5 Summer Spots in Turkey I Wish I Were Right Now

This week, temperatures in Warsaw have hovered between 16-20 C (60-68 F), which is not exactly the kind of summer weather I had in mind.

So once again, I find myself dreaming of the summers we spent on our Turkey trips. I long to swim in the warm, turquoise waters of the Aegean Sea or the Mediterranean Sea.

I realize there are so many destinations we never experienced in Turkey, and I’m just torturing myself with my daydreams. We don’t have any beach trips planned this year, but we will be spending four days in Italy next month with my visiting in-laws. I cannot wait!

In the meantime, here are 5 Summer Spots in Turkey I Wish I Were Right Now:

1. Of course, one of our all-time favorite Turkish destinations is the lovely wine island of Bozcaada. I can’t really add much more info than what I already covered in my Top 10 Things to Do in Bozcaada. Just go!

Sunset in Bozcaada at Polente Feneri (Lighthouse) on the western side of the island.

2. One small, Aegean seaside resort town we liked was Foça, located about 1 hour north of Izmir. We stayed here one night during the summer of 2011 as part of our Ramazan road trip. Foça, called Phocaea in ancient times, consists of two parts, Eski Foça (Old Foça) and Yeni Foça (New Foça) and is located along small bays and a fishing harbor.

Nothing but blue when you're at Foça, Turkey.

We liked this area because it was full of locals (not yabancı tourists) and open-air restaurants lining the shore. Considering its history, Foça has few ruins except for the Byzantine-era Beşkapılar Kalesi (Five Door Castle), a bit of aqueduct and a nearby old tomb.  If we ever returned, I’d stay at the charming Bülbül Yuvası Butik Otel, recommended in the Boutique Hotels of Turkey book, which was full when we visited.

Just one of the many Turkish fish restaurants in Foça. 

3. Another atypical beach destination we visited during the summer of 2011 was Phaselis, located an hour south of Antalya. At this ancient Greek and Roman city, you can admire the historical ruins, such as agoras, Roman baths and sarcophagi, and take a dip in the crystalline waters along the nearby beach.

Here you can see the remnants of the Roman baths at Phaselis, Turkey.

4. Another favorite beach destination of ours and of grandpa’s is Ölü Deniz near Fethiye. I’m jealous of my blogger friends at Turkey’s for Life who live nearby because they can visit this amazing beach and watering hole whenever they want!

My favorite photo of Jason with his 90-year-old grandpa at Ölü Deniz last year.

I’m sure we’ll return again to Ölü Deniz someday.

5. Located along the Aegean Sea, the Çeşme Peninsula offers numerous beach destinations near the cities of Çeşme and Alaçatı. I wish I could meet up with a few of our Istanbul friends that have summer homes here.

One of the many popular, beach clubs near Çeşme, Turkey.

Actually, it’s difficult to narrow my list down to five choices because Turkey is spoilt for lovely summer beach destinations.

Where do you wish you could be right now?

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Çeşme, Turkey: Wish I Were Here

This week, in Istanbul, "Her gün nemli, sıcak." (Every day is hot, humid.)

As soon as I step outside after showering, I'm sweating.

At the end of the day, my flip-flop feet are blackened from the dusty city streets so I take another shower at night.

How I long to be at a beach or swimming pool! All our friends are talking about their summer vacations here in Turkey. We don't have any beach trips planned - yet!

Soon, a good friend is going to spend a relaxing weekend in the Çeşme and Alaçatı area, which reminded me of our fun weekend there last summer. I never really posted any photos from that trip, so I thought I'd share some now.

We loved staying at the  Alaçatı Zeytin Konak Otel. This small boutique hotel is the perfect place to use as a base to explore the Çeşme Peninsula.

Alaçatı Zeytin Konak Otel's swimming pool at night.

I could stay at this hotel in  Alaçatı  just for it's bountiful Turkish breakfast spread and for the local "puffy" bread.

