Bright sea, oriental bazaars and ancient fortresses. 6 reasons to spend your holidays in Izmir
Miscellaneous / / June 20, 2022
1. Experience the Aegean Sea
White sandy beaches, bright blue, warm and clear water, green hilly shores - such a picturesque picture in the vicinity of Izmir pleases tourists every day. To fully enjoy the sea, go to Cheshme, Ozdere, Gumuldur or Alacati.
You can relax on the coast calmly, sitting on sun loungers or meditating in the morning to the sound of the surf. And for those who are not used to just lying on the beach, there are several entertainments at once. For example, diving in Gumuldur and Cheshme. The underwater world of the Aegean Sea is surprisingly beautiful and diverse - it is worth plunging into it with your head at least for a while.
Other popular sea activities in Izmir are windsurfing and kitesurfing. It is possible to get on the board at all local resorts, but it is better to choose Alacati. It is not in vain that competitions in these sports are regularly held in the village: the wind is stable there, so there are always waves. The sea near the shore is shallow, so beginners can also train safely.
Before, tourists from Russia had to get to Izmir and its environs for a long time and with transfers. But now a direct flight has been launched there: the road from Moscow will take only four and a half hours. To save even more time - entrust organizational issues ANEX Tour. The tour operator will help you quickly find budget tickets and a comfortable hotel, organize a transfer and arrange insurance. You can book a trip on the website or at the office of the company.
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2. Touch history
The city of Izmir was founded over five thousand years ago by the Greeks. Despite a major fire in 1922, sights from different periods of history have been preserved there. The Agora of Smyrna (Smyrna is the old name of Izmir), the Hisar Mosque, the Kadifekale Fortress, the old Jewish Quarter - you can safely plan a walk for the whole day.
There are even more interesting things scattered around the region. For example, in Cesme there is a Genoese fortress, which was used to protect against pirates. And not far from the village of Ozdere are the ancient residential town of Selchuk and the ruins of the ancient Greek city of Ephesus. Once there stood the Temple of Artemis - one of the seven wonders of the world. A little further from the coast, in the city of Urla, there are the ruins of Clazomen, another ancient city, a center for the production of olive oil. There you can see the reconstructed dairy.
3. Try tulum and boyoz
The cuisine of Izmir is primarily famous for its seafood. In addition to grilled fish, here you can try fried octopus, stuffed mussels, carides gyuvech (shrimp baked in pots) and much more. To taste several dishes at once, order a meze for lunch - a set of snacks and small portions of hot dishes.
If seafood isn't your thing, try a gastronomic experience with traditional cuisine. There are dishes here that are difficult to find in other regions of Turkey:
- Boyoz. Layered buns, which, according to tradition, must be eaten with a hard-boiled egg.
- Tavern chichegi dolmasy. Zucchini or pumpkin flowers stuffed with rice and herbs.
- Izmir koftesi. Small cutlets baked with potatoes and tomatoes.
- Tulum. Salted goat cheese. Tulum is also brewed in other parts of the country, but it tastes different there. This is because, according to the traditional recipe, milk is heated to 30 degrees, and in Izmir - up to 60.
4. Bargain at the Eastern Bazaar
Walk along the stalls with fragrant spices, taste all the sweets and dried fruits, try to negotiate a discount with the seller. Going to the oriental bazaar is always an unforgettable experience. And perhaps one of the best ways to immerse yourself in the local culture.
Kemeralti market is located in Izmir - one of the largest in Turkey. To get around it completely and inspect everything, it will take more than one hour. In addition to products, there are ceramics, textiles, leather goods, vintage jewelry and other goods that you can take home as a souvenir.
There are cool bazaars in the area. For example, on Saturdays in the resort villages of Ozdere and Alacati, farmers' markets open, selling local fruits, vegetables, spices, dried fruits, nuts and many other products.
5. Walk the colorful streets
There are places for quiet walks and locations for cool photos in most cities and towns in the region, even in very small ones. In Izmir, for example, you can see narrow colored streets and Levantine mansions with carved balconies - they belonged to Europeans who lived in Turkey in the 19th century. In Ozdere, the facades of buildings are decorated with mosaics and relief paintings. Sanat Sokay's "street of arts" is noteworthy in Urla. The houses there are made of stone with large beautiful doors. Some of them even have shops with handmade souvenirs.
And if you want to “transport” to Greece for a while, go to Alacati. Many houses in the village have bright blue shutters, light facades and tiled roofs. In summer, in combination with dense greenery and lush flowers, it becomes especially picturesque there.
It will take at least a week to see all the beauties of Izmir and have time to lie quietly on the beach. But it's worth going there, even if you don't have a long vacation: a weekend trip will be enough to get a lot of impressions.
AT ANEX Tour you can buy a trip to Izmir for a period of 3 to 27 nights. There are options for a large company, and for a lone tourist. By the way, if you don’t like exploring the sights on your own, take a closer look at organized excursions - there are a lot of them in the tour operator’s catalog. And in Turkey, covid restrictions on entry have been canceled: vaccination certificates and HES codes are no longer needed.
Go to Izmir
6. Relax in thermal springs
The sea in Izmir is warm - in summer it warms up to 24-25 degrees. But if this seems not enough, you can go to the thermal springs. There are several of them near Cheshme at once, including Ildyz Burnu, Ilydzha and Shifne. The temperature in them varies from 40 to 55 degrees, and sometimes it can reach 58. The water is enriched with sodium, magnesium, calcium and other beneficial minerals.
In addition to swimming in the pools, you can take mud baths and try chilled mineral water. Some swimming areas are organized right into the sea, so you won’t have to give up views of the coast and velvet sand.