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A Guide to Gündoğan, Bodrum's Best-Kept Secret
Updated: Dec 10
A picture perfect paradise in our opinion, this beautiful town on the Bodrum peninsula in Türkiye is a thriving tourist destination for all of the right reasons; 5 star restaurants, resorts and beach clubs with spectacular views, wonderful hospitality and a host of epic sunbathing spots!
Perhaps lesser known than some of the other towns on the Aegean coast of Türkiye, Gundogan is 47km away from the Milas-Bodrum Airport and is an active fishing town. Despite its bustling tourist trade in the summer seasons (which run from June to October), Gundogan is known for being laid back and peaceful in comparison to nearby hotspots. We fell in love with it for that reason, and of course its beautiful picturesque views!
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Gündoğan, Bodrum: A Two-Month Travel Guide
Jenn always does her research and after 5 months in the busy city of Batumi the town of Gundogan ticked all of the boxes - by the sea, great weather, traditional restaurants and a chill vibe! It had everything we were looking for on paper and we couldn't wait to get back to the great country of Türkiye in any case after spending an amazing month in Istanbul last year.
It was a great journey from Batumi; we travelled across the land border into Türkiye via taxi and first made our way to the city of Trabzon by coach, and then onto the beautiful mountain lake retreat of Uzungöl. After that we took a domestic flight to Bodrum. It was a lovely warm up for a full return to Türkiye. More on that in an upcoming blog post!
Gundogan is well known for its beautiful flowers which flourish practically all year around. We came at the perfect time and it was awesome to watch them fully bloom at every turn! Such vibrant pinks, reds and whites, almost all of the whitewashed homes embrace the beautiful natural plant life of the area and it is lovely to see.
We were really impressed with the views, especially as we were staying halfway up the mountain and looking down on the bay. We regularly took strolls on the boardwalk and it is full of nature and wildlife and really peaceful. The mix of palm trees and colorful flowers compliment the soothing sounds of the waves perfectly. It was so calm and relaxing!
We spent two fantastic months here, which could have easily been more if not for reaching the limit of our visa! From the wonderful locals we met, to the delicious food and gorgeous daily views and vibes, we literally could not get enough of Gundogan.
Read on for all you need to know including the weather, food, accommodation, things to do and our Gundogan experience rating.
Gündoğan History
Gundogan means 'sunrise' in English and it is easy to see why given its location and consistent clear skies. It is located near to the ancient city of Madnasa and it is famous in Bodrum for its old rock formations and cemeteries. Many of the locals believe that there was once an ancient zoo here as evidenced through carvings in old walls that run across the hill tops.
Across the bay there is an old Greek Church and remains of a Byzantine settlement on 'Rabbit Island'. We did not visit but perhaps we will next time (we have agreed to come back next year as we loved it so much!).
The Nar Tugan Sun monument is a two-language description of a full circular form, while as a whole, it contains two different elements in content. The bottom gray represents the days shortened until December 21st of the sleeping world. The red and curved place on the top represents fire, heat, brightness, and hot times after December 22nd. The observation of the sun and seasons was called Nar Tugan. The slope in the statue shows the slope of the axis that allows us to live through all of these seasons. Its sculptor is Mert Aegean West.
There are approximately 4000 inhabitants here today, and along with residents past throughout the centuries the history of the town has been carefully preserved. Most of the houses are painted white and any construction is carefully considered. Many of the houses are surrounded by olive trees, mandarin, palm and oak and have never changed! Aside from the few modern resorts and the varnished docks we were swept up in the traditional style, and as the incredibly kind locals say, 'Nothing less than history, seaside, nature, sun and friendly people can be found here in Gündoğan'
The Weather in Gündoğan
May to August are the driest months on average and the typical temperature can vary between 25 - 35 degrees. July is the sunniest month and the rainy season runs from November to January. Most of the activities and restaurants operate from June to October.
We just loved heading outside while we were here. It was strikingly quiet and super peaceful even though the weather was a very consistent 25 degrees every day! We definitely expected it to be busier and we were surprised it wasn't given the great climate. It is hard to think of many days out of the two months we were there that there was not pure sun; perhaps one day of light rain, one outrageously windy day and a couple of cloudy ones. Other than that it was perfect!
Gündoğan Nightlife
We definitely felt we picked a good time to come here. Honestly Gundogan is not a place that is famed for its nightlife and even as it started to become busier towards the end of May that was certainly evident. The restaurants do stay open fairly late and the music and vibe is great but there are only limited options. This actually suited us though; we loved the chilled out feeling and it was really nice to receive such personal service whenever we visited an establishment as they were fairly quiet. We had some great nights sipping Raki with some of the business owners and it really added to the allure of this place!
It is worth noting that we did note the volume going up as we approached June; it is a small town so the music carries all around in the wind! To be honest it was often quite nice to relax in our sun room and listen to the different songs and laughs as we wound our evening down. We love to embrace local vibes and we were grateful for that, and also some pretty good sound proofing at our Airbnb when we did want to switch off!
Food & Restaurants in Gündoğan
There were several awesome restaurants we had the pleasure of visiting and we will be featuring these in more detail in a separate post (get notified directly in your email inbox and sign up here). But for now here are our top three places to eat in Gundogan:
⪢ Cape Bodrum
A luxury 5 star resort, Cape Bodrum is a special part of Gundogan that will take your breath away! Aside from epic accommodations and private infinity pools overlooking the bay, you can also walk right in off of the street and dine by the sea with excellent service and delicious cuisine. There is great music with a DJ and tanning beds await you after you finish your meal. Or you can just go straight for the beds and enjoy your favorite drink! VERY highly recommended!
