Old money, new glamour: Why celebrities are flocking to Bodrum

Bodrum. What’s the attraction? What is it about this sunny peninsula that attracts royals, models, old money and the nouveau riche? Kate Moss, Camilla Parker-Bowles and Bill Gates have all travelled to Turkey’s most talked about holiday destination. Let’s find out why...

To see and be seen

who? The Jaggers, Kid Rock, Pamela Anderson, Sting, Yves Saint Laurent

where? Halikarnas Nightclub

Jaggers in TurkeyThe long list of celebrities visiting Bodrum reads like an international edition of Who’s Who. Actors, models, singers and designers flit between the peninsula’s coolest nightspots, networking, schmoozing, and cutting loose.


Nightclub behemoth Halikarnas, located in Bodrum Town, has played host to some of the most illustrious names in the world. Pamela Anderson caused a scene here when a hapless waiter ignored her request for a drink. Dustin Hoffman once rented the whole club for a birthday bash. Jade Jagger opened a restaurant at the club - and she’s not the first Jagger to hang out at the club, her dad Mick is a regular at the club.

Family holiday in the sunshine

Who? Salma Hayek 

Where? Torba

Salma Hayek in BodrumMexican actor Salma Hayek has been spotted in Bodrum several times, kicking back in between films with her French husband Francois Pinault and their young daughter. The famous family like to dine in Gumusluk (famous for its seafood restaurants) and stay at a secluded hillside hotel in peaceful Torba, away from the hustle and bustle of holiday crowds. 


The trio frolicked on Torba’s pebbly beach, strolled along the seafront and engaged in some light shopping. Hayek reportedly loves Turkish jewellery, and has spent up big in some of Bodrum’s most prestigious jewellers’ on past visits.


Hayek’s choice for a family getaway was a good one - Turks adore children, and their family-friendly values mean little ones are always welcome in local restaurants and even the odd bar. 

Private getaway

Who? Bill Gates, Tom Hanks, Nicole Kidman

Where? That’s a secret

Superyacht in BodrumWhile some big names like to come and splash the cash at the most popular places in town, others want to holiday quietly and unobtrusively, enjoying a bit of downtime with family or friends. Famous billionaire recluse Bill Gates is one such Bodrum visitor. Gates and his wife Melinda have anchored their superyacht off the coast of Yalikavak, enjoying the services of one of Bodrum’s top private chefs for starlit meals each evening. During the day, the cash-rich couple explored the peninsula’s hidden bays and coves, seeking out secluded sunny spots for soaking up the rays.


Nicole Kidman is another celebrity who values her privacy above all else and likes to keep a low profile during her regular trips to Bodrum. However, the flame-haired Aussie actor was spectacularly rumbled last year as she dined with a friend in a restaurant in low key Cokertme Bay. Accessible only by boat, the Moulin Rouge star evidently thought she’d gotten away with her undercover disguise of a cap and oversized sunglasses. However, a keen-eyed young diner loudly pointed out the antipodean beauty, prompting other restaurant patrons to scramble over chairs in their haste to have Kidman sign autographs. 

A second home in Bodrum

who? Shhhh, not telling

where? All over

Luxury homes in BodrumDue to privacy laws we can’t actually disclose any names. But we can drop a few hints. An American hospitality heiress recently dropped a cool £1.2 million on a luxury Yalikavak penthouse with 5-star hotel facilities. A football manager has just invested over £2 million in a custom-built 6-bedroom villa with a private pool and tennis court overlooking Bodrum Harbour. A Hollywood actor is in the process of building a sprawling villa overlooking Yalikavak marina, with a private cinema, an observatory and a helipad. 


These are some serious pads at some very serious prices in Yalikavak, but Bodrum is now on the radar of some of the world’s most serious property buyers. Bodrum property prices have shot up over the past decade, especially in hotspots Yalikavak and Bodrum Town. Other peripheral villages like peaceful Torba and established Turkish celeb favourite Turkbuku are also gaining international recognition.

Royal relaxation

who? Camilla Parker-Bowles

where? Bodrum Marina

The Duchess of Cornwall made an ostentatious splash when she partied in Bodrum last summer. Parker-Bowles dined at Bodrum Marina with posh friends Amanda Ward, Lady Fiona Lansdowne, and Jane Von Westenholz before the group were whisked off by speedboat to a waiting superyacht, reportedly rented for the eye-watering weekly sum of £450,000. Mrs Prince Charles then enjoyed several days leisurely sailing around the peninsula’s bays, no doubt eating caviar off silver platters whilst sporting a variety of tiaras.


Those royals certainly know how to relax in style. Parker-Bowles isn’t the first royal to visit the peninsula, either - Princess Margaret also loved Bodrum and visited several times.

Detox and cleanse 

who? Kate Moss

where? Turkbuku

Kate Moss living it up in TurkeyWith a face and figure that appears on billboards and in magazines all over the globe, it’s little wonder that Kate Moss works hard to keep her physique in tip top condition. Her secret? Life Co, a detox centre in Turkbuku, Bodrum. The peninsula has always been a magnet for those wanting peace, relaxation and an escape from the fast pace of everyday life. Now, the centre is gradually making a name for itself as a centre for alternative health therapies. Juice detoxes, massage therapy, anti-ageing treatments, deep cleanses: Life Co and other centres popping up around Bodrum are attracting big names in need of a little R&R - and a slew of rich, older celebrities who are quietly travelling to Turkey in the hope that a little anti-ageing treatment might help turn back the clock. Moss was also spotted with one of the area’s most high profile real estate agents, and tongues are now wagging with the rumours that the world’s most famous supermodel may well be making Bodrum a permanent base

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