Unless you’re a beach lover, Bodrum doesn’t have a lot to offer. There is only one museum that is worth checking out, and there are no hiking trails close by. I love beaches, however, I am unfortunately extremely particular about which beaches I will step foot on. The sand must be powdery fine and white, like cocaine. Water needs to be calm with a color that is either turquoise or light blue.

Don’t feel bad, Bodrum, because I don’t even go to the beaches in Laguna Beach where we live.

So I realized I booked one too many nights in Bodrum. Two nights and one full day is more than enough.

So why did we even fly to Bodrum? The main reason is so that we can take the ferry to Datça, which is our ultimate destination. Unlike Bodrum’s extra touristy overdeveloped feel, Datça is supposed to be smaller, quieter, with more natural beauty.

The other reason why we had flown into Bodrum was because I had initially wanted to go on a tour to Pamukkale from Bodrum, but scrapped it after realizing that it probably wasn’t worth the side trip that involves more traveling than time spent at the site. Plus, it’s not something we’d never seen before – Yosemite has its own version at the Mammoth Hot Springs.

So we filled the extra day in Bodrum doing another load of laundry, eating more San Sebastian cheesecake, and spending an hour and a half sitting at a cafe, in the shade, with a beach front view.

OK, I sound a bit critical of Bodrum, but it does have its merits.

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