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Where to start.......?
The beauty of a holiday at Villa Oya or Villa Ata is that you can do as much or as little as you like.......
Long days by the pool, followed by barbecues garnished with tomatoes, peppers, rocket and other fresh local produce.
Sit on the balcony, watch the sun drop down into the Aegean - stay long enough for a beer or glass of wine or two and gaze at the stars in the clear Turkish sky.
Head for Gumusluk in late afternoon - a cooling drink at the Bati bar followed perhaps by a meal at one of the many waterside restaurants. Try the cool jazz sounds of Gumuscafe at the water’s edge....and sunsets to die for.....
Pop over to Yalikavak - stroll through the shops, have a coffee or beer at the newly restored windmill, watch the sun go down (again!) and perhaps finish off with a film at the weekly open-air cinema at the marina or a meal at a restaurant by the pretty harbour.
Visit some of the numerous beaches on the peninsula - Akyarlar perhaps or Camel Beach, or drive a little further and visit the carpet village in the hills on route to Yaliciftlik, where you can eat and swim later.
Further afield, drive over the mountains to Dalyan - see the Lycian rock tombs, visit the ruins of ancient Caunos, sunbathe on Iztuzu beach where the endangered Mediterranean turtles come ashore at night to lay their eggs. Finish your day with a visit to the mud baths
Nearer to home, visit the large aquapark on the road into Bodrum.
Head for the weekly market at Milas, the regional capital about an hour’s drive away - see foods, spices, and trinkets being sold. Alternatively if you just want designer gear at non-designer prices visit the Saturday market at nearby Turgetreis.
Visit Bodrum - shop and haggle a little and then walk along the waterfront enjoying the hustle and bustle centred around the dozens of wooden sailing gulets moored overnight. Head for a pizza at Sunger, and maybe a sundowner overlooking the marina. And if you have the energy or inclination - Bodrum rocks at night, whether at the famous Halikarnas disco or in numerous restaurants and bars.
Have a day abroad - go by hydrofoil or ferry to the Greek island of Kos - from Bodrum or Turgutreis
Take your shoes off and paddle across the causeway onto Rabbit Island at Gumusluk. Look into the clear waters around the small harbour - in several places you can see remnants of the ancient city of Myndos, which slipped into the sea in ancient times. Alexander the Great made an unsuccessful attempt to capture Myndos in 334 BC whilst on his way to sack Halicarnassus (Bodrum). This is also the sheltered anchorage where Cassius is reputed to have fled to in 43 BC following the murder of Julius Caesar.
Have a relaxing few hours in an ‘hamam’ (Turkish bath)......and those of the grizzlier sex, treat yourself to a haircut and shave whilst in Turkey, which will include cut-throat razors, singeing, various lotions and a head and neck massage - marvellous!
Make an early start and visit the Greco-Roman ruins at Ephesus, about two and a half hours away. This was once a city of 250,000 people. These are probably the best-preserved classical ruins in the Mediterranean. On the way back, visit the beautiful hilltop village of Sirence with it’s wooden houses set amongst vineyards and peach trees.
Take a boat for a day and visit some of the bays and islands dotted around the peninsula. Day trips are readily available from Bodrum, Yalikavak and elsewhere. Alternatively hire a traditional wooden gulet and captain for a couple of days or longer, and sail the Aegean - we can arrange if need be.
Walk in the local countryside. Make sure you go up to Karakaya at some stage and gaze at the islands dotted like jewels in the Aegean. Another great walk is from Yalikavak up to the deserted village of Sandima high in the hills. Or you could simply walk from the villas through country lanes to the beach at Kadikalesi - or to Gumusluk - both about half an hour away.
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