48 Hours In Alacati: How To Spend A Weekend In The Small Seaside Town Of Alacati
Bored of Bodrum? Over the Riviera? If you’re looking for a new destination where your holiday purse will stretch further, head to Alacati – a pretty town on Turkey’s Izmir peninsula that remains a local secret.
Pronounced ‘Alla Chatter’, this tiny Turkish village boasts brilliant beaches, buzzy restaurants, boutique hotels and laid back locals that have helped make Alacati the Mediterranean’s coolest summer spot.
Tempted? Here’s how to spend a weekend at Turkey’s coastal gem.
Day one in Alacati
Morning
If your stay includes a Saturday, spend a morning ambling around Alacati market where you’ll find passionate sellers pushing foodie treats, fresh flowers and olive oil soaps.
After a spot of retail therapy, it’s time to hit the beach: Alacati is blessed with beaches and there’s a stretch of sand to suit every taste. Looking for a lively beach? Make a beeline for Babylon Beach Club which is celebrated for its beachfront nightclubs. Fancy playing at being Robin Crusoe? Hit Kum Beach, one of the most secluded of Alacati’s sandy offerings. Meanwhile, water babies will want to head to Ilica Beach, a Blue Flag beach that’s famed for its warm water.
Other options include Marrakesh Beach for fantastic people watching or, if you’re of the opinion that big is best, look no further than Fun Beach Club. One of the largest beaches in Alacati, Fun Beach Club can accommodate up to 2,200 sun worshippers who take advantage of a watersports centre before refuelling in the four bars and two restaurants.
Afternoon
Should you get bored of the beach, panic not. Alacati isn’t all about beaches. The surrounding region is an oenophile’s paradise accounting for nearly a fifth of Turkey’s wine.
Take a 15-minute drive from Alacati to Cesme Bagcilik, one of the country’s leading vineyards to taste the liquid of life, while drinking in the Instagram-worthy views of the rolling vineyards. Bliss.
Evening
Back in Alacati, freshen up at your hotel before heading out to one of the many restaurants and bars that line the Francois Spoerry designed-waterfront for dinner and drinks. But be warned: call it a night before 3 am and you’ll be considered an amateur. Alacati is all about the night.
Day two in Alacati
Morning
Love a night out, but hate the morning after? If you’ve woken up on day two nursing a sore head after too much raki (Turkey’s signature drink), banish your fuzzy head by windsurfing.
Alacati is one of the world’s best windsurfing destinations and The Professional Windsurfing Association (PWA) Windsurfing World Cup is held here every August.
Then, feast on all your traditional Turkish favourites at Avrasya or, if you’re feeling flush, Alancha – voted one of the World’s 50 best restaurants– where dishes include Pistachio kebab and Chilled barley soup inspired by a thousand-year-old Anatolian recipe.
Afternoon
After lunch, take the hour-long trip to Ephesus, the grandest and best preserved of all Turkey’s classical cities. Dating from 10th century BC and dubbed the Pompeii of the East, Ephesus boasts an embarrassment of perfectly preserved monuments, including the spectacular Library of Celsus (whose exterior prompts comparisons with Petra) and a 25,000-seater amphitheatre.
Evening
Aim to end your Alacati sojourn with a stroll along Kemalpaşa Caddesi, the town’s main street, whose cobbled streets are chock full of al fresco cafes, excellent Aegean restaurants and enough souvenir and antique stores to decimate your luggage allowance.
