Alaçatı

Overview

In the late afternoon, the lanes of Alaçatı fill with the smell of grilled fish and wild herbs. Tables spill out under the vines, and the stone houses glow honey-gold, with their bay windows painted lilac, green and pale blue. On the hill, old windmills turn their backs to the wind. Below the town, the bay is dotted with the sails of windsurfers.

Alaçatı is a much-loved town on the Çeşme peninsula. So come for the stone lanes and the food, stay for the light, and bring a swimsuit for the bay.

Alaçatı, a Stone Town Near Çeşme

Alaçatı lies on the Çeşme peninsula in İzmir province, about 10 kilometers (6 miles) east of the town of Çeşme. Today, it is officially a neighborhood of the Çeşme district, with about 10,000 residents in winter and many more in summer. Its old center is a protected historic site, so new buildings must follow the old style.

History of Alaçatı

A Greek town of vineyards

For centuries, Alaçatı, called Alatsata in Greek, was a town of Greek families who grew grapes and made wine. Its harbor, Agrilia, shipped produce from the region, and it remained an export port until the Second World War. Many of the stone houses you see today date from the 19th century, when the town was at its richest. In the old center, a stone mansion about a century old is now the hotel Viento Alaçatı.

The 1923 population exchange

In 1922, when the Greek occupation of the district ended, its Rum (Greek Orthodox) population left for Greece. Then, in 1923, under the Treaty of Lausanne, the population exchange between Greece and Turkey followed.

What to See in Alaçatı

The stone lanes and bay windows

Here, the thing to do is simply to walk. The old houses are built of local stone, and the former Greek houses have a cumba, a closed bay window over the street, often painted lilac or pale blue. Look up at the wooden shutters, the iron balconies and the vines over the doors. On Kemalpaşa Caddesi, one of these old stone houses has taken guests since 1991 and is now KestelINN Alaçatı, a hotel of seven rooms.

The market square

In the center, the Pazaryeri Mosque stands on the old market square. Until 1923, it was the town’s Greek Orthodox church. Today, its arcaded front faces cafés and shops, and the square is the meeting point of the town. Around the center, old buildings also hold small hotels: Alavya spreads over six stone village houses, and Warehouse by The Stay fills a red-brick beer warehouse from the 1980s.

The windmills

On the hill at the edge of town, a row of stone windmills once ground the grain of the peninsula. Some now hold cafés and shops. In the evening, they are a favorite spot to watch the sun go down.

The windsurfing bay

South of the town, the bay has strong, steady wind and shallow water. So it is a favorite place to learn windsurfing, and international competitions are held here. Several schools rent equipment and teach beginners.

How to Visit Alaçatı

Getting there

The town lies about an hour and a quarter from İzmir airport by road. Buses run from İzmir to Çeşme and Alaçatı, and taxis connect the towns of the peninsula. With Çeşme Castle, see our Alaçatı day tour.

When to go

May, June and September are the best months, with warm days. In April, the town holds its herb festival. In July and August, the town is at the height of its summer season.

Seeing Alaçatı with us

We arrange transfers from İzmir, windsurfing lessons and days to Çeşme, Erythrai (with our Erythrai tour, which has an evening program from Alaçatı), the slow city of Sığacık and ancient Teos, and Ephesus. For the big city, see our guide to İzmir.