Bodrum · Month comparison

January vs May

May ranks #1 overall vs January at #11. The first Goldilocks — beach-club service running smooth, no Turkish-domestic peak yet.

Bodrum Castle and bay in January with grey sky

January

#11 of 12 months

Worth considering

Bodrum city stays open as a working Turkish town — the peninsula resorts fully shut.

  • ↑Bodrum Castle and Museum of Underwater Archaeology with no queue — Bronze Age shipwreck finds
  • ↑Turkish-mainland prices in the bazaar: kebabs at €4, raki bottles at €8
May beach club at Türkbükü with empty sun loungers

May

#1 of 12 months

Best match

The first Goldilocks — beach-club service running smooth, no Turkish-domestic peak yet.

  • ↑24°C, sea at 20°C, all beach clubs fully open with weekday availability
  • ↑Boat trips to Orak and Karaada islands run with 8-10 guests not 50
FactorJanuaryMay
Weather score
3
9
Value score
10
7
Crowd score
10
8
Events score
2
5
Atmosphere
5
10
Avg high temp14°C24°C
Monthly rain115mm25mm
Daily sunshine4hrs10hrs

January trade-offs

  • ↓115mm rain in January — properly wet by Aegean standards
  • ↓Türkbükü, Yalıkavak and Gümüşlük peninsula villages 90% closed

May trade-offs

  • ↓Meltem wind picks up in afternoons — west-facing bays (Bitez, Yalıkavak) choppy by 4pm
  • ↓Sea at 20°C — comfortable but cooler than July's 25°C
See all 12 months for Bodrum →January in detail →May in detail →
Scores compare months within Bodrum. Climate data: Open Meteo ERA5 30-year normals (1991–2020). Methodology →