Just outside Bodrum harbor lies the small bay of Bardakçi, the local Turkish expression for water seller. Perhaps the modern name for this small bay derives from Bardakçi's claim as the site of the ancient fountain of Salmacis. Legend has it that here, in a clear pool; Hermaphrodites became so enamoured of his own reflection that the nymph of the pool joined their bodies in one forever, the Hermaphrodite.

Today Bardakçi features luxury hotels, small pensions and varied seaside restaurants surrounding a sandy beach. A popular stop for the local daily boats Bardakçi is only a few minutes walk over the hill between the marina and Gümbet.