A Photographers Guide To Alacati: 6 Shots You’ll Need For Instagram

Quietly nestled on the Western coast of Turkey, the former fishing village is one of Europe’s best-kept secrets. 

Home to the typical Mediterranean beauty of whitewashed stone houses fringed with blue doors, bougainvillaea laden arches, acres of vineyards and erstwhile Greek architecture outlining a pristine coastline of endless beaches, the traditional town of Alaçati is a photographer’s paradise. 

Free from the crowds that typically attract similar sun-kissed seaside destinations, Alaçati allows for endless opportunities to capture those wanderlust-inducing Insta snaps we’re all after. 

Here are six of the best shots you should take while in Alaçati.

Vineyards in Alaçati

Wine from Turkey may not be as well-known as Spanish, Italian or even French vinos, but the Urlice Vineyards are challenging this reputation. 

With its ancient groves and stone-tower tasting room, the family-owned institution could easily put a Turkish red on the map. 

Located amidst traditional windmills, the rolling green estate lined with Cyprus Trees set the scene for an impromptu photoshoot but to really make sure the pictures pop, take them before the tasting comes into effect.

Markets in Alaçati

Alaçati’s Saturday Bazaar is an immersion of the senses. A colourful explosion of spices and herbs dance around traditional apparel and garments, artisanal handcrafted and homemade biscuits to bring the best of the city all in one place.

Not only is it a place to visit to experience the genuine culture that so many travel here for, but it offers thousands of candid moments to capture; local men and women putting up the greatest haggling fight for their vegetables, vendors screaming out the best prices for the best produce around, kids running through the stalls hoping not to crash. The lot. 

To top it off, it offers the thrifty traveller the opportunity to purchase the freshest and healthiest snacks and even some local olive oil to take home

Festivals in Alaçati

The annual Alaçati Herb Festival takes place every April and promotes nature-friendly methods in gastronomy. Traditional ingredients and cooking techniques are celebrated during a time when the region-specific herbs bloom. 

The success of this sparked the city’s newest festival ​‘Kaybolan Lezzetler Festivali,’ also known as the ​‘Festival of the Disappearing Tastes’, which aims to preserve traditional recipes that are facing extinction. Various recipes from different regions are researched and chosen and then promulgated through workshops, events and contests with the final aim of documenting twisted versions of traditional dishes.

Windsurfing in Alaçati

With an average of 330 windy days a year, Alaçati bay has been quietly gaining a reputation as one of the best windsurfing destinations in Europe. Each year windsurfing international elite hit the town for a week of competitions and revelry in the PWA Windsurfing World Cup. 

Dubbed ​‘the Slalom Capital of the world’, Alaçati’s Yumru Cove is one of the world’s number one surfing sites, attracting water sport enthusiasts from all over the world making it a top spot for shooting the action.

Houses in Alaçati

Alaçati’s beauty is best captured in its colourful architecture; cobbled avenues lined by well-preserved original Greek and Ottoman houses that are typically painted in lilac or blue with windows, shutters and doors painted in all colours of the rainbow are a photographer’s paradise.

Stumbling down any narrow street will offer a plethora of picturesque photo spots so be sure to always carry your camera for inspiration will hit you at any moment.

Sunset in Alaçati

The rule for any photographer is to shoot during Golden Hour — that is, the time of day when the sun’s rays will create the most complementary conditions for shooting any subject. Golden Hour comes twice a day, at sunrise and sunset and with dozens of panoramic viewpoints across Alacati that offer mesmerising, unobstructed views, you’ll be spoilt for choice.

Choose to climb to the hilltops of the city to Alaçati Yel Degirmenleri Parki for aerial shots or witness the magic from one of the region’s blissful beaches. Whatever your decision, Alaçati will not disappoint.

Inspired to visit this hidden Turkish delight? Flick through all of our guides to Alaçati to discover all the highlights the city has to offer.