Sunday, 5 July 2009
The Aegean, home to historic sites and beautiful bays, presents wonderful opportunities for those who want to enjoy the sea, culture and wellness at the same time.
Izmir, described by reknown ancient historian Herodotus as a city "founded in the most wonderful climate of the world under the most sublime of skies", houses all sorts of holiday facilities vacationers may desire.
While Alacati town offer vacationers a feeling of peace with its stone houses, streets and terebinth flavoured breeze, its town of Foca offers an opportunity to gaze at the Mediterranean seals.
Urla coast, 35 kms away from the city center embraces tourists with its villages and history. Limantepe in the Iskele neighbourhood which dates back to 6000 BC is the oldest known pier in history. Urla which is also home to Ancient city of Klazomenai, is an ideal location for those who enjoy culture and history.
Those who visit Urla which carry traces of reknown poets Giorgos Seferis and Necati Cumali, should not leave this town without tasting "katmer" and the "staffed squash blossom".
-SEFERIHISAR-
Seferihisar which is 47 kms away from Izmir, was a member city of the Ionian Dodecapolis (Confederation of Twelve Cities) founded around 1050 BC. As well as its history, Seferihisar appeals those who want to hunt fish with harpoons or cruise the bays with yachts.
Gulmuldur which is 80 kms far away from Izmir may be the ideal location for those who love the sea, the sand and the sun or for those who are looking for a quiet holiday with their families.
-CESME-
The Cesme district which is 8 miles away from the Chios island of Greece is only 80 kms away from Izmir and it takes only 45 minutes to get to this resort town which houses beautiful beaches along its 29km coast.
Ilica beach at the centre of Cesme is 2kms long and has geothermal water currents coming from underground. These waters turn this beach into a geothermal pool.
Ildiri and the surrounding region which is only 10 minutes away from Ilica, houses suitable sites for campers. This region also houses the ancient city of Erythrai. The region which has traces of settlements dating back to the Bronze age, could be an alternative for those who love history.
Ciftlikkoy and Pirlanta beaches located in the South and Southeast of Cesme and the Catazmak beach are also worth seeing.
The Donkey Island, formerly called "Goni" Island, which is an hour away from Cesme by boat is an ideal destination for daily boat trips with its clean bays and donkeys. There is a well powered by a wind mill for donkeys to survive. The island is a suitable location for water sports.
The Alacati town, only ten minutes away from Cesme, appeal to those who long for a calm holiday with its stone houses, stone streets and boutique hotels. Thanks to its terebinth flavoured winds, Alacati is known worldwide with windmills and wind surfing. Alacati hosts wind surfing events every year.
The Cesme Castle built by Ottoman Sultan Beyazid the Second and the caravanserai are some of the touristic attractions in Cesme.
-DIKILI-
Dikili district and its Candarli town is a suitable location for family holidays. Dikili which is located 120 kms, North of Izmir, is the right destination for laid-back holidays with its crater lakes in Merdivenli and Denizkoy and its forests reaching out all the way to the Madra river.
The Candarli town which is only 19 kms away from Dikili offers peace and quiet to vacationers with its cold sea and its unique culture blending village life and city life.
-FOCA-
The history of Phokaia (Foca), which is named after the seals living in the surrounding islands, dates back to 11th Century BC. The ancient family tomb carved in to the rocks, Seytan Hamami (Satan's Bath), the mausoleum, the Kybele Temple and Ionians' oldest temple Athena and many artifacts from the Ottoman Empire can be seen in Foca.
Foca which is situated in northwest of Izmir is only a one hour ride away from Izmir. It is possible to seldomly come across a Mediterranean seal in the Siren rocks which is under protection.
The Mersinaki bays along the coast between Old Foca and New Foca welcome vacationers with beautiful beaches, old mills, steep cliffs on the coast, and fish restaurants here offer a visual feast for explorers.
-SELCUK-
The town which is near the 73rd km of the Izmir-Aydin highway, one of the largest open air museums of the world, the ancient city of Ephesus. Thousands of tourists visit Ephesus annually, which houses artifacts dating back to the early Bronze Age. Ephesus is one of those locations which visitors should be accompanied with a guide.
Mother Mary House, Saint John Church, Artemis Temple and Isabey Mosque, Selcuk Castle are historic sites each with a unique story. Pamucak beach which is 8 kms away from Selcuk is an excellent location for all sorts of water and beach sports with its coast and sand.
Those who visit Selcuklu should also see the Sirince town which is famous for its home made wines, village architecture, wine yards, olive trees and peach gardens.