⪢ Aida Restaurant & Bar
If you want a representation of the famous Turkish hospitality then this is the place to be! It was the first restaurant we ate at in Gundogan and it was such a great experience.
We quickly got to know the owner and we were treated to some awesome local flavors with great meze, quality tenderloin, delicious fish and our very first Turkish Raki! The atmosphere is wonderful and we even had a couple of great fires after hours.
⪢ Dozo Restaurant
Dozo Restaurant was the closest of all to our Airbnb and we visited several times! It has an incredibly beautiful dock with loungers that you can enjoy throughout the day with friendly table service. It has a full bar and also a solid menu which includes traditional Turkish cuisine and some great seafood choices.
We spent a lovely evening drinking Raki with the owner here and we loved the ambience of the place! A big shout out to the seating too... they have some really comfortable lounge pods that we almost Doz'ed' off in!
Things to Do in Gündoğan
While evenings may be fairly tame in Gundogan (as mentioned there are mainly just restaurants, a few choice bars and no clubs) there is plenty to do during the day. These are a few things you can try, although bear in mind most of water activities do not get started until June and usually run until September.
⪢ Swimming & Snorkelling
Available at various docks throughout, however if you are just swimming you can pretty much dive in anywhere!
⪢ Sunbathing
Most docks / sunbathing jetties are either private or owned by the restaurants so you will need to check first. Many do openly rent to walk-in customers and are not exclusive.
There is also a fairly good sized sandy beach area which is free to use and located at the centre of the bay.
⪢ Wednesday Market & Shopping
A really good place to check out if you really want to get a feel for traditional Turkish culture! This bustling market pretty much has a bit of everything and is covered by canopies to offer some respite from the hot sun! There are also many independent souvenir and trinket shops around the town centre so be sure to check these out too!
⪢ Boat Trips
There are daily departures from Gundogan harbour which take you to the two small islands closest to the bay and beyond. We did not try them during our stay but they are very popular with tourists and are no doubt worth a go!
⪢ Wind Surfing, Sailing & Paddle Boarding
We saw at least two docks with these options and while it is not something for us, this looks like great fun!
⪢ Go to Bodrum and the Surrounding Towns
There are many surrounding towns that are have just as much charm as Gundogan. Of course you can also head to the main port city of Bodrum which is around 40 minutes away by car / bus and is the most popular place on the peninsula.
Buses are inexpensive and run every 30 minutes or so and you can catch them from main dolmus station in town.
Our Accommodation in Gündoğan
Our apartment was located about a 15 minute walk away from the main town centre and kept us very fit given it was around halfway up the mountainside! Access to the main boardwalk was very easy and we enjoyed many strolls amongst the docks and palm trees of the bay. We arrived in April which is about two months before peak season and at that time most of the restaurants along the water were closed. On our daily walks it was fascinating to watch them prepare and gradually get ready for the big June opening! By the end of May the empty docks were varnished, beautifully decorated and full of loungers and umbrellas ready to accommodate the expected masses.
We booked 2 months in an Airbnb and we were immediately impressed with our host! He picked us up from the airport and was so kind, even stopping off to get us a coffee and doing his best to ensure we were comfortable! The property was great and we had a lovely time there. It had great views of Gundogan Bay and we had no issues at all, apart from some minor hiccups with the internet which was swiftly resolved.
Our hosts had a self contained apartment on the ground floor and we were on the second floor. We spent much of our days and nights in the sun room which was super bright and airy. We had everything we needed including our own washing machine which was handy for us as full time travellers! The kitchen was fully equipped and even had a dishwasher. There was no microwave but there was a counter top oven which worked well for us once we figured out how to use it!
We also had private access to the rooftop patio where we were even able to catch a glimpse of the Super Flower Blood Moon that graced the skies in the middle of May. It was a great moment and made our time here even more memorable!
A minor downfall to the location (as we had no vehicle) was a lack of local amenities within easy reach. The nearest convenience store was a 15 - 20 minute walk away which included THAT hill which we mentioned earlier (yes it was very steep!). We tended to walk there and take a taxi back from town which was fine for a big shop but not great when we just needed something basic like water or a pint of milk (or late night munchies). The taxi cost was on average 50 Turkish lira and it's good to note that the taxi's run on a metered system.
Our Accommodation Rating
Overall we would give our hosts a full 5 stars. They were friendly and went out of their way to accommodate us. There is no con that outweighs a pro and it was also excellent value for the months we stayed (please note the price goes up significantly during peak season). We would recommend this place for sure, if you would like any further information at all let us know in the comments and we will be happy to help!
Our Gündoğan YouTube Video
In this 4K video, you'll get a glimpse of some of the amazing sights, sounds and tastes of this beautiful Turkish town. We show you the beautiful Boardwalk and the stunning views from the beach. You'll also get to experience some of those fantastic restaurants we showed you earlier!
If you enjoy our video and want to follow more of our adventures please do like and subscribe! Your support truly is invaluable to us and we will always strive to produce the best content we can from around the world!
Our Gündoğan Experience Rating
Feel free to let us know your thoughts on Gundogan in the comments. We had a fantastic time here and we decided within days that this may well become an annual trip. Be it for a relaxing vacation or a place to vibe while you work, you will not be disappointed. Thumbs up for Glorious Gundogan!
We would love to hear from you and if you have any questions please do not hesitate to ask. We are always happy to help. As always thanks for following along on our journey!
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