Many travelers have long been tired of crowded tourist resorts and are looking for places where the tourism-free atmosphere is still preserved. Such a city can be found in the province of Mugla, Turkey. Authenticity, the absence of a noisy crowd, picturesque mountains and ancient buildings – all this awaits a traveler who has looked into Muglu. How to get there and what you can see, we cover in detail in our article.
General information
Mugla is the city and administrative center of the province of the same name, located in the south-west of Turkey. It lies 27 km north of the coast of the Aegean Sea and 55 km from the resort of Marmaris. As of the end of 2017, more than 938 thousand people live in the province, and in the city itself the number of inhabitants does not reach 100 thousand. The area includes such popular resorts as Marmaris, Bodrum, and Fethiye. The city of Mugla itself covers an area of 1661 square meters. km In ancient times, this area was called Kariya and was a small settlement, which did not play any significant role until its entry into the Ottoman Empire.
Mugla is not considered a resort, and in general it is not popular among tourists. However, on its territory there are many worthy hotels, cafes and restaurants, as well as verdant parks. Muglu can be called a European rather than an eastern city, which is characterized by a good standard of living. Turkish youth often comes to local universities to study, and after studying, it remains to live here.
The city will appeal to tourists tired of the standard beach resorts. Mugla’s authenticity can be traced in its many cultural attractions, among which are mosques and museums, ancient houses and towers. Interesting natural objects such as mountains and various parks are also located in the province. And the city is considered a great place for shopping: it concentrated a lot of shops and shopping centers, the prices of which are much lower than in the usual resorts of Turkey.
sights
Mugla is perhaps one of the few cities in western Turkey where you can visit the sights, on the territory of which there are no noisy crowds of tourists, and a calm atmosphere reigns. Among its iconic objects can be identified:
As in any other region of Turkey, in the province of Mugla there are several remarkable mosques, which will be very interesting to visit. First of all, it is worth visiting the Lead Mosque on Kursunlu Street, built at the end of the 15th century. Today it is not only a religious sanctuary, but also a valuable historical monument, preserved in excellent condition due to restoration work. A wooden mosque in the Jamykebir quarter, as well as a small mosque on Saburhan Square in the Old Town, are worth a visit.
The gallery located on the territory of the former prison includes the Turlian Park, where you can get acquainted with the remains of plants and animals. Some artifacts are more than 7 million years old. It is noteworthy that these exclusive exhibits were discovered by accident: they were found as a result of construction work on Mount Kaklydzhatepe.
This authentic part of the city has preserved ancient buildings, among which the most interesting are residential buildings, only partially. Only in Mugla can you see curious chimneys on the roofs with caps laid out of tiles. Since the area has important historical value, local authorities regularly allocate funds to maintain its improvement. By the way, many owners of old houses are always happy to invite a rare tourist to their courtyard and treat them to tea.
When strolling through the Old Town, be sure to check out the Oriental Carpet Fair, where you can see original handicrafts. And in the old quarter stands the tower of Saatli, built over a century ago and featuring interesting architecture.
The path to this unusual mountain begins in the Saburhan region. You can climb to the top on foot: here is an impromptu observation deck, which offers a beautiful panorama of the city, the hills and the ruins of the ancient buildings of the Hittite period. Mount Asar, due to its flat surface, got another name – Masadaga, which is translated from Turkish as “Table Mountain”.
Rest in Mugla: accommodation and meals
Despite the fact that compared to other resorts in the province of Mugla is not a frequently visited city, there are quite a lot of hotels of different categories. A particularly wide selection is presented among 3 * hotels. The price for a double room starts from $ 45 per day and on average varies between $ 50-80. But the choice of apartments in Mugla is not at all great, and the price tags installed on them are no lower than in hotels and start from $ 45. It is best to choose a property in the central streets, where all the attractions are at hand.
