The 10 best towns to visit on Turkey’s Aegean coast

1) Old Foça / İzmir

You will not want to leave the 2,000-year-old Foça, where Greeks and Turks once lived together. 

The endangered Mediterranean monk seal and the Siren’s Rocks, which were the subject of a Homer legend, are found here.

You will also enjoy the best seafood and appetizers in Foça.




2) Tire / İzmir

It is a fairytale-like Aegean town with its patties, dairies, olives, historic fabric, felt-makers and stone houses.



3) Birgi / İzmir

The Ottoman era’s favorite settlement was included in the provisional UNESCO World Heritage Site list in 2012.



4) Datça / Muğla

Datça, with its unspoiled nature, 235 kilometers of coastline and the ancient city of Knidos, undergoes an influx of tourists every year.



5) Şirince / İzmir

This settlement, famous for its vineyards and olive trees, has 1800 ancient Greek towns...



6) Bergama / İzmir

Travel columnist Bahar Akıncı said it was worth going just to see ancient city’s Acropolis and salute the civilizations which have been there for centuries.

Beside the ancient city, it offers a peaceful summer retreat as it is less affected by summer tourism.



7) Sığacık / İzmir

This town is the right address if you are looking for peace and quiet. 

It offers unique frames with its restored 500-year-old houses covered in flowers and cobblestone streets.



8) Bademli / İzmir

This is a little known heaven with its Kalem and Garip Islands, which enrich the turquoise sea. Moreover, it is full of spa treatments.

9) Alaçatı / İzmir

With its increasing popularity in recent years, Alaçati is overrun by tourists during the summer months. 
The heart of entertainment beats here thanks to stone houses, beach clubs, discos, hotels, restaurants and its endless energy.



10) Ayvalık / Balıkesir

It contains natural beauties such as the Devil’s Table (Şeytan Sofrası)ö which is one of the best places to watch the sunset, Cunda Island and the Sarımsaklı Beaches.



Jury: Mehmet Yaşin (columnist for Hürriyet Seyahat), Saffet Emre Tonguç (columnist for Hürriyet Travel), Ayhan Sicimoğlu (columnist for Hürriyet Travel), Aynur Tartan (TV producer, journalist), Bahar Akıncı (columnist for Hürriyet Travel), Sinan Çakmak (editor-in-chief of Atlas Magazine), Yıldırım Güngör (columnist for Atlas Magazine), Özcan Yüksek (editor-in-chief of Magma Magazine), Ahmet Zeki Apalı (president of the Tourist Guides’ Association) and Savaş Özbey (columnist for Hürriyet Kent).