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The tiny fishing village of Gümüşlük has retained its charm by limiting development. My Turkish friends told me to visit in the afternoon to eat very reasonably priced fish at one of the restaurants up against the harbor. I took my family there when they came to visit one day during their cruise ship stop in Bodrum.
Aquarium Restaurant
We had lunch at Aquarium Restaurant. We were able to select a fish from a fresh catch that had just been brought in that morning. I recommended the lagos fish, which is grouper. The restaurant owner, Zeki, weighed the fish for us, brought us several meze, and periodically checked on us to make sure we had everything we needed. At the end of the meal, including drinks, the price was phenomenal for six people!
Myndos
Gümüşlük wasn’t always a tiny fishing village. It was once the ancient Greek city of Myndos (Μύνδος) in the region of Caria (Καρία). What remains of the city is now visible on a small island offshore, Rabbit Island (Tavşan Adası). It’s possible to wade through the water to reach the island (how cool is that?). At the time of my visit, it was closed for excavations with a plan to open it to tourism in the future.
Beach
The beach at Gümüşlük was disappointing and wasn’t up to my beach standards. It was polluted with junk and there was a lot of seaweed. Regardless, there were many people sunbathing and a few in the water.
Getting There
The ride to Gümüşlük from Bodrum can be a bit bumpy and uncomfortable. It’s accessible via the Bodrum bus terminal (Bodrum Otogarı).
The minibus station in Gümüşlük is just a few steps from the sea. Bus trips back to Bodrum city center and some nearby villages, including Turgutreis, run much later during peak season.
