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The district of Çeşme is a very popular summer resort in particular with the residents of nearby İzmir. The district includes such historical sites as a 16th-century castle and an ancient caravanserai. The white-sand beaches stretch lazily along a road lined with exquisitely built houses, several large hotels, and a number of restaurants serving excellent seafood and Turkish specialties. Most of the hotels are set on beaches outside the center of town and the peninsula has excellent conditions for windsurfing, with Alaçatı's beach being one of the best spots.

You can have a complete spa treatment in Çeşme while on a beach holiday. The area offers a wide range of hotel accommodation with some of the hotels having their own spas, making use of the area's natural mineral waters. Ilıca with a white-sand beach of the same name, is the most famous of these thermal springs which contain high levels of sodium chloride, magnesium sulphate, and calcium bicarbonate. The thermal springs at Ilıca also offer underwater massage, electrotherapy, and hot mineral pools and baths.

Alaçatı itself was founded around 1850. For years, it remained a small farming village forgotten by time and retaining much of its original character and beauty. Today, Alaçatı is one of Aegean Türkiye's up-and-coming holiday getaway havens.
Alaçatı’s center is located at a short distance from the sea and lies at an average altitude of 16 meters. The town is surrounded to its north by Ilıca (2.5 km), famous for its beach and thermal waters, to its south by the port of Alaçatı (3 km) where windsurfing clubs are located, and to its west by Karadağ heights covered in olive trees and, more recently, in vineyards. Alaçatı is only 155 km from the world- famous archaeological site of Ephesus.

Explore & Enjoy the Seasons

The Çeşme Peninsula is the pride of İzmir’s tourism sector with its crystal-clear sea, golden beaches and bays, healing thermal sources, amazing underwater riches, sports activities, and famous nightlife.

Alaçatı is one of Türkiye’s best-kept seaside secrets. Windsurfers have been flocking to the area for years thanks to the constant, year-round breeze. Luckily Alaçatı is not flooded with tourists, although little by little foreign visitors are starting to discover this hidden gem.

Alaçatı is famed for its authentic architecture, windmills, winemaking tradition, and crystal-clear waters. Spending some time exploring the town is a must before heading to the beach for some fun in the sun.

Alaçatı's narrow streets of cobblestone are adorned with renovated single- or two-story stone houses, alongside charming sidewalk cafés, restaurants, and boutiques. This historical architecture makes Alaçatı the best-preserved town in Aegean Türkiye. While Alaçatı is quite busy during July and August, one can enjoy a quieter and more peaceful time here during the spring and autumn months which often become part of a warm extended summer.

Embodying in full the refreshing spirit of the Aegean, Alaçatı is an inviting, friendly, and welcoming holiday destination with its colorful stone houses and narrow alleys. Upon your entry, Alaçatı will greet you with a historic two-century-old mastic tree. As you head towards the coast, you will start feeling that famous Alaçatı wind.

The old stone houses here have been beautifully restored. Painted shutters and doors are covered in bright bougainvillea. The stone houses are not only beautiful but also functional as they keep their residents cool in summers and warm in winters thanks to the custom cut stones used to build them. Many of the homes have been converted to hotels whilst others are now trendy boutiques, bars, and cafés.
Explore the side streets that run off Kemalpaşa Street, the town’s main artery, that is home to many of these bars and restaurants, and wander up to the picturesque windmills.

The historical stone windmills that sit on top of the hill overlooking the village are the town’s symbol. They date back to the 1850s and are among the oldest structures in the area.

Alaçatı is a wonderful town to explore on foot. Its charming streets offer plenty of restaurants, cafés, and bars to take a break and enjoy a refreshing drink accompanied by some mouthwatering Turkish delicacies. The narrow streets that are quiet during the day come to life when the sun goes down.

For those who visit Urla in the summer, there is, of course, nothing better than swimming in the deep blue sea. Çeşmealtı is the district’s most touristic area, not only because of its beaches but also thanks to the thermal springs in İçmeler. The beaches at Klizman are also popular destinations with their wonderful nature that combines blue and green.

Urla, a strategic coastal city that has hosted different civilizations throughout history, is worth visiting both for its historical identity and its natural beauty. The ancient city of Klazomenai and the Bronze Age site of Liman Tepe, where Türkiye's first underwater excavations took place, reveal the region’s ancient history.

The district is also famous for its mosques, baths, and caravanserais dating from the Ottoman period.

If you want to breathe in the sea air while tracing the footsteps of the past, you should visit Karantina Island (literally “Quarantine Island”). As the name suggests, the island was used as a quarantine zone during the Ottoman period. The sea here is perfect for those who enjoy calm, waveless waters.

Other places you can include in your travel plans are the Klazomenai Olive Oil Plant, which is the first olive oil production facility in Anatolia, the Gazhane Building, the Necati Cumalı Memorial and Culture House, and the Urla Underwater Museum.

The historical  Arasta Market (Arasta Çarşısı) and Malgaca Bazaar (Malgaca Pazarı), which have an important place in the commercial life of the district, are also worth visiting. The market’s shops and the bazaar are historical treasures that are full of colorful stories from the past. If you get tired, you can sit at one of the many cafés at the nearby Urla Art Street (Urla Sanat Sokağı).

The village of Balıklıova is another must-see destination. It is situated at the southernmost point of the Karaburun Peninsula. Even in the summer, a cool wind sweeps across the village. The village is famous for its un kurabiyesi, a type of Turkish shortbread.

Bademler, which is the first village in Anatolia to have its own theater, is at a distance of 10 km from Urla. It is famous for its library, a museum of children’s toys, and its flower greenhouses. In the villages of Germiyan, Kuşçular, and Yağcılar, you can buy delicious local olives.

Every year, Urla hosts the Artichoke Festival, Kite Festival, Traditional Grape Harvest Festival, and Village Theater Festival. Before traveling to Urla, make sure to check the local events calendar!