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Windsurfing in Alaçati, photo by Songul Aslanturk via Flickr
In addition to its sunny disposition and westward attitude, Izmir remains a beloved city in Turkey for its proximity to so many of the country’s treasures — a day’s trip north to Pergamum, east to Pamukkale, south to Ephesus, and west to Çeşme, a cockscombed peninsula jutting 50 miles out to sea. The somewhat exposed geography gives it a potent cross breeze that satisfies both power turbines and windsurfers with constant, cleansing, cooling air. In summer, Cesme turns into a major tourist hub for the local population, with few foreigners. Begin exploring the Cesme peninsula at these favorite spots.
Alaçati
Young, beautiful and wealthy Turks flock each summer to this former Greek village on the north coast, which has transformed almost entirely since the beginning of the century, when it remained a quiet, seaside village. Happily, enough remains in the whitewashed and stone houses hung with blue shutters to sense some of the old feeling. Kemalpaşa Caddesi, the main street, is replete with antique shops, art galleries and designer fashion boutiques. Alacati’s second group of fans come for the “Meltemi” wind, which makes the bay ideal for windsurfing and kiteboarding.
Ildiri & Erythrai
Farther north along the coast, Ildiri sits on a small bay protected by offshore islands. There’s no shortage of charm in the village, fed well on fish, olives and artichokes, especially at the restaurants lining the small dock and outskirts, but the main attraction is the ancient city of Erythrai underneath its fields. Known in the days of Aristotle, the city was all but destroyed in first-century earthquakes and remains largely unexcavated, apart from a fifth-century sacrificial altar, Roman and Greek villas, and a theater, from the top of which are lovely views in the region.
Dalyanköy
Many contend Cesme’s best fish and seafood are caught around Dalyanköy, three miles north of Cesme. Sit down at one of the many restaurants along the harbor and tuck in for a multi-course meal based on the morning catch and accompanied by bottles of wine and raki.
Altinkum Beach
The “golden sand” indicated by the name of this popular beach stretches for nearly a mile along a bay 20 minutes south of Cesme city. The water is crystal clear but some of the coldest in Turkey, requiring some level of fortitude to enjoy for long. Several beach clubs sell prime beach space with lounge beds, parasols, showers, change cabins, and food and drink service.
Çesme
The peninsula’s main population center, also called Cesme, is also home to one of Turkey’s hippest marinas, but the main draw for tourists remains the 14th-century hilltop Genoese castle, largely reconstructed by the Ottoman Sultan Bayezid II at the beginning of the 16th century. The fortress now serves as the Çesme Archaeological Museum displaying artifacts recovered from Erythrai. There are also connections to the Greek island of Chios, five miles across the water.
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