Ayvalik is a seaside town in the northwestern Aegean coast of Turkey. It is a district of the Balikesir Province.

Modern Ayvalik

Today, Ayvalik and the numerous islets encircling the bay area are popular holiday resorts. The most important and the biggest of these islets is Cunda Island (Alibey Island) which was connected to Lale Adasi, and thence to the mainland, by a bridge in the late 1960s.

Since September 1998, Ayvalik has had an international music academy (AIMA) which gives master classes for violin, viola and cello. It brings together students from all over the world and gives them a precious opportunity to work with distinguished masters of their branch.

Ayvalik also has two of the longest sandy beaches of the whole country which extend as far as the Dikili district of İzmir nearly 30 km in the south. These are the Sarımsaklı and Altınova beaches.

In recent years Ayvalik has also become an important point of attraction for scuba divers with its underwater fauna.

Ayvalik and its environs are famous for the highly appreciated quality of olive oil production.

Today, the population of Ayvalik is close to 30,000, which significantly increases during the summer due to tourism. Ayvalik is also close to Bergama (former Pergamon) which is another important attraction for tourists with its ruins, dating back to antiquity.

With its rich architectural heritage, Ayvalik is a member of the Norwich-based European Association of Historic Towns and Regions (EAHTR).

Geography

Ayvalik is a district in Turkey's Balıkesir Province on the Aegean Sea coast, facing the Greek island of Lesbos. It is situated on a narrow coastal plain surrounded by low hills to the east which are covered with pine and olive trees. Ayvalik is also surrounded by the archipelago of the Ayvalik Islands on the sea and by a narrow peninsula in the south named the Hakkıbey Peninsula. Ayvalik is the southernmost district of Balıkesir. Gömeç, Burhaniye and Edremit are other districts of the Balıkesir Province which are situated on the Aegean shores and they are lined up respectively to the north. The region is under the influence of a typical Mediterranean climate with mild and rainy winters and hot, dry summers.