If you are planning a trip to Turkey, you may have heard of a town called Alaçatı. It is a town about an hour away from İzmir. Alaçatı was formerly a Greek village, so if you like the Greek aesthetic – stone houses, cobblestone streets, and bright architectural details, this may be the place for you. The town is a mix of tourism and local culture. There are plenty of boutiques and outdoor restaurants, but there aren’t tourist traps or crazy crowds of people. I visited in May, and the mornings were very slow with hardly any people around. The town got busier around dinner when groups gathered to eat and socialize.

How to Get to Alaçatı

İzmir Adnan Menderes International Airport (ADB) is the closest airport to the town. After flying into the ADB airport, we rented a car. If you want to see the beautiful coastal towns of Turkey, I recommend renting a car. If your trip only includes big cities such as İzmir or Istanbul, then public transportation is the way to go, but there is so much more to Turkey than those major cities. After renting a car, you can arrive in Alaçatı in about an hour. The drive is pretty straightforward and not stressful from our experience.

What to Expect

When visiting Alaçatı, you can expect countless photo ops. The architecture is stunning, and there were so many flowers in May when we visited. When turning corners down every street, I was always snapping pictures on my phone because it was so beautiful.

You can expect countless restaurant options. The main center of Alaçatı is filled with cute outdoor seating for all kinds of restaurants. You can grab some authentic Turkish food, American food, or endless seafood options. We ate at Buzuki Meyhane which had lovely outdoor seating and great service.

I recommend trying a Turkish breakfast at least once during your trip. A classic Turkish breakfast is a savory meal including olives, cucumbers, tomatoes, bread with various spreads, eggs, cheese, and meat. If you want a sweet breakfast though, I recommend trying Budins Bake and Brew. My favorite meal in Alaçatı was my breakfast here. I ordered their pancake and fresh fruit platter and an iced latte.

Lastly, you can expect beautiful coastal views and beaches. Alaçatı is located on the Aegean coast, and the water is so blue! If you are staying in the center of Alaçatı, I recommend walking or driving to a beach or two during your stay.

Trip Recommendations

I recommend staying in the city center, so you have easy access to the main town center with restaurants and boutiques. I stayed at the Jardin d’Azur local boutique hotel. Although the rooms were very small, the pool and property were stunning, and the employees were friendly and offered us a huge complimentary Turkish breakfast.

Alaçatı is a small and walkable town. We spent two days here and felt that it was enough time. Beyond shopping and eating, there aren’t a ton of activities to do here, so a couple days is a good amount of time to spend in Alaçatı.

What to Do in Alaçatı

What should you do during your stay? The town is pretty laid back, so I recommend relaxing here and enjoying the slower lifestyle. After a slow morning, check out some beaches in Alaçatı. The picture below was taken at Ilıca Beach, but some other surrounding beaches include Wyndy Beach, Halk Plaji, and Çark Plajı. Then, I recommend exploring the narrow streets and stopping in some quaint local boutiques before making the difficult choice of where to enjoy an outdoor dinner.

Conclusion

The views and architecture make Alaçatı a popular destination if you’re planning a beautiful coastal Turkey vacation. Thanks for stopping by! Cheers to finding relaxing coastal destinations and making connections around the world! To read my other blog posts, head to the destinations tab on my website.