Alaçatı

Last update September 24, 2026

Located on the Aegean coast near Çeşme, about an hour’s drive from Izmir, Alaçatı displays its history clearly. In the 17th century the Ottoman Greeks founded the town and constructed it using pale stone, the streets being so narrow that they only just allow a car to pass and the wooden gates, painted in blue and green shades, have become the town’s distinctive feature. Following the 1923 population exchange between Greece and Turkey most of the original population left and Muslim immigrants then moved into those same houses. If you go into the market street nowadays you will come across a mosque that once served as a Greek Orthodox church, which gives you most of the information you need regarding how the town changed hands without altering its overall appearance.

No checklist can compare with the old town when it comes to rewarding wanderers. The bougainvillea flows over the stone walls in hot pink, the cobbles are so uneven that they slow you down whether you intend to or not, and the market street is lined with small shops that sell olive oil soap, jewellery, and other items you never really meant to purchase. The area becomes very busy in July and August because Istanbul’s more affluent residents use Alaçatı as a summer destination, so if you’d like to experience the quieter side of the town, it’s best to visit in May or September. Although the windmills on the hill above the town were built at some point in the 1800s, they don’t actually do much other than stand there, but you can go and the view over the rooftops is worth the short hike up.

Another reason why people visit Alaçatı has nothing to do with the old stone. At Ilıca Bay, located just outside the town, there is sandy bottom, shallow water and winds that appear most afternoons on time, precisely what serious windsurfers want. Schools situated along the beach rent out equipment and give lessons to beginners, and even if you have no interest in getting onto a board yourself, it is a pleasant way to spend an evening to watch the bay filled with sails at sunset. If your visit coincides with April, the town also hosts a herb festival centred on the wild greens and produce for which the area is known, providing a good reason to eat more than the typical seaside fish dish.