Wearing ourselves out in the sun and saltwater, we were excited to enjoy another day of lunch on the property. We couldn’t pass up an opportunity for their fabulous cheese pizza with its perfectly grilled crust and tasty blend of cheeses and fresh, juicy watermelon. 
We had a full afternoon packed with sightseeing and wanted to explore some of the chic oceanside restaurants in the Turkbuku village of Bodrum. Our first stop was the Macakizi Hotel for happy hour. This boutique hotel, with a name that means intelligence and beauty, has a lively bar and seaside seating.
We ordered small plates and shared a couple of bottles of Chardonnay soaking up the views of the nearby islands. We reminisced about our time in Istanbul and Bodrum, the fabulous food we had eaten so far and our local trip to the supermarket.
This fabulous bar and restaurant draws celebrities from all over the world with its authentic Turkish comfort food. Macakizi has its own private beach and a yacht available for hire to island hop along the coast. With its smart interior and sleek interior design, the hotel was placed on The Conde Nast Gold List in 2021.
The scenery around Maki 29 Beach was laidback and oozing with solitude. Wooden boats were tied up to the dock while large sailboats and catamarans were anchored out in the cove. We found gravel stairways surrounded with colorful gardens where we took some fun photos and posed for silly pictures. The sun was beginning to set, so the dusk lighting made for some amazing memories.
It was time for us to find a restaurant for dinner and we all agreed we wanted to try the local seafood at a location along the water. We happened to find Onikon Beach and Restaurant that had plenty of seating for our party of six. Looking over the menu, we had so many questions and the staff was incredibly helpful.
They brought out plates of their specialty fish and we decided on the sea bass and bream. We also ordered chicken kebabs, vegetables with hummus and saved room for katmer which is a folded pie pastry.
After dinner, we strolled towards the shops for a final time and found some last minute souvenirs at a cute boutique called Le Kabbak. We met the owner of the store who was kind to offer us seats outside. She suggested that we try Raki, one of Turkey’s signature drinks. None of us had heard of it so she began to pour small amounts into shot glasses and encouraged us to try it. It reminded me of Greece’s Oozo with its licorice taste. We each had a couple of drinks and enjoyed talking with her for awhile. We had only one more day to explore Bodrum so we decided to leave and would arrive early the next morning. Cheers to Bodrum!
What to See and What to Do:
- Shopping in Turkbuku
- Check out the local restaurants
Where to Stay:
Macakizi
Göltürkbükü, Narçiçe?i Sokak,
48400 Göltürkbükü Bodrum/Bodrum/Mu?la, Turkey
Telephone: +90 252 311 2400
Where to Eat:
Macakizi
Göltürkbükü, Narçiçe?i Sokak
48400 Göltürkbükü Bodrum/Bodrum/Mu?la, Turkey
Telephone: +90 252 311 2400
Onikon Beach and Restaurant
Konac?k, Mercan Sk. 57/A D:1
48470 Bodrum/Mu?la, Turkey
Telephone: +90 252 377 60 03
What to Eat:
- Fruit: pomegranates, figs, peaches
- Kumpir: potato with toppings
- Lokmasi: deep-fried dough drenched in honey syrup
- Peynirli borek: similar to Greek spanikopita
- Sebzeli doner: meat, potato and vegetable skewers
- Simit: bread that is between a bagel and pretzel
Where to Shop:
Le Kabbak
Dereköy, Gümü?lük Yolu No:3
48960 Bodrum/Mu?la, Turkey
Telephone: +90 252 394 33 99
What to Read:
- Turkey Street: Jack and Liam move to Bodrum, by Jack Scott
- Turkish Reflections: A Biography of Place, by Mary Lee Settle
- I Am Pilgrim, by Terry Hayes
- Bodrum, Ancient Halicarnassus, by Oguz Alpozen
Photo Guide for Bodrum:
- Akvaryum Koyu (Aquarium Cove)
- Bardakci Cove – great snorkeling location
- Bitez Bay – Take the nature walk along the coastline
- Bodrum Beach
- Bodrum Windmills – great hike; nice quiet place to visit
- Castle of Saint Peter – remains of the mausoleum of Mausolus
- Gumusluk Harbor – gorgeous setting and amazing lighting at night
- Turgutreis Red Lighthouse – awesome place for the sunset
- Yalikavak Marina – luxury yachts, restaurants and shopping
As we approached the overpass, our boat tour was coming to an end. The sun was also beginning to set, so we discussed where we wanted to stop for dinner.
Although cloudy, the golden hour brought out the minimal lighting as the boat began to dock in the intercoastal. When we learned that Shawna had never eaten oysters, Melissa knew of a great place to stop for dinner. By now, we were hungry and looked forward to slurping down a few salt-water mollusks.
