Bodrum Castle

How to visit without overthinking it

Bodrum Castle — properly the Castle of St Peter — sits on the rocky headland that splits the bay, with the marina on one side and the old town on the other, so it’s a five-to-ten-minute walk from almost anywhere in the centre. Unlike the big-name sights in Istanbul, this is a state museum with on-the-gate entry: you pay about €20 (roughly £17) in euros at the door, an audio guide is yours for the asking, and there’s rarely a queue worth pre-booking around. The one reason to book ahead is a guided tour, because the labelling on the shipwreck halls is thin and a guide fills in the context that makes the artefacts land.

What your ticket actually buys is two things at once. The first is the castle itself, built by the Knights Hospitaller from the 15th century with five towers named for the French, German, English, Italian and Spanish knights who funded them — each now holding a small themed display. The second, threaded through the courtyards, is the Museum of Underwater Archaeology, which is the real reason to go.

What to see, and is it worth it?

Head for the Serçe Limanı Glass Wreck Hall, where a thousand-year-old shipload of medieval Islamic glass is shown in near-darkness so the colours glow, and the Carian Princess Hall, displaying the gold burial crown and jewellery of a 4th-century-BC noblewoman found by chance in 1989. The Uluburun shipwreck reconstruction is the other set-piece. Between halls, the gardens have wandering peacocks and the ramparts give you the best view back over Bodrum harbour and the marina you’ll get anywhere in town — bring a hat, as the open walls have no shade. Allow about two hours; an hour and a half if you’re skimming, two and a half if you read everything.

Make no mistake: this is the most rewarding paid thing to do in Bodrum, and rare in being a castle and a serious museum on one cheap ticket. If you only buy one entry in town, make it this. Time it for late afternoon when the summer heat eases and the evening opening lets you watch the harbour light go gold from the walls — then walk straight down into the old town for dinner.