Gulets and yachts work this coast from May until the end of October, and the sea is at its warmest between July and September. Summer brings the meltem, a north-westerly that usually picks up through the day, dies away in the evening and reaches its peak in July and August. It is felt most around Bodrum and in the open Gulf of Gökova, while the bays of Göcek, Fethiye and the Lycian coast are generally more sheltered.

APRIL AND MAY

21–26°C

Best for ruins, walks and quiet bays

Spring comes early to this coast. The pine-covered hills are green after the winter rain, and Knidos, Kaunos and the Lycian tombs can be explored in comfortable warmth. A swim is bracing, with the water at about 17°C in April and 19–21°C by the end of May, so these weeks reward guests who come for ruins and walks as much as for the sea. Anchorages are empty, and spring weeks usually cost less than summer ones.

JUNE

28–31°C

Best for swimming before the summer rush

By June the water has reached about 22–24°C and the evenings stay light until late. The meltem has not yet built to its full summer strength, and there is still room at the restaurant jetties of Selimiye and Göcek, so June works well from Bodrum to Kekova.

JULY AND AUGUST

31–34°C

Best for the warmest sea and late nights in Bodrum

Midsummer brings the strongest heat and the most boats. The water reaches about 25–28°C, a little warmer around Fethiye and Kaş than off Bodrum. With the meltem blowing at full strength, captains cover the longer legs soon after breakfast and sit out the windy afternoons at anchor in a protected cove. Bodrum’s beach clubs and the Göcek islands are full, so reserve your yacht early.

SEPTEMBER

28–31°C

Best for warm water and emptier bays

The water holds at about 25–27°C while the air cools a little and the meltem eases. Turkish families head home when the schools reopen, and by the middle of the month there is space again at the jetties and in the coves. Warm swims, gentler wind and quieter anchorages make September an easy month to recommend.

OCTOBER

23–27°C

Best for the last swims and the Bodrum Cup

The water is still around 22–24°C, and the low autumn sun suits long lunches ashore. Showers and unsettled spells grow more likely towards the end of the month, when many gulets are laid up for the winter. October is also when traditional wooden yachts race off Bodrum in the Bodrum Cup, first held in 1989.