Kuşadası

See

thumb | 300px | Castle entrance on Pigeon Island (Güvercinada) is reached from town by a 200 m causeway. The castle has been restored as a museum, open daylight hours. Öküz Mehmed Pasha Caravanserai is by the harbour entrance. It's a restored Ottoman Kervansaray built 1615/18 - a secure place for merchants to lodge with their goods. It has been a hotel but is abandoned in 2022. Kaleiçi Mosque 100 m south down Barbaros Bvd was built along with the Kervansaray by Öküz Mehmet paşa. Muvaffak "Maffy" Falay (1930-2022) was a famous jazz trumpeter from Kuşadası, commemorated by the statue next to the Miniature Museum. is a Byzantine / Venetian fortress. In 2022 the area is closed to the public. Priene, Miletus and Didyma: see Didim for these Grecian ruins south of the peninsula. : see the separate page for this magnificent Roman site 15 km northeast of town. It's an easy day trip by dolmuş or taxi. Selçuk a further 4 km east was the original site of Ephesus, and has a museum and ancient citadel. See this page also for antiquities outside the Ephesus ticketed area, such as the House of Mary.

Do

thumb | 300px | Beaches can be crowded The beaches are long and sandy. They're safe for kiddy-bathing as the drop-off is shallow, and this blunts the waves. They're heavily commercial; the beaches themselves are free to access but hotels jealously guard their own terrain. Watch out for pickpockets and other lowlife.

Town beach between the port and the marina is one for viewing the sunset from rather than bathing. It's sandy but grubby. (Kadınlar Denizi Plajı) was for women only in Ottoman times, but has long been mixed. Being so close to town it gets very crowded. A couple of recliners and parasol for the afternoon might be 100 TL in 2022. is well named, stretching away for 10 km down to Güzelçamlı at the start of the peninsula. Multiple access points, and the southern portions have more specific names: Davutlar, Sevgi, Venus. Tortuga Pirate Island is a theme park in the northern section. The nearby Aqua Atlantis has closed down. is the first strip going north. It's quieter here. is the end of the long northern beach. Skydive: see Selçuk#Do for Efes Skydiving Centre, next to the north gate of Ephesus. Football: Kuşadasıspor were promoted in 2021 so they now play soccer in TFF Third League, Turkey's fourth tier. Their home ground Özer Türk Stadium (capacity 8000) is mid-town on Yüksel Yalova Cd. Kuşadası Youth Festival (Gençlik Festivali) is held on Sevgi Beach. The next is probably 5-9 July 2023, tbc.

Buy

thumb | 300px | Causeway to Pigeon Island Supermarkets are here and there, such as Migros on Öğe Sk near the harbour, open daily 08:30-22:00. A101 is the commonest chain store further out. Rug shops scrummage by the harbour.

Eat

You are seldom far from a kebab or a dollop of fish & chips. There's a whole slew along the beaches, but the best are along the pedestrianised alleys inland from the port. Murphys next to Casablanca also gets good reviews.

Drink

thumb | 300px | Descent into Zeus Cave The beach cafes mostly serve alcohol, but the free-standing pubs are in old town near the port. Efes beer is named for nearby Ephesus and is brewed in Izmir and elsewhere.

Sleep

No hostels in town, but plenty of budget hotels and pansiyons where you can get just as flea-bitten. Upper range places may be block-booked by package tours, who want to party, so rooms are clean but noisy.

Connect

Kuşadası and its approach highways have 4G from all Turkish carriers, extending to Ephesus and beyond; day-trippers arriving on cruises need to think about roaming charges. As of July 2022, 5G has not rolled out in Turkey.