In the city center, as well as in areas remote from it, there are numerous cafes and restaurants. Some of them belong to the budget category, others are famous for their service and high prices. Lunch at an inexpensive institution here will cost $ 5-10 per person, but in restaurants of a higher class, the average check will be issued for at least $ 10-12. Among the Mugly cafes that have won the status of the best, we found the following establishments:
- Kardelen (Turkish cuisine)
- Pizza Fellas (Italian Pizza)
- Pandora restaurant (Mediterranean and European menu)
- Loryma Restaurant Bozukkale (seafood, Turkish and Mediterranean cuisine)
- Cafe Almond Restaurant (Turkish dishes)
Climate and weather
Looking at the photos of Mugly in Turkey, it can be assumed that summer reigns in the city all year round. However, this is not quite true. Real summer days here only come in June, when the air temperature warms up to 30 ° C. July and August are also pleasing with sunny and warm weather, and precipitation during this period is a rather rare but probable phenomenon. May, too, could be considered a favorable period for visiting the province, but this month it often rains (on average 6 out of 30 days).
If you are not a fan of the heat, then September will be ideal for you, when the air temperature is kept within 28 ° C, and precipitation falls only a couple of times a month.
You can also catch the sun and heat in Mugla in April and October: the average daily temperature is in the range of 19-22 ° C. The coldest months in the province are December, January and February, which are characterized by frequent gusts of wind and the maximum number of rainy days. You can find more detailed weather conditions in Mugla in the table below.
| Month | Daytime average temperature | Average temperature at night | Number of sunny days | Number of rainy days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 8.4 ° C | 2.7 ° C | 17 | 7 |
| February | 11.2 ° C | 4.2 ° C | 12 | 5 |
| March | 14.2 ° C | 6 ° C | fifteen | 6 |
| April | 18.9 ° C | 9.2 ° C | 23 | 3 |
| May | 23.4 ° C | 13.3 ° C | 26 | 6 |
| June | 29.1 ° C | 17.7 ° C | 29th | 5 |
| July | 33.4 ° C | 21.2 ° C | 31 | 0 |
| August | 33.1 ° C | 21.3 ° C | 31 | 3 |
| September | 28.8 ° C | 17.7 ° C | 28 | 2 |
| October | 22.6 ° C | 13.2 ° C | 27 | 3 |
| November | 16.1 ° C | 8.9 ° C | 21 | 3 |
| December | 10.7 ° C | 4.5 ° C | eighteen | 5 |
How to get there
Two international airports are spread in Mugla province at once: Milas-Bodrum and Dalaman. Therefore, we will consider ways to get to the city from both air harbors separately.
This air harbor is located 75 km west of the city of Mugla. In the summer, you can fly here on a charter, the rest of the time – on regular flights with transfers in Istanbul. Upon arrival in Milas-Bodrum, you have only three options to get to the city – by taxi, transfer or public transport.
Taxis can be caught immediately at the exit of the airport, the cost of the trip will vary within $ 40. You also have the opportunity to pre-order a transfer on the Internet, which will cost you much more (from $ 60 on an economy car). Well, the most budgetary and quite worthy option to get to the city is Havaş intercity buses, which leave from Milas-Bodrum every hour until 22:00. In general, the journey will take about an hour and a half. You can find a bus in the parking lot at the airport, which is a 1-minute walk from the exit.
Another airport in the province is located near the city of Dalaman, 95 km southeast of Mugla. It also operates charter flights during the high season in Turkey, and regular flights with a stop in Istanbul fly in winter. The ways to get from Dalaman to Mugly are absolutely identical, but the price tag for the trip will be slightly higher.
So, getting a taxi from the airport will cost at least $ 70, and the cost of a transfer by an inexpensive car will be about $ 90. If you do not want to overpay for the road, Havaş will always come to the rescue, whose buses from early morning until late evening wait for their passengers in the parking lot near the air harbor. Travel time with all stops takes about 1.5-2 hours.
Here are some simple ways you can use to get to the city of Mugla, Turkey.
