Çeşme, a small resort town on Turkey's Aegean coast west of Izmir, offers cozy boutique hotels and villas instead of the country's sprawling all-inclusive complexes, and has long attracted relatively few Russian tourists, according to a first-hand report by Ukrainian outlet UNIAN.Tourism.
The town is considered pricier than many other Turkish resorts, but budget options exist for travelers willing to compromise on comfort, the outlet said.
When to Visit Çeşme
Turkey's Aegean coast, which includes Bodrum, Dalaman, Marmaris and Çeşme, is cooler than the Mediterranean coast around Antalya, Alanya and Kemer, so its main tourist season ends earlier, in the first half of October, when the sea cools and the weather turns unpredictable.
September remains an excellent month for a beach holiday in Çeşme. For travelers who don't mind skipping a swim, October and November also work: on sunny October days the temperature can still reach 25C, while November ranges from around 20C early in the month to 16C by its end, making it a better time for sightseeing, walks and cafes. Spring travel is possible from late April, when the water is still too cold for swimming but there is plenty of sun and, notably, few other tourists.
Getting to Çeşme
The nearest airport to Çeşme is Izmir, which has its own attractions for anyone who wants to stay a day or two. From Chisinau, Moldova, the low-cost carrier Pegasus Airlines was offering one-way tickets to Izmir from 89 euros as of mid-September this year, with daily flights and the same fare through all of October, UNIAN.Tourism reported. From Warsaw and Krakow in Poland, the airline flies several times a week, with one-way fares of 100 to 130 euros.
Izmir airport is about 80 kilometers from Çeşme. Shuttle buses run roughly a dozen times a day between the two, with the trip taking under two hours. A ticket currently costs 550 Turkish lira, just over 500 hryvnia, paid in cash to the driver. The bus also stops in Urla and Alaçatı along the way.
Where to Stay
Small boutique hotels make up most of Çeşme's accommodation, aimed mainly at independent rather than package travelers.
Booking sites currently list more than 200 accommodation options in Çeşme even for the second half of September, with prices starting at 1,500 hryvnia a night for a simple double room less than a kilometer from the town center or the beach. Four-star hotels start from 2,500 hryvnia a night, while large villas can be booked for 8,000 to 10,000 hryvnia a night.
Best Beaches Around Town
The town center has few good swimming beaches, but a roughly one-kilometer promenade along Hürriyet Avenue runs from the yacht marina to Tekke beach, lined with cafes and restaurants serving seafood.
Tekke beach, the closest swimmable option to the center, has an unpleasant seabed and considerable litter, and sightseeing ferries dock nearby, making it better suited to a picnic than a swim, the outlet said.
Better swimming can be found at Pırlanta beach, about eight kilometers west of the center, nearby Altınkum beach, and Kocakarı beach, five kilometers to the east. UNIAN.Tourism said the beaches in neighboring Alaçatı were even better, with a pleasant sandy bottom and clear water.
Çeşme Castle and the Old Town
The town's main landmark is Çeşme Castle, built in the early 16th century as a defensive structure following two Venetian attacks on the town.
The fortress, which has six bastions, stayed in military use until the 19th century before falling into decline for about a century. A weapons museum opened inside it in the 1960s and was later reorganized into an archaeological museum. It now also hosts cultural and entertainment events, and in 2020 it was added to the list of sites being considered for UNESCO World Heritage status. Its walls offer sweeping views of the sea.
Next to the castle lies Çeşme Bay, where yachts moor alongside a ferry pier, an area good for walks and for coffee or a meal at any time of year, at venues ranging from upscale restaurants to cheap fast food.
Wandering the town's streets reveals small houses built in the classic Ottoman style alongside later Greek architecture, along with cozy cafes and patisseries serving local and European-style desserts.
Travelers who tire of Çeşme can take a bus to neighboring Alaçatı, with services running throughout the day and the trip taking 20 to 30 minutes. Tickets average 55 Turkish lira, about 50 hryvnia, while a taxi costs 300 to 400 lira, about 275 to 365 hryvnia, and takes just 10 minutes, making it a reasonable option for larger groups.
Why Few Russians Vacation in Çeşme
One of the region's main draws for Ukrainians is that it attracts relatively few Russian visitors, a reputation Çeşme and neighboring Alaçatı have held since before the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, according to UNIAN.Tourism.
The two resorts are mainly frequented by wealthy Turks from cities such as Istanbul and Izmir, as well as Western Europeans, including British and German tourists, who make up their target market.
Because the area has few large all-inclusive hotels and prices are higher than the Turkish average, it largely lacks the package tours that Russian tourists tend to favor. Direct flights from Russia to Izmir, the nearest airport, are also scarce, and their number continues to fall amid the delays and cancellations reported at Russian airports because of the war against Ukraine.
Traveling on a Budget
Despite its reputation for higher prices, Çeşme still offers options for travelers willing to accept more modest accommodation. A week of lodging for two people can cost 10,000 to 15,000 hryvnia, UNIAN.Tourism said.
Booking an apartment with a kitchen, or even just a fridge, lets travelers save on food by eating out only once a day. The outlet also suggested combining a stay in Çeşme, which it described as small enough to feel limiting over a full week, with a few nights in Alaçatı or Izmir.
