Tuesday, October 4, 2016

Çeșme_1

When I started to write about this unique town I knew it is not possible to share everything I want by one post. But now,
I think it will be a write up series more then a couple of posts. Because of the political and security situation in Turkey, maybe you don't get any advisory for an essential travel to the country nationwide so far. Reading about this dreamy peninsula might give you an idea planning your vacation for next summer. Because it really is worth it!
Çeşme (pronounced, Cheshme) is the westest edge of Turkey, (8 miles to Chios(Greece)/Aegean) which welcomes the most tourist with its historical and natural beauty besides fun and sport activities. We have been here all summer long and also met some expats and tourists in Izmir. The coastal town is situated a one hour drive to Izmir and very famous with beach clubs, surf camps, restaurants, luxurious 5 star boutique hotels and beautiful houses. You might rent a dream house for a season or monthly, weekly, daily on your vacation.

It is like a dream land all summer, you collect marvelous memories to tell your friends after a visit. Nightclubs by the seaside are open until morning. Colorful nights of Cheshme adds more fun to your Turkey visit in summer the season.
There are plenty of places worth to see in the peninsula.
First stop is Cheshme Marine. It is totally worth the money for a full day of eating and shopping. Well known brands, restaurants with tasty food/seafood with wonderful services. Enjoy the marine during the sunset faced to Chios. Cheshme_ Chios fast ferries also another attraction you can add to your Cheshme trip.






When we walk into Cheshme Marine, a wish tree welcomes us. We stopped and made a wish by tying a piece of cloth(another white piece from me)on the tree and took a picture like everyone.


Alaçatı (Alachati), is the heart of Chesme Peninsula with its architect, wineyards and windmills for 150 years.
When you step in its clear water, first thought would be 'yes, I made the right decision for a summer vacation'.

Windsurfing, kitesurfing, stonehouses and tasteful restaurants on the street, brings history and fun together with Aegean tastes.
Let's talk about tastes :-)
Mastic ice-cream, cookies and mastic jam / desserts, Turkish coffee which is made on the hot sand and served with Turkish delight in a well decorated little plate and a little bottle of liqueur on a
traditional silver tray.


Alacati Kurabiyecisi/ Alachati Coffee and Cookies. Home like atmosphere, friendly service and impressive tastes!


Mastic and dark chocolate ice_cream

Mastic
Mastic cookies and lemon cookies which are as tasty as they look. Damla sakızı/ mastic(masticate) is a sticky substance derived from the Pistacia lentiscus tree. The mastic tree, actually it is a bush, grows up to 9 feet tall which takes 50 years. Mastic is the fruit of the tree which grows only on Chios(Kios/Hios in Greek) Greek Island and Cheshme Peninsula (Turkey).
An enjoyable shooping day at Alachati for local wines, mastic wines, sugar free homemade mastic jams and more! Amazing! Like a day full of fun!

                       



                           


Wood tables (since plastic is forbidden) with homestyle covers on the street, restaurants which were authentic houses that turned into restaurants, cafes and local style shopping stores. You can see a bride and a groom anytime walking and making their happiness to remember forever with a photo on Alachati streets.


               
Herbs can take a dish from tasty to marvelous.

                 
According to the sayings, there are 1001 different types of herbs that grow in Alachati. One unique festival takes place annually in late March or early April, named Alachati Herb(wild weeds) Festival. Cooking competition provides an amazing food show to taste different types of cooking of the huge variety of local herbs, weeds like ebegümeci (hibiscus), karabaș otu(lavandula), turp otu(radish root), Șevketi bostan(a type of thistle) which are prepared in a number of tasty ways.



           
   
                   
     
                                                                                         Photos belong to Gezi Alemi

Hoping to be here next March and enjoy the celebration and taste all those amazing dishes.

Delicious savory dill cookies, before you get a bite, you smell the herb first, melts in the mouth. Absolute divine!

