Bodrum Peninsula Hidden Coves (Bitez & Ortakent)

Bitez Beach occupies a wide, sheltered bay on the southern coast of the Bodrum Peninsula in Muğla province, approximately 7 kilometres west of Bodrum town. The bay is long and gently curved, with a shingle-and-fine-sand shore backed by a mix of cafés, restaurants and holiday apartments. The bay is well protected from the north by the peninsula's hills and faces south-southwest into the prevailing afternoon breeze — a combination that makes Bitez one of the most consistent wind-sport spots on the peninsula for windsurfing and kitesurfing. In the late afternoon, the Meltem wind reliably fills in at 12–18 knots, providing conditions suited to intermediate and advanced practitioners of both sports. Several kitesurfing and windsurfing schools operate from the beach, offering equipment hire and tuition in multiple languages. Beyond the wind sports, Bitez is calm in the mornings, when the sheltered bay makes for pleasant swimming and snorkelling. The water is clear and takes on a soft turquoise colour in the shallower sections near shore. Sun loungers and parasols are available for hire at ₺80–₺150 per pair along most of the beach frontage, with the wind-sports schools occupying the more exposed southern end of the bay. Several cafés and restaurants behind the beach serve Turkish and international food from breakfast through dinner. Tangerine and lemon orchards behind the village give the area a distinctly agricultural character compared to the resort-heavy beaches closer to Bodrum town. Dolmuş minibuses run to Bodrum centre every 20 minutes for ₺15, passing through the orchard fields on a scenic narrow road.