“Grey headland” Population: 2,200
Market day: Wednesday
Old names: Larymna (Carian), Timnos (Roman), Bosprina
Towards the end of the Hisarönü Peninsula lies the sleepy small resort of Bozburun where life seems to revolve around the needs of the yachting fraternity. It’s a glorious spot hemmed in by mountains and fronted by an azure sea.
It goes almost without saying that there’s not a lot to do here bar walk along the promenade gazing out to sea before jumping in for a swim, then adjourning to a restaurant or cafe. There are a few arty shops and many more ordinary ones plus a branch of Tansaş where yachters can stock up.
Bozburun stands on the site of ancient Larymna and a few pieces of old masonry are gathered together in the town square, none of them especially noteworthy. There is said to be a stretch of Roman road on the promontory north of the harbour that ends at Apostol Burnu although I didn’t have a chance to find it.
Backstory
Bozburun seems to have started life as a Carian settlement closely linked to the Minoan civilisation on Crete but it was then invaded by Dorians from Greece and became part of the Ionion Federation. At one point as Timnos it formed part of a grouping with Rhodes, Knidos and Halikarnas (Bodrum). Later it was overrun in turn by the Lydians, Persians and Macedonians under Alexander the Great before inevitably winding up part of the Roman, then Byzantine Empires. 
In the post-Selçuk era it was part of the Menteşe Beylik governed from Beçin, near Milas, but then just as inevitably fell to the Ottomans.
Eating
One of the main things to do in Bozburun is eat out at a series of eateries that seem to fall into two categories. Those overlooking the harbour are traditional restaurants offering a range of fish and other Turkish staples at mildly inflated prices reflecting the wealthy yachting clientele (sample remark floating over from adjourning dinner table: “I’m the director of a property company and I have my own boat”.) I ate at Kandil Restaurant (AKA Safak’ın Yeri) and found the service excellent.
Further east there are a handful of small boutique restaurants of a type familiar from all the southwestern resorts, many of them with faux-Greek blue and white decor. The most interesting menu is offered by the Ad Astra provided you’re not in search of a cheap night out. It is possible that it has closed though.
Sleeping
Straggling out east from the harbour are a string of simple pensions that are very popular with Turkish families. They seem to get newer and nicer the further you walk, so my advice is to eschew the first few you come to and keep going.
As well as the pensions there are a few hotels with restaurants attached including the long-lived Pembe Yunus (Pink Dolphin, tel: 0252-456 2154) and its fellow, The Dolphin Hotel (tel: 0252-456 2408). Right at the end of the promenade the Otel Mete (tel: 0252-456 2099) offers three-star comforts in relative isolation.
The smartest money is on the hotels of Adatepe, accessible by a short boat ride from Bozburun harbour. First off and still one of the best options is adult-only Sabrina’s Haus (tel: 0252-456 2145), much smarter – and pricier – now than in the old days when it was a bohemian hideaway reached by ramshackle raft. Think infinity pool and you’ll get the picture. It’s success inspired the Aphrodite Hotel (tel: 0252-456 2268), thereby confirming Adatepe as the best place to stay.
A word of warning about the pensions. Bozburun faces into the sun which means that rooms without good air-conditioning can become stiflingly hot in summer. I am unable to recommend the pension I actually stayed at in Bozburun because its sauna-like conditions prevented me from sleeping despite the fact that it appeared to have a-c.
Transport info
Only a few buses from Marmaris (57km) serve Bozburun, especially on Sundays. Check times carefully.
The nearest international airports are at Dalaman (145km) and Bodrum (179km).
Day trip destinations
Simi (Greece)
