Turkish Villa

 

Akbuk, originally a small fishing village is very much an undiscovered gem on the Aegean coastline between the well known resorts of Bodrum and Kusadasi. It is primarily a resort frequented by local Turkish tourists and holidaymakers; however, being so close to the popular resort of Altinkum has led to many English people discovering Akbuk.
Akbuk is very peaceful and relaxing and is set against a backdrop of luscious pine mountains and offers beautiful scenery with a lovely bay. It is particularly well known for its oxygen rich air quality. The seafront is lined with trees and offers beautiful views and sunsets of the Bodrum peninsular in the distance. And for those lazy days, the centre of Akbuk offers a plenty of bars and restaurants to just sit, relax, and chill out and enjoy the wonderful sun sets.
Every Friday, there is a large, local market, 15 minutes walk from Yasmin Gardens where holiday- makers from all around the Bodrum Peninsula visit. There is a small, busy harbour where the local fishermen bring in the catches of bream, bass and shell fish.  You can also hire a fishing boat or jump on a any of the very popular pleasure cruises’.

In and around Akbuk

The area around Akbuk bay is approx 8km long and offers a large beach at the top of the bay and number of quiet beach areas and parks along the waters’ edge.  Restaurants in Turkey offer excellent value for money and Akbuk has a multitude of high quality Turkish and European cafes and restaurants. There are a number of restaurants on the seafront with many more towards the centre of the town and shopping area.  It has an excellent local market every Friday, selling everything from local cheese, fruit and vegetables to jeans, carpets and Turkish Delight.

Within walking distance of our villa are several large Turkish supermarkets and smaller local shops, cafes, restaurants and small local beaches. For Seafood lovers, there are several seafront stalls selling great value, fresh, locally caught fish and sea food. 
Akbuk is a very peaceful area where you can really get away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. It offers many areas which you can explore, either on foot, bicycle, car or dolmus – the local bus service.  There is a dolmus stop outside Yasmin Gardens serving the local area, Altinkum, Soke, Bodrum and beyond.
Didim is a large town, some 20 minutes away from Akbuk offering all sorts of shopping opportunities with many modern shops and markets to explore. In addition, the huge Temple of Apollo is a world famous landmark, it is well worth a visit having been well excavated and partially restored. It is probably most impressive at sunset, striking in its sheer scale. The great snake adorned head of Medusa, unfortunately now cracked after falling to the ground, possibly from an earthquake several centuries ago, but does provide wonderful photo opportunities.
Adjoining Didim, Altinkum is a beach lovers paradise, with very clean beaches and shallow waters making it very safe for young children. The town is very lively in the evening offering countless bars, restaurants, nightclubs along the main seafront promenade.

Close by are the small villages of Yesilkent, Kazikli, Bozbuk and Denizkoy which are relatively small in size but definitely worth exploring. Around the area lagoon area at Yesilkent, Lizards, pelicans and flamingo's can be observed.
A car is not essential in Akbuk and you can travel to most of the places of interest using the local bus service, which are also very cheap. However, hiring a car for a couple of days will let you venture further afield and explore some of the above villages, or find your own small uninhabited  beach or cove, which are generally off the bus routes and virtually unvisited by tourists.  Very reasonable car hire can be booked and collected from Yasmin Gardens.