Game of Thrones fans will be as excited as I was when I saw the word "kalesi" - woohoo, dragons!…read moreAlthough here it just means castle, and there are no dragons. BUT, there is a sphinx wearing a polo and a beard. I'm not lying, check out the photo. Bodrum Castle is the most spectacular landmark of Bodrum, especially if you're staying somewhere that has a view of it. We gazed at it every night and day, and it was great to be able to go to visit it. It's open every day except Monday and costs 25 lira pp (£7pp) for adults. There are a lot of stairs and it can get a bit tiring in the heat - I'm a wimp, ok? It was a great place to wander around and if you follow the two sets of arrows, you'll get the short or long version depending on your stamina. There's a cafe in the castle as well so you can stop for a refreshing drink when it all gets too much. There are lots of displays, as well as the option of an audio tour which I decided not to get this time. There are a lot of displays of items recovered from underwater - vases, jugs, glasses, boat bits, etc. I can't say that this is high on my list of interests, but the castle was good for a visit all the same. There are really great views at the top of the castle and I'd say it's worth the admission fee just for that. There's a gift shop on the way out but it didn't really have any decent "tat" which I was a little disappointed by. I love gift shops! Tip: watch where you're going, otherwise you might fall off a high ledge while not looking. Thankfully I didn't break my ankle.

This is my second time here. I was here 9 years ago. I really enjoyed the views and walking along…read morethe battlements. Fun. A crusader castle. I think Herodotus is from Bodrum and he wrote about the history of this city.

I didn't research Bodrum at all before we arrived, so I was pretty impressed when the tour company…read morerepresentative mentioned one of the seven wonders of the ancient world being in Bodrum. The Mausoleum at Halicarnassus is well worth a visit if you're in the town, even just to say you've been and check out some rocks. Pretty much it's just a site of rubble, but you can't really complain - it was built in 350 BC. It's really easy to get to if you're in town, perhaps a 10 minute walk from the water taxi drop off. It's a simple site - just pay your 10 lira (£3) entrance fee and head in. The site is all laid out in front of you and it's a nice place for a walk around, you can go down right in to the base of it. There is an exhibition to the side with some explanatory panels and a TV room if you want to watch a presentation about it. There's seats too if you need to take a break (it gets very, very hot in the sun) and a toilet block. My favourite part about this is that the Mausoleum influenced the building of the Shrine of Remembrance in my home town, Melbourne. There's also some of the artwork from the Mausoleum at the British Museum if you fancy seeing more of it!

The ruins of one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Worth a visit but no high expectations…read more Some former knowledge of the Mausoleion's history is required.

The House of Virgin Mary is a quick stop in the area that you should have on your itinerary. Make…read moresure to be dressed appropriately, covering shoulders and knees.

We have seen reviews that are up and down, but we were really affected by our visit. This is…read morebelieved to be / could be the final house of the Virgin Mary. The house was destroyed except for the bottom two rows of bricks. It has been reconstructed and is now a shrine. There are 4 springs with "holy water" and a prayer wall. We found it very impactful to possibly be walking where the Virgin Mary and St John the Apostle walked.

Most boat tours go to this island. You can even rent a boat that seats 5 people for around 500…read moreTurkish Lira on the date if this post. Boats will take you to a thermal bath, which is just a tad warmer than the sea. What is neat is that you can swim into a little cave. There is even a rock outcrop where you can cliff dive from. However you have to take running start first!

It's alright. There is thermal cave if you'd like to visit. There is an ancient chapel in one of…read morethe bays as well. It's a good place to stop for a swim for a few hours.

This is a pre-Ottoman mosque. It still is a functioning mosque. I believe it is from the 14th…read morecentury. It's a small but truly adorable mosque. The garden is full of fruit trees.

So amazing to be able to visit the Temple of Apollo at Didyma. Also known as Didymaion, it was the…read morefourth largest temple in the ancient Greek world. Lucky to be able to visit on a sunny day with Ahmet from Tura Turizm. He pointed out so many unique features from sculptures of Medusa to the details on the soaring columns. Loved the history lesson followed by free time to explore the massive ancient temple. The temple's oracle, second in importance only to that at Delphi, played a significant role in the religious and political life of the Greco-Roman world. Many powerful rulers, from Alexander the Great to the Roman emperor Diocletian visited the oracle seeking the guidance and favor of Apollo. The temple was later converted into a church during the 5th or 6th century CE. The Didymaion was the third and largest temple that the Greeks built around the site of a natural spring. The spring was believed to be the source of the oracle's prophetic power. After the second temple was plundered and destroyed, legend stated that the sacred spring ceased to flow until Alexander the Great passed through on a conquest of his own and re-consecrated the site in 331 BCE. Not so coincidentally, the first recorded pronouncements of the reestablished oracle were in favor of the young Macedonian king. As was common for Greek temples of such an immense size, construction continued for centuries and the temple was never completed. For hundreds of years, the temple lacked a pediment and sculptural ornamentation. Several of the massive columns remained unfinished. Even so, the ruins today are still magnificent. While the exterior of the Didymaion appeared similar to an ordinary Greek temple, the interior was quite unique. Since the temple at Didyma was built around a sacred spring, the floor of the adyton had to be at ground level surrounding the sacred waters. To compensate for this issue, the ancient architects had to come up with a unique solution. They constructed two narrow vaulted tunnels that led from the top of the temple platform back down to the grassy floor of the adyton. This clever design allowed the Milesians to build a traditional-looking temple that rivaled the Artemision in Ephesus while also preserving the natural spring that had long been considered the sacred source of the oracle's power. The inner chamber of the Didymaion was open to the sky. This allowed the temple staff to cultivate a grove of sacred trees on the adyton floor. In this peaceful environment, nestled between trees and the sacred spring, stood a much smaller temple that held the cult statue of Apollo. Such a beautiful and impressive site. Definitely worth a visit to explore this ancient architectural masterpiece.