Mugla Traveller Health Guide: Bodrum, Marmaris, Fethiye and Datca Health Tips
Health tips for visitors to Mugla province: boats, sun, nightlife, dry-summer fires, tummy bugs and how to find an English-speaking doctor in Bodrum, Marmaris or Fethiye.
Mugla province covers a long, indented coastline of pine forests, bays and islands, and it holds some of the most visited resorts in Turkey: Bodrum, Marmaris, Fethiye, Oludeniz, Gocek, Akyaka and Datca. Its health picture is shaped less by one big city than by distance. Bays are far apart, roads are winding and a hospital can be an hour away, so visitors do best when they plan for minor problems before they arise.
Spring and early summer: swimming too early
May and early June bring warm days, but the sea in the Aegean bays is still cool. Visitors who spend hours in the water often come out with sore throats, ear pain and sinus trouble within a day. Boat trips are the other early-season trap: cool wind on deck, direct sun on the water and an unfamiliar breakfast can add up to a miserable evening. Take a layer, hat and sunscreen, and eat lightly before a rough crossing.
Summer in Mugla: sun, sea and late nights
Bodrum and Marmaris have a famous nightlife, and the combination of alcohol, heat and little sleep is the most common cause of dehydration here. Drink water between drinks, eat before you go out, and plan a slower morning after. On gulet and yacht holidays, seasickness, sunburn and small cuts on deck are the most frequent complaints, and fresh water can be limited, so carry your own rehydration salts. In Oludeniz and Fethiye, paragliding, diving and quad bike tours produce sprains, scrapes and the occasional fracture, so check that operators are licensed and insured.
Dry summers and forest fires
Hot, dry summers in Mugla can bring wildfires in the surrounding pine forests, and smoke can irritate the chest of people with asthma or heart conditions. If you are in an affected area, follow local authority advice, keep inhalers to hand, and stay indoors with windows shut when the air is smoky. Hotels and local authorities are used to managing this, and we can help with prescriptions for respiratory medicines if you run short.
Traveller’s diarrhoea in Mugla
Mugla’s many small beach restaurants, boat-trip lunches and market stalls offer excellent food, but warm weather and long chains of ice and cool boxes can lead to stomach bugs. Choose food cooked fresh and served hot, drink sealed water, and be cautious with raw shellfish and salads on boats. Oral rehydration salts are sold at every pharmacy. See a doctor if there is blood in the stool, a high fever or signs of dehydration, particularly in children and older people.
Autumn and winter
From October to April the resorts quiet down and some clinics and services run reduced hours, but the climate stays mild. Winter is the season for colds, sore throats and chest infections, especially among long-stay residents in Gumbet, Icmeler, Datca and Gocek. Heating in rented apartments can be limited, so pack warm clothes and keep your regular medicines stocked.
Getting help in Mugla
Hospitals and clinics are concentrated in Bodrum, Marmaris and Fethiye, with smaller health centres in the villages. In an emergency call 112. A video doctor is useful in remote bays and on boats with signal, and a home or hotel visit may be possible in selected areas. Choose your resort below to see how it works where you are.