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Introduction to Dereköy

Dereköy is a small rural village most travellers will just pass through on their way to or from Gümüşlük. Its landmark feature is a couple of Gourd shops on the side of the main road, which distract evening passers-by with their high watt sparkle.

The weekly market is held every Tuesday, and is a casual and haphazard collection of local produce stalls set up on either side of the main street.

Location

Dereköy is located inland, along the route between Gümüşlük and Ortakent.

Approximate distances to Dereköy:

• ~6km from Gümüşlük Beach
• ~7km from central Ortakent
• ~16km from central Bodrum
• ~51km from Milas-Bodrum Airport

Getting There

Travelling from Gümüşlük, you pass through the windmill-laden village of Peksimet before reaching Dereköy. On the eastern side of Dereköy you drive through the inland hamlets of Yahşi and Ortakent (not their coastal sisters).

There isn’t a bus station in Dereköy, but there are a scattering of bus stops where the timetables are posted, and you can also flag a bus down at other spots along the road. There’s a limited Bodrum to Dereköy dolmuş service which goes onto Kadikalesi, but the more frequent Bodrum to Gümüşkaya dolmuş service also travels through Dereköy.

Bodrum to Dereköy Dolmuş:

Bus from Dereköy to Bodrum (originating from Gümüşkaya):

• Peak Season Frequency: First bus leaves at 7:05am. Last bus leaves at 9:00pm. Hourly during the day and every 30 minutes during morning and afternoon commute times.

Bus from Bodrum to Dereköy (bound for Gümüşkaya):

• Peak Season Frequency: First bus leaves at 7:40am. Last bus leaves at 11:00pm. Hourly during the day and every 30 minutes during morning and afternoon commute times. 

The most current timetables are available on the local government website:

• www.mugla.bel.tr/otobussefersaatleri

Things to do: Sightseeing

Move along—nothing to see here!

Things to do: Hiking

Hike to Yalikavak: There’s an intermediate 13km scenic off-road hike travelling north out of Dereköy, passing through the village of Yakaköy, past the Partipanaz Rock and through the village of Sandima, and down the hill into Yalikavak.

Big Cheese Hike: 4 mile round-trip that starts near the Alpözen Art Gallery (closed) and leads to a big rock shaped like a piece of cheese.

Things to do: Shopping

Other than a couple of local bakkals, Dereköy’s claim to fame is its well-stocked Gourd store-fronts and workshops. The gourds can take as much as a year to dry out, and then a couple of days to turn into a fancy lighting accessory adorned with glass beads.

Head towards the mosque in the centre of the village, and you’ll encounter the Yaradan gourd shop where an extensive collection of decorative gourds and gourd light fixtures are crammed into a compact shop. There’s a showroom at the back of the shop where you can see lit gourd lamps on display. The average price for a gourd light ranged between 100TL and 200TL. Obviously there are a few cheaper and many more expensive, but the majority are within this price range.

Further along this street, next to a small convenience shop, is another gourd shop called Su Kabak El Sanatlari. This is smaller than its neighbour, but sells a similar collection of decorated gourd lights and windmills.

The gentrification of Dereköy continues with the addition of a wood and ceramic craft and design shop called Atölye Mifade, which sells mirrors, pictures, bowls, trays, and all manner of things that you don’t really need, but catch your eye anyway. It’s located on the main road just before the men’s village tea house.

Next door to the Bizim Market is the florally decorated Atölye Mäi craft and workshop. The window is clustered with different handmade crafts include macramé pot holders and wall hangings.

Weekly Farmers Market & Pazar: Tuesday

This local market is held every Tuesday, and is set up on both sides of the main street running through the heart of the village. This is primarily a local produce market selling a varied selection of fruits and vegetables, but there are also a couple of house ware and Turkish clothing stalls.

This market is aimed at and frequented by village locals, but tourists will get a warm Turkish welcome, albeit through non-verbal customer service interaction relying heavily on finger pointing and head nodding and shaking.

We were the centre of attention when we stopped off at the weekly market to buy vegetables and herbs for our evening barbeque. The stall holders went about their business as I captured both produce and the scenery in my camera lens, while groups of local tweens orbited us, shouted “photo, photo” at the top of their lungs, and then ran off, giggling.

Restaurant and Café

Driving east out of Dereköy, you’ll encounter a couple of places to stop for refreshments that are located in the centre of the village.

Tahta Meyhane, which at first glance looks like a colourful showroom for the table and chair making workshop directly opposite, is actually an old olive press that has been converted into a restaurant. As well as having a canopy covered outside patio area, the interior oozes charm with its whitewashed stone walls, chunky beams and the original press located in the centre of the room.

If you’re looking for simpler (and less expensive) Turkish food but just as tasty, next door is the newly arrived Mutlu Mutfak with indoor and outdoor seating and a varied meze cabinet for such a small establishment. They also serve Turkish breakfast and have a selection of home made jams and preserves for sale.

Another newcomer is the Museum of Sweets, which is a café located on the right hand side as you drive through Dereköy. With their pink and white striped awning and aqua picket fence, it looks more like a traditional English sweetshop than a bakery and café.

150-metres off the main road is the Çetilik Kahvaltı Evi and Restaurant which serves a village breakfast in a garden, or patio setting, surrounded by flowers and trees. This is an ideal location for breakfast when you’ve been hiking to the Cheese Rock or surrounding area. Endless tea and bread accompanies your traditional Turkish breakfast (40TL), which is served with a smile and a warm welcome.