is situated on the south west coast of Turkey on the northern side of the Bodrum Peninsula it is Turkey’s best kept secret. The town is around twenty minutes’ drive from Bodrum Town and Bodrum Airport is about 40 miles to the east. Yalikavak is a traditional fishing village one that welcomes tourists, on your arrival you will find a neat tidy resort, a relaxed tranquil atmosphere the ideal destination for a family holiday. It has a variety of accommodations to stay in, attractive bars and restaurants line the beach and harbour and provide some of the best seafood dishes and views to witness the amazing sunsets over the bay as you enjoy your meal. Yalikavak Beach runs around the bay and through the town centre it appears to stretch for miles it is clean and clear a narrow beach that never gets too crowded you can always find a quiet spot to bathe, swim or fish from.
Palmarina,Yalikavak, once known as Port Bodrum Marina is located in the beautiful bay, its extensive marina and harbour are presently undergoing a makeover by its new Azerbaijani owner. The New Palmarina Island is now host to one of the worlds famous Billionaire Club complete with its VIP area providing fabulous night time entertainment, Billionaire Beach with 700sq Mtr. seawater pool, new restaurants on the island offer fine dining and entertainment. Palmarina currently has a development project to increase the superyacht berting facility, the shopping Mall and Concert Square are being expanded all securing the future of the marina as a centre for super yachts. The resort hosts many top class boating events, regattas, as well as cultural and artistic events.
Yalikavak has a good selection of local shops and facilities the famous Thursday Market the biggest on the Bodrum Peninsula is the place to go. Local produce, weaving, clothing, crafts and gifts, one of the great delights of any visit to Turkey is shopping. The rich variety of Turkish crafts such as its world famous carpets (kilims), brilliant hand-painted ceramics, copper and brassware, or meerschaum pipes make it almost impossible to not buy these charming souvenirs. Equally enticing are the relatively inexpensive leather and suede goods which are of excellent quality, keep in mind that bargaining is part of Turkey's culture (except in restaurants), and polite negotiation should not offend any shopkeeper or hotel owner.
Other interests in the resort are the windmills near the harbour is a fully renovated windmill where you can go inside and take a look at its workings, also an old water cistern which has now been converted into an art gallery. Should you choose to stay in Yalikavak, it offers lots of places to visit ie. The abandoned town of Sandima is a pleasant 2.2 km walk views of the town and the surrounding areas afforded along the way are glorious. A leisurely boat trip along the coast can be taken at a reasonable cost and have lunch on board. Fishing Trips are easily arranged with one of the local fishermen; you can also play Golf, Tennis, Football, and Cycling or visit the waterpark nearby.
A car is not necessary as you can visit most towns on the Bodrum Peninsula or further afield by using the local bus service (Dolmus) it will pick you up or drop you off anywhere along its route, destinations are usually posted on the windscreen, the service runs all day until 24.00 with a service every fifteen or twenty minutes or more frequent during busy periods, it is inexpensive and very efficient.
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