Although the hotel has two swimming pools, we spent more time on the beach. The only problem is that many of the area's beaches are set up as beach clubs so you pay 20 to 30 tl per person to lay out on the beach.

However, my favorite beach we returned to again is Ilica Beach & Cafe, located near Sheraton Hotel's private beach in Çeşme. Two chairs with an umbrella cost only 24 tl! We had packed our own Turkish towels, raided a nearby bakkal and brought our own beers to the beach.

This beach does get crowded, but the chairs are cheap and the Aegean Sea is crystal clear and warm. The four of us took turns swimming so someone was always watching our belongings.

Note: bury your beer in the cold sand. It gets hot quickly and warm Efes is not good!

And when you get hungry, I highly recommend grabbing a kumru, a local sandwich stuffed with Turkish sausage, melted cheese and tomatoes, served hot from one of the beach vendors. I love cheese!

Enjoying a Turkish kumru sandwich at the Ilica Beach & Cafe.

One sandwich is like 2,000 calories, but washed down with a cold beer on the beach, it's exactly what you need! (In fact, I'd like to find this sandwich here after a night out on Istiklal Cad.)

Hopefully, we'll get out of the sweltering city in a few weeks. 

Where is your favorite beach in Turkey?

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Aegean Coast Satisfies Seafood Appetite

At the end of Ramazan earlier this month, we celebrated our first “bayram” on the Çeşme Peninsula. The area, lapped by the turquoise blue waters of the Aegean Sea, lies about 1 hour west of Izmir, Turkey.

We heard the area was beautiful and was known for its long, sandy beaches and local seafood. We stayed in Dalyan, a small, quaint fishing village in Çeşme.

View of Illica Beach near Dalyan

While reading one of the hotel’s magazines, I’d seen pictures of octopus hanging on what looked like a clothes-line. I couldn’t wait to try it! I’ve only had “ahtapot” a handful of times in the states, so I was extremely excited to taste it directly from the source. 

At the Çeşme Marina, we dined on octopus pieces sautéed in butter, chopped garlic and spicy red pepper flakes. The octopus, which has a similar texture like scallops, was tender and delicious.

During our last night along the coast, we experienced an outstanding dining experience at Cevat'ın Yeri Dalyan Fish Restaurant, located near a deep water inlet surrounded by sailboats and fishing boats. We hadn’t even looked at a menu when our server asked if we wanted to select a fresh fish from the case to eat tonight. Of course!

 

My husband followed inside the restaurant where he had a chance to inspect the day’s catch. This allows you to select the exact size and type of fish you want. You pay for the fish according to its weight in kilograms, and the kitchen prepares it for you. He selected a local, small fish, whose name is unknown because our server spoke rapidly in Turkish each time I asked.

 

When my husband finally returned to the table, he told me he was urged to select the mezzes – small appetizers - after choosing the fish. Now, I was a bit disappointed. I still prefer to see a menu, even if I can’t understand all the words. I probably know more culinary words in Turkish than anything else yet.

From a multi-level display case full of meat and vegetarian options, he selected two small plates of red and green peppers stuffed with a fresh cheese and herb mixture. I also asked if the restaurant had an octopus menu item. The server brought us an octopus salad, which was served cold with olive oil and lemon juice. The dish was good, but I enjoyed the spicier version better.

Left to right: Ahtapot, Coban Salatasi, green and red stuffed peppers

The restaurant had a lively atmosphere especially since most of the patrons were crowded around two televisions watching the FIBA semi-finals between Turkey and Serbia.

When the grilled fish arrived, our gregarious server deboned it tableside and served us two portions. The fish often is drizzled with olive oil and lemon juice. The entree was a light, healthy way to end a sun-filled day.

Hopefully, I’ll soon be back in the kitchen and can prepare a fresh fish or even “ahtapot” for us.

Local fish simply grilled.

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