PLACES OUTSIDE IZMIR

The Cesme Peninsula, lapped by the waters of the Aegean Sea, lies west of Izmir. The name “Cesme” meaning fountain, refers to the many springs found in the area during the 18th and 19th centuries. It is one of Turkey’s most beautiful coastal stretches framed by clear blue sea, with aniseed, sesame and artichoke fields dotted by fig and gum trees. In the unspoiled bays you can swim in absolute peace. Visitors will find excellent holiday accommodation, restaurants, and sports and entertainment facilities. A 14th-century Genoese fortress, restored and enlarged by the Ottomans in the 16th century, dominates the small port of Cesme 80 km from Izmir. Today the town is a popular holiday resort with excellent accommodations and restaurants. The 16th-century caravanserai near the fortress, built by Suleyman the Magnificent, has been converted into a hotel, while the 19th-century Church of Hagios Haralambos has been restored as the Emir Caka Art Gallery. Thermal baths offer a health-oriented escape from modern life. Excellent shopping for the finest quality carpets and leather goods, as well as souvenir items is also possible. At night, a lively, atmosphere pervades the town, especially in the restaurants, cafes, bars and discos along the promenade. Cesme hosts an annual International Song Contest in the summer. Yachts can be chartered to explore the peninsula’s splendid coastline. Also, ferries make the run from Cesme to Venice on a weekly basis.

Cesme Castle, Izmir

The very popular holiday center of Ilica boasts an excellent white sandy beach and the outstanding facilities of the Altin Yunus Marina and Holiday Complex. The bay here is ideal for water sports, especially windsurfing and sailing. The thermal baths around Ilica are very popular, the best located on Sifne Bay. Pasa Limani (Pasha Harbor) also has a campsite which offers comfortable facilities. In Ilica Bay, the colorful International Cakabey Optimist Yacht Race is held every July.

AltinYunus Facilities

Ildiri, a quiet seaside village 20 km northeast of Cesme was ancient Erythrai. Those who climb up to the Acropolis at dusk are rewarded with a beautiful sunset over the bay and islands. Nearby Gerence Gulf is a pristine inlet northeast of the Cesme Peninsula which can be reached by boat or car. The natural surroundings are relaxing while the bay becons for water sports. In Dalyan, a fishing village built on a sheltered deep water inlet just north of Cesme some of the region’s best fish restaurants border the quay of the lively marina.

Tourists are attracted by the variety of accommodations at Ciftlik and by a long, sandy beach (Pirlanta Plaj), just outside the town to the southwest. Camping facilities are available to the south, and nearby is one of the area’s best beaches, the Altinkum Plaj (Golden Sand Beach).

Windmills, some of which have been converted into attractive restaurants, dot the hill above Alacati, a delightful and typical Aegean town. Alacati lies to the south inland from Ilica and the coast. A couple kilometers to the south is a good beach. Many lovely bays along the coast southeast of the town are accessible only by boat, ensuring peaceful and relaxing anchorage in this popular sailing region.

Cesme Beach, Izmir

Known in ancient times as Clazomenae, Urla Iskelesi offers a marina as well as plentiful accommodations in all price ranges. Restaurants on the top of Guvendik hill afford a marvelous view of the bay and its islands.

The prosperous little fishing village of Cesmealti is notable for its rustic yet excellent seafood restaurants.

Siren Boulders, Foca, Izmir

As you drive along the panoramic coastal road of Karaburun Peninsula you pass several peaceful bays and quaint fishing villages: Balikliova, Mordogan and Karaburun among others. At Karaburun, pleasant hotels, tea gardens and seafood restaurants sit between the beautiful mountain backdrop and the clear, clean water. From Manastir Mountain, you can enjoy an unforgettable view of the Karaburun coast, the Foca coastline opposite, and the entrance to the Gulf of Izmir. On the southern side of the Cesme Peninsula, near the town of Seferihisar, is the small picturesque marina of Sigacik. This important yachting center is surrounded by fortifications dating from the Genoese period and is a good point from which to visit the Temple of Dionysus at the ancient site of Teos, as well as lovely Akkum beach.

Serapis Temple, Pergamum, Izmir

South of Akkum, the New Neptune Holiday Village offers windsurfing and diving schools and it is the best area for these sports. Also in the Torbali area, between the villages of Ozbeykoy and Yenikoy lie the ruins of an ancient metropolis.

Gumuldur features excellent tourist facilities beautiful beaches, restaurants and hotels. Near Ahmetbeyli (Claros) to the east, stands the Apollo Temple and the remains of a colossal statue of the god. Here you can also enjoy a good fish dinner or a swim at the town’s wide beach. A winding panoramic coastal road leads from Ahmetbeyli south to Pamucak beach.