Turgutreis

Turgutreis (formerly the village of Karatoprak, before being renamed in 1972 in honor of the Turkish seaman Turgut Reis who was born here in 1485) is a town in Turkey about a 60 minute drive from Bodrum International Airport. It is the second largest town on the Bodrum peninsula. The district, which comes under the City of Muğla and Bodrum Town, is in an area of 55,000 Hectare. Turgutreis is 20 kilometers from Bodrum, and is spread throughout a rich valley well planted with orchards and vegetable gardens.

The town is a popular holiday destination with its 5 kilometres of sandy beaches, waterfront restaurants and bars. The market on saturday also attracts many Holiday goers from surrounding areas and is a very busy and bustling example of middle east with a western touch. The market owners take Euros, British Sterling and the Turkish Lira. Although most items are fake they are still a cheap alternative to the expensive originals. Haggling is a must as most Bazaars in the World.

The coastline consists of several inlets, with steep mountains running parallel to the coast. There are 14 Turkish islands around Turgutreis including Küçük Kiremit, Büyük, Fener, Çatal, Yassý, Tüllüce, Kargý, Köçek, Kadikalesi, and Sarýat, as well as the Greek islands Kos and Kalimnos. The coast and the sea around the islands is littered with wrecks that are the source of artifacts on display at the Bodrum Museum.