Mediterranean Travel Spots
May 17, 2022
For the next of our blogs, we wanted to share some of our favourite places to travel around the Mediterranean. It’s a huge remit – twenty infinitely varied countries, each with its own rich and varied culture, so how do you choose? You can only go with what you love, so when we asked our Operations Director Chantal where she wanted to go, that’s exactly what she gave us.
“I’ve been to Turkey so many times, it’s a country I can’t help but return to. The climate, the people, the history and culture are all massive draws – and of course the food, don’t even get me started on the food…”
Turkey’s a large and varied country, well worth exploring in detail, but Chantal’s top tips for first visits on your travels around the Mediterranean. Two easily accessible spots to get you into the mood: Kusudasi and Bodrum.
Drenched in history and culture, Bodrum is one of Turkey’s biggest tourist destinations. You can get on a plane in London and step off into the warmth and wonder four hours later. Not long ago it used to take much longer, Mediterranean travel hasn’t always been by air, but the city is well-used to welcoming travellers. One of Bodrum’s major attractions has been attracting visitors from around the known world since it was built in 350 BCE. One of the Seven Wonders of the World, the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus was built by some of the most talented architects and artists of the time. It’s not quite what it was, a lot of the stone having been nicked to build a Crusader castle in the 15th century, but it’s an amazing place to visit and soak up some history. Want to see the missing stones? Nearby Bodrum Castle is not just a beautiful waterside place but also home to the Museum of Underwater Archaeology, resting place of thousands of ancient items brought up from beneath the Mediterranean. Enough of the history though, what about places to eat? For a true taste of Turkey, hit up a local meyhane (traditional bar/restaurant) and gorge on hot and cold meze, succulent kebabs and other local delicacies. Delicacies like mücver (a type of aubergine fritter), shakshuka (eggs poached in spiced tomato & pepper sauce) and midye dolma (stuffed mussels) should 100% be on your radar here.
Suitably stuffed with food and history, it’s time to head north along the coast to Kusadasi. It’ll take you just over two hours by road, or you could fly to Izmir from the UK and head around 30 miles south. Both journeys have their beauty but the drama of the coast road from Bodrum going up and over the hills takes some beating. The destination is no slouch either, Kusadasi is one of the most beautiful cities on the Aegean coast, soaking in 300 days of sunshine a year. You can make good use of the warm sunny days on one of the dozens of gorgeous beaches – even right in the centre of town. It’s well worth making the trip a little further out to Ladies Beach (used to be just for us you see) Palm trees swaying in the breeze, beach bars and restaurants aplenty, this is a proper paradise. Just like Bodrum Kusadasi has been welcoming visitors for thousands of years and boy do they know how to do it right. The shopping experiences are out of this world too – if you realise on your last day in town that you haven’t visited the Grand Bazaar you’d better book an extra couple of nights, it’s an experience you can’t rush…
So that’s it for now, hope that Chantal’s tips have got you hungry for more Mediterranean adventure. If you’re not booking flights just yet but want a taste of the life, we’re always here to welcome you – we can talk travel inspo over a pizza or two in Canary Wharf…
