Çeşme

Understand

Çeşme is a port at the tip of a long peninsula. The name means spring or fountain, likely referring to the geothermal hot springs on the coast a couple of km out of town. In the Middle Ages it was a more important port than Izmir, trading with the Genoese who held nearby islands such as Chios. It surrendered without a fight to the Ottomans in 1566, but trade thereafter shifted to Izmir. In the 18th century Russia under Catherine the Great expanded south and came into conflict with the Ottomans, with a big sea battle fought just off Çeşme. Russia won, and retained a navy in the Aegean for some years thereafter, but the lasting territorial repercussions were around the Black Sea.

The town continued in a small way with trade and agriculture, until the big growth from tourism in the 1970s. It's within a short transfer time of Izmir airport but international tourists mostly bypass Çeşme for the fleshpots of Marmaris and Bodrum further south. Much tourism is therefore domestic.

Get around

Dolmuşes link Çeşme, Alaçatı and the outlying hotel strips.

See

Çeşme old town has many 19th / early 20th century Ottoman buildings and charming back alleys around the castle and lower part of Atatürk Blv the main thoroughfare. 2500-year old artifacts have been found hereabouts but there's no trace remaining of the ancient city. Cezayirli Gazi Hasan Paşa (1730-90) is the subject of the monument in front of the castle, accompanied as always by his pet lion. He was a captain in the sea battle of 1770 in the bay: the Ottomans were smashed but he distinguished himself and was promoted, eventually to admiral and grand vizier. Originally a Georgian slave, he'd learnt his naval fighting skills with the Algerian pirates. Ayios Haralambos is a former Greek Orthodox church on Atatürk Blv 100 m northeast of the castle. Built in 1832, it's now an art gallery and cultural venue, hours erratic. Saint Charalambos (Ἅγιος Χαράλαμπος) was a 2nd century bishop in Magnesia, the vicinity of Ephesus. His name means "shining with joy" and he was supposedly martyred by cartoonish serial violence in such a devout way that bystanders were instantly converted and had to be martyred in turn, in such a devout way that et cetera et cetera.

Do

thumb | 300px | Çeşme Castle

Beaches: Dilaila is south towards Çiftlik. Altınkum is further south across the headland. Boyalık is the closest on the Ilıca strip, with several more on the peninsula north. Windsurfing and kiteboarding: these beaches are windy and well-suited. Thermal springs: Çeşme means "spring"; Ilıca means a spa and is where you find them. Some bubble out in the sea, others feed hotel spas along the resort strip.

Buy

Lots of little stores, with Carrefour, Migros and A101 the main franchises. They're mostly open daily 08:00-22:00. Banks and ATMs are in town centre along Atatürk Blv.

Eat

thumb | 300px | Within Ayios Harambolos Kumru is a warm wrap with salami, garlic-flavoured sausage (sucuk), grilled cheese and tomatoes. A vegetarian version is also available. Atatürk Blv is the main eating strip, with İmren, Çark, Seyir Et, Friendly Corner, Hülya'nın Yeri Et, Evim, Levent and Meydan. North waterfront has Asucan, Carpe Diem, Rihtim, Çeşme Deniz, Yücel Balık, Miss.ina and Capa. Çeşme Marina has Fuente, Ferdi Baba and Meyhane Şerefe. Alacati village centre top picks are Fava, Leblebili Meyhane and Imren. Plenty more south by the marina. Dondurma is local ice-cream. Try the balbadem (honey and almond) and the black currant.

Drink

The distinction between cafe and pub is not always obvious here. Some in town centre are MelBu, Star Bar, Valentino and Kirmizi.

Sleep

Kanuni Kervansaray just south of the castle is a 500 year old caravanserai, now a very basic hotel with cramped rooms and a lot of noise. Yalçın Otel is a pleasant pansiyon in an old Greek house at 1002nd Sk 14. It's quite a climb from the harbour and rooms are small. thumb | 300px | Old town near the castle Central Park Otel in Çiftlik gets rotten reviews.

Connect

Çeşme and its approach highways have 4G from all Turkish carriers. As of July 2022, 5G has not rolled out in Turkey.

Go next

Alaçatı is an attractive large village with trad architecture, cobbled streets, cascades of bougainvillea and a photogenic windmill. It has accommodation and other visitor amenities, plus a marina and water sports facilities further south. Izmir is a bustling modern city with good museums. Chios is the Greek island seen from Çeşme, an hour by ferry and easy day-trip. Ephesus to the south is must-see, an extensive and well-preserved Roman city.