Bodrum

The castle, a gulet day and sunset in Gümüşlük, with Kos by catamaran

Three days in Bodrum covers the town, a gulet day trip to the coves and a sunset dinner in Gümüşlük; a week adds beach clubs and a 25-minute catamaran hop to Kos. Begin with the town itself, curled around two bays below the castle.

The Castle of St Peter, built by the Knights Hospitaller from 1402, now holds the Museum of Underwater Archaeology and its star exhibit, the Bronze Age Uluburun wreck laden with copper ingots. A few streets inland lies the site of the Mausoleum, the tomb that gave the language its word.

• Three days: town first, then a gulet day trip from the marina to the coves. On the third day go west across the peninsula to Gümüşlük, whose harbour restaurants face the sunset over the scattered remains of ancient Myndos, and stop at the Yalıkavak marina on the way back.
• A week: add a beach-club day at Türkbükü or Gölköy, sand at Bitez or Gümbet, and a hop across to the Greek island of Kos, 25 minutes away by catamaran. Take your passport.
• Longer: charter a gulet for a multi-day blue voyage, the coastal cruising that the writer known as the Fisherman of Halicarnassus made fashionable.

Book gulet charters and summer hotels early, as July and August are crowded and expensive. Off-season travellers face the opposite problem: a large share of the hotels and restaurants shut between November and April, so confirm opening dates before you commit.

Overnight coaches arrive from Istanbul, and buses from Izmir run hourly.

Why late May, June and September suit Bodrum best

The calendar here is set by the resorts more than by the weather. Late May and June strike the best balance, with afternoons of 27 to 32°C, almost no rain, and beach clubs open but not yet packed. September (31°C) and October (26°C) repeat the trick as the crowds thin.

Nightlife is at its peak, prices are at their highest and every cove fills with day boats. Water around the peninsula stays cooler than you might expect because the summer winds keep it fresh. Windsurfers head for the exposed west coast near Turgutreis.

Gulet charter conditions are best in early summer. Save the old town, the castle and the Mausoleum for spring or autumn, when the heat is gentler.

Much of the resort shuts between November and April. The castle keeps shorter winter hours and the international side of the airport goes very quiet, with most charter flights gone until spring. The castle museum still opens daily, so a winter trip works for history; save the beaches for summer.

Marina prices, kumru sandwiches and where to eat a block back

Seafood rules, and so do the prices on the marina front, where places such as Körfez make sure you pay for the castle view. For value, walk a block back. Bodrum Kumru near the Kumbahçe Mosque does cheap, filling sandwiches.

Umurça on Derviş Görgün Caddesi bakes sfiha, flatbread topped with minced meat; its bakery next door handles the baklava.

The fish dinner worth planning is at Gümüşlük, with tables along the waterfront facing the sunset. Ask the price of the fish before it goes on the grill. Wine comes from the Karnas Vineyards in the hills 20 km north-east of town, which also run a restaurant.

Most kitchens serve halal meat and alcohol side by side, but vegans and anyone avoiding gluten will find thin choices. Haggle at street markets, where the first price on clothing can be double what the seller will accept.

After dark, the waterfront along Cumhuriyet Caddesi fills with rock bars and clubs, and Club Catamaran takes its dance floor out into the harbour. Ignore touts selling tickets to a "special party" with a famous name: there is no such party. Cover shoulders and knees to visit mosques such as the tiled Kumbahçe, and tip about 10% in restaurants.