Get A Native’s Guide to Your Dream Summer Vacation Destination
In Turkey, when summer arrives, people tend to relocate to their summer houses. It grants them the occasional escape from city life, an opportunity to be near the sea, and the young ones to enjoy themselves to the fullest during their summer vacation. Given that Turkey is praised for its beautiful geography, it is not that difficult to find a summer spot near your hometown. But, I was lucky enough that our go-to summer destination is now one of the most popular summer destinations in Turkey, both for domestic and international tourists.
Some of the best memories from my childhood are in Çeşme: an hour drive from İzmir, one of the biggest Turkish cities. Recently trumping the popularity of Bodrum, and Antalya (other popular touristic summer spots), Çeşme has become the prized jewel in the Aegean region. It is the perfect get-away destination for travel lovers of all ages and here is why:
1. It is a great spot for windsurfing, kitesurfing and sailing
Çeşme is a natural wind paradise. You realize this is the case when you see the many wind turbines as you make your way from İzmir to Çeşme. Consequently, it is not uncommon to see countless sails, surfs and kite-surf parachutes coloring the waters everyday. I started learning windsurfing when I was 9, contrary to my father’s endless efforts to convince me to choose sailing instead. While sailing is a beautiful sport, I am more of an adrenaline junky, which is why it wasn’t long before I made the switch to kite-surfing. It is thrilling to feel the wind in your hair, and the water slipping by under the board as you race with your friends in the sea. It takes an average of 5 to 7 classes for you to be able to say you can kite-surf. Of course, it takes much more than that to say you are a pro! It took me around 2 years to learn how to jump(!) Check out Alacati Surf Point for more information.
2. The restaurant scene is sublime!
Now, we can all agree that Turkish food is great! But being an avid eater myself, I can attest to the fact that the restaurants in Çeşme are particularly good at quality food. Especially when it comes to fish restaurants, the options are endless. Here is a few restaurants that I love to frequent that are somewhat on the pricey side:
Kapari Bahçe: Eat the artichoke steak, the lobster spaghetti or the ribs!
Balıkçı Niyazi: Amazing views, amazing fish, and experimental mezze dishes!
Kolburanos: The best pizza you will ever taste.
Horasan: Great fish, great linguine di mare, great with anything sea food.
Fahri’nin Yeri: The fish restaurant that many locals go to right by an old fisherman’s doc.
Köşe Kahve: Great for a quick coffee and a dessert.
Asma Yaprağı: Hands-down my favorite place to eat traditional Turkish dishes. (PS: Reserve a spot early on!)
Bumba: An amazing breakfast place for a local Turkish breakfast. For a similar experience you can also try Zeytinaltı, Demlik or Sedir.
Bomdia: Great acai bowls and experimental breakfast dishes.
3. Taste the local food
Yes, the restaurant scene is great. But, you should also be getting the authentic Çeşme experience by trying the local food. Cheaper, and tastes top notch! You simply must try kumru; there hasn’t been one person that I’ve forced to try kumru that disliked it. But beware, once you get started, there is no stopping. Kumru will become your late night craving, your breakfast, your lunch. The absolute best place you could go to for this delicacy is Kumrucu Aykut, no question.
A couple of my other local favorites are:
Dost Pide: Aside from the great pide, this place is famous for what is called dostaki- döner wrapped in lavash served with yogurt and tomato sauce.
Veysis: Great Turkish dishes served in very big portions.
Doruk Döner: Best döner in Çeşme.
4. Two words: Happy Hour
The happy hour scene in Çeşme is always popping. Get ready to end your beach day with upbeat tunes and enjoy a glass of Blush as you get tipsy by the sea. Most beaches offer happy hour experiences around 5pm till as late as 11pm, but you will definitely need to make a reservation. The classic “I know a guy” is not gonna work when it is packed inside. For the best happy hours, try out Before Sunset, Beach of Momo, Yuzu Beach, Sole Mare and Madeo. These beaches are also famous for their white sand and turquoise water. For a beach day that is more on the chill side, I would recommend you check out Isolee, Fun Beach, Flyinn or Alaçatı 11.
5. Night Life by the Sea and the Bar Scene
Talking about happy hours, you can imagine that the night life is also pretty colorful in Çeşme. When it comes to a night out, there are two ways to go. You can cruise around the bars if you are looking to enjoy a chill conversation along with some drinks with your friends. For these purposes, I would recommend Nar (you must try the Armut cocktail which tastes exactly like eating a pear), Cartel (creative drinks served with sushi), Tius (enjoy your drinks by the sea with complimentary popcorn), or Bomdia (great cocktails with nice beats in the background). But, if you are looking to dance, then the sky is the limit. Check out these spots for sure: Yuzu Beach (which hosts a different DJ every night), Bedevi (go-to for ethnic music), Fin (party right next to a carousel), House 44 (vibe to pop music all night). If you are particularly keen on starting to dance as you enjoy a rakı-balık night, you must go to Veranda.
6. Explore Alaçatı
Alaçatı is a beautiful scenic paradise home to countless stone houses with colorful bay windows covered in paperflower. Take a walk in the narrow Alaçatı streets, walk into the endless boutiques, stop by the cute cafes, or have an afternoon drink at one of the bars. Be careful though, these streets get super busy at night; so you need to find a way to navigate yourself through the back streets and such. As you walk by, check out the jewelry at Çatladıkapı and grab a cup of coffee from Voi. You can even treat yourself to one of the many ice cream parlors, the most famous one being Veli Usta.
Now that you have the list, it is time to find a place to stay. I would recommend one of the boutique hotels in Alaçatı, especially near Hacımemiş. You can also find a house among the many Airbnb options which have easier access to the sea. Whatever the case, Çeşme should be on the top of your go-to list for a summer vacation.