The most important cities of Caria were Halikarnassos (Bodrum) and Knidos (Datca). Other cities on the Gulluk Gulf were Bargylia (Asarlik), Iasos (Kiyikislacik); on western end of the Bodrum Peninsula, Myndos (Gumusluk); on the inner part of the peninsula, Pisada and Theangela; and to the south of the Gulf of Gokova, Keramos (Oren) and Kedria (Sedir Island).

There were other settlements inland at Mylasa (Milas); Labranda, which is linked to Mylasa by a 14 kms long road; to the north where there was Mylasa Euromos (Ayakli); and Araphisar, which was close to the Alabanda Stream. In addition, there was Gerga; nearby Yatagan; Stratonikeia and Lagina; Kaunos (Dalyan) which used to be on the sea until the waterway silted up.