Cesme is a town on the west coast of Turkey and one of the districts of Izmir Province. It is a prominent center of international tourism in Turkey and is famous for its clubs, beaches and fish restaurants. The nearby depending townships of Ilıca and Alaçatı are also very notable in this respect. It lies across a narrow strait from the Greek island of Chios.

The Cesme Peninsula is a western part of Karaburun Peninsula, surrounded by Aegean Sea, in the west of Izmir, in Turkey's Aegean region. Cesme,(meaning fountain in Turkish) derives from the many sources of water found in the area. It is one of Turkey's touristic areas with landscapes of cultivated fields of aniseed, sesame and artichokes dotted with fig and gum trees. There are many Blue-flag bays nearby. Alaçatı, near Cesme,is a windy area in all seasons and so it is a famous windsurf palace.Visitors will find excellent holiday accommodations, restaurants and sports and entertainment facilities. Cesme has an international harbor linked to Izmir with a superb highway (80 km).Also it is possible to visit daily Greek islands by ferry from Cesme port.

History

Cesme is a port of Erythrai Ancient City, was called as Cyssus in Ancient Times. It was an important settlement area in the 6th century BC. The city developed its trade by establishing relations with Egypt, Cyprus and Western Countries.

Climate

The Mediterranean Climate is dominant in Cesme. It is quite hot and exposed to the winds blowing from the north.

Transportation

By Road

Izmir is 77 km away and is the regions transportation hub. There are two roads to Cesme. One is a narrow asphalted (77 km); the other one is a modern superhighway (80 km). No matter what mode of transportation is used to get to Izmir, the tourist will find it easy to get the necessary transportation to Cesme and Ildırı even on the busiest days of the tourist season. The Cesme city center is the last stop on the bus and minibus routes. There are city buses and minibuses that provide transportation to Çiftlik, Dalyan, Alaçatı, Reisdere, Ovacık and the other beaches.

Bus Station Tel: (+90-232) 712 64 99

By Sea

There are ferryboats between Cesme and Sakız Island. There are also the Turkish and Greek boats providing passenger service for those tourists who want to land in Cesme coming from Sakız Island. The journey takes about an hour. For those tourists who want to depart from Turkey, there are passenger services to the Italian ports of Bari and Brindisi. Ferryboats traveling between Izmir-Cesme-Kuşadası-Greece and Italy stop over in the Cesme port.

Harbour Tel: (+90-232) 712 60 05

Wind Surfing

Alacati is one of the most interesting surfing areas in Europe and offers a variety, that not found in many places. It is located in a V-shaped cove with crystal clear water and is surrounded with lush vegetation. The changing winds and perfect conditions make it one of the best surfing areas in Europe.

The best thing about Alaçatı is that the winds blow from the land to the sea , and no matter how hard the wind blows the waves in the sea stay about the same. Therefore Alaçatı is a safe place for wind surfing.