There is so much to do in and around Kucukbuk, below is just a summary of the main activities.
Windsurfing
Only a short walk away the gentle thermal breezes in the morning, combine with warm water and friendly tuition to make Gundogan the perfect spot to give it a go.
If you are already hooked, high quality kit and tuition can be found in Bitez with Rush Windsurfing and at Fenner Beach from Jean Michel and Jale at the Natalie Simon Centre. In peak season, winds are particularly reliable - check out the impressive stats and pics from Fener Beach at http://www.fenerwindsurf.com/weather.html.
Our family are all obsessed windsurfers so if you are keen to learn to windsurf or want all the local info on best beaches, wind directions, forecasts and kit options then please email us and we will do our best to help.
Kitesurfing
Fancy a go at flying far above the sea? Whether or not you have your own toys, Fener beach is definately the place. Excellent kit for hire, qualified instructors, clean wind, wide open beaches and safety cover.
Diving
The Bodrum Penninsula is famed for it's diving. Bodrum itself was once a busy sponge diving port and relics from this era and find from the many shipwrecks can be seen in the Bodrum Maritime Museum. If you fancy a go yourself, well run boats with PADI qualified instructors run daily out of Bodrum and Turgutreis and are cheaper than you might expect. Day trips and courses can be booked via the bigger operators from the UK.
Wakeboarding and Waterskiing
Early morning the bay of Gundogan is flat and peaceful - perfect for a spot of wakeboarding. Whether you have done it before or not the qualified instructors at Gravity watersports in Gundogan are personal friends and will definately look after you. Prices are really very reasonable and can be booked from the UK or in resort.
Horseriding
Ponytrekking is available in peak season just outside Bodrum, please email us if you would like more information.
Cycling
There are some great bike rides around the penninsula from gentle potters through the olive groves to off road trails with spectacular views from the radio masts. Bikes can be hired from Bodrum and Bitez and hopefully from 2006 from Gundogan. We will post more information as it becomes available.
Walking
As our family are all keen walkers we are putting together a guide book for the Olive Villa of all our favourite routes and hoping that you will add your own when you stay. The countryside around Kucukbuk is beautiful and it is only a short walk up the valley to a row of ruined windmills and a view over the sea to the Greek islands. If you are exploring on your own, the quiet coastal roads make very pleasant walking whether it is just down to Gundogan or a proper hike round to Golturkbuku. There are lots of options and if you get tired you can always grab a dolmus home. When hiking over the hills, you will find footpaths tend not to be as well marked as at home but as long as you respect farmers and their livestock you should have no problems.
Ancient Sites
Turkeys colourful history is evident throughout Turkey and the Bodrum pennisula is no exception.
The Mausoleum is listed as one of the seven wonders of the ancient world and with that build up it could be a little disappointing. The sheer size of the thing is impressive but essentially it is a lot of old rocks in a field. A short walk from the centre of Bodrum, this is one to visit in the morning before it gets to hot!
Bodrum Castle The castle of St Peter houses the museum of underwater Archaelogy and is worth a visit just to see how many signs you can find stating 'this museum is not underwater'. Possibly the most bizarre tourist attraction ever, brief snippets of the castle fascinating history are interspersed with relics found from shipwrecks and information about the birds of the castle. There are English coats of arms, French suits of armour, stuffed animals, roman glass vases and a full size boat inside a mosque. Open every day except monday and cheap as chips.
Myndos Gate reportedly where Alexander the Great left the great city of Halicarnassos this has been recently restored and you can get a feel of how grand a scale things were done in those days. There is a good scramble to the top for kids and some interesting mosiac inlaid tombs nearby and its free.
Ephesus the great ruined city of Ephesus is a fascinating day out if you are interested in that kind of thing and have the time but whatever the guys selling you the tour say it is a long way. Go by coach and expect to spend 8-10 hours on the bus, go by car and it will still take you 7-8 hours and in the heat and the turkish roads this is not a relaxing day out.
Boat Trips
There are hundreds of small operators offering trips on traditional gulets out of Gundogan, Bodrum and Turgetreis around the pennisula or out to Black Island. They are usually quite reasonable and include lunch on board. Fast ferries run from Bodrum 3 times a day to Kos and also Rhodes. If you fancy something a little more unique, we can arrange for local expat Dave to come by in his 50ft Catamaran and take you out for a sunset sail from Kucukbuk itself.
