To our surprise, one day at the resort town of Alaçatı, some 10km southeast of Çeşme, became our most expensive day in Turkey. The Greeks originally founded Alaçatı in the 17th century. After the defeat of the Ottomans in the Balkan Wars, Ottoman Muslim refugees fled to the western coast of Anatolia. The forced emigration of the Greek population was transformed into a population exchange between Greece and Turkey under the Treaty of Lausanne in 1923. Around two decades ago this rather unassuming erstwhile Greek village was known for its excellent olive oil and world-class windsurfing. But thanks to some forward-thinking hoteliers, who transformed many of its dilapidated stone houses into high-end boutique accommodations, Alaçatı has become one of Turkey’s hottest destinations for the free-spending middle class. A walk along Kemalpaşa Caddesi in the center showcases the town’s main attractions: world-class boutique hotels, expensive restaurants specializing in Aegean cuisine, sleek cafes, and high-end bars (Beer 0,5 l / 90 TRY, Mojito 175 TRY). We have also tried the famous kokoreç – a dish of the Balkans and Anatolia (Asia Minor), consisting of lamb or goat intestines, it looks like locals really love it, but we were not able to finish our meal 😱🤮 (portion 140 TRY / sandwich 70 TRY).
Parking location – Alaçatı: 38.288375N 26.383147E