Bitez: The harbour with an assortment of boats
Bitez sits in a large bay ringed by a long crescent shaped beach. The beach is lined with restaurants, cafes, bars and the occasional shop. The village itself is separated from the beach by olive and citrus groves.
The village is a laid back resort with pensions and small family hotels rather than the dense multi storey accommodation one might expect of a place so close to Bodrum. Though the hillsides are dotted with whitewashed holiday homes set amongst the pines, it’s hard to see how the place supports so many restaurants.
Don’t expect any wild nights. Although the bay is popular with windsurfers, they’ll head for the bright lights of Bodrum come the evening. You can too; there’s a Dolmus (minibus) service that runs from the harbour on the east side of the bay, through the village and on to Bodrum.
The harbour is home to a catamaran charter company and popular with trip boats and gulets so you may have to hunt for a space. Fortunately, it’s too close to Bodrum to be a popular stop for charter yachts, many of which operate out of the town’s marina. If the harbour is full, there’s plenty of space to anchor. It can be gusty in the afternoon but usually settles down in the evening.
The shelter isn’t great in the harbour or the bay so if a blow is forecast you’ll have to head for Bodrum town’s Milta Marina which will cost you dearly!
Bitez has all you need to replenish your bareboat charter yacht, with a umber of mini-markets, a bakery and a butcher. There’s a local market on Fridays. There are ATM’s and a pharmacy in the village, with a couple more ATM’s by the beach.