                     

If it is Saturday, don't forget spending some time in the bazaar. Antiques, fashion clothes, accessories ..it is really fun to visit Alachati Bazaar.

Big Fish Alachati Tournament
Autumn brings new excitements to this town. It is a prime spot for the fabulous seafood and seafood restaurants in the peninsula.
One of the biggest fishing tournament of Europe on held each year in October.

                             



                 The pictures belong to alacatibigfish.com

A stunning authentic town, with pink, purple bougainvilleas hanging from the stone houses walls, sitting on the table with your friends and family and enjoy making a toast with a glass of tasty wine or traditional Turkish Raki or mastic flavored raki with rocks or icy water. You'll find so many things written in English, menus on restaurants, store owners, so mini bus(dolmush) drivers will happily help you speaking in English. Besides simpatic signs in front of stores and supermarkets will catch your eyes!

Dreamy, magical, fantastic vacation town Alachati!
Alachati real estate a hot market. Stone houses and boutique hotels on sale.

Ilıca (Ilija), white sand and warm~ blue water takes you into its beauty on the beach!





                        Photo by Zerrin

Pașalimanı (Pashalimani)- Luxery houses, expensive cars, clear water, amazing sunset views...Watch out! You might see a familiar face from TV anytime :-)
Amazing nature in Pashalimani and Alachati shores for camping but I'll be honest, camping is not a good idea in Cheshme. I am not saying you can not find any camp area to set your tent, get power toilet /water but renting houses, pension rooms or staying in hotels is much better option for an enjoyable vacation in this town.


                                                                  Pashalimani /Cheshme

Beach club's town Cheshme, Quante Beach Club is strongly suggested for families mostly with little kids. The food is good. Overhelming crowd on holidays of Turkey.


Aquante is a natural warm pool besides a lovely shore and sea view. Enjoy your drink listening music and hanging around the pool and watching the sunset.
A beautiful view on the road to Aquante!

                      Dodo Beach Club/ Pashalimani



Aya Yorgi Bay is a must to see place here. Heavenly view, clear water and amazing beach clubs!! Enterence prices start 40tl ($14 and up/ per person)
Or you might prefer The Yonca Resort and enjoy a friendly welcome, food and drink :-)




I don't believe it is October already. We still can't give up getting in the pool and also enjoy the shore.


We were starving to death! An easy snack of mine Mom's Cheesy Bread slices call our name! Made it with mushroom and pepperoni this time and served with apple cuts and one of our homemade favorite dips. Strawberry-yogurt dip. I adore the pretty pink color of it. 


Half of me is having a hard time to say goodbye to summer and the other half has let me to take Hallowen and Thanksgiving decorations and the Christmas tree out of the storage already :-)

More pics, Aegean recipes, seafood/other ways to use mastic, autumn pics, amazing houses and hotels on the list for sale, coming in the post, Cheshme 2.

52 comments:

  1. The food and sights look great. What a fun trip!

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    1. Hi Laura,
      Food is really good here.
      We had an amazing time all summer and also rented an apartment here. I'm so glad we did!

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  2. Being from Holland, I know that Turkey is a popular place to vacation. I have heard that Turkish food is delicious, but have yet to try it. Bucketlisting it.

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    1. That's great Kim,
      Hope you visit Cheshme next summer and maybe you contact me? :)

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  3. Looks like a great time! I'd love to go someday.

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  4. Looks like you had so much fun there! That place looks wonderful. I wish I could go there.

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    1. Hi Melani
      That's right. It was a fun summer. Hope you make a trip plan here.

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  5. Count me in! I'd love to visit here. Clubs to the early morning sounds nice I would love to check that out one day, and everything else is magical. Love this post. Thanks

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    1. Thanks Tara. Hope you visit this lovely town and if i am still here, feel free to call me. It is a wonderful place for a summer vacation. Hugs!

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  6. Looks like you had a fab time! looks fun!

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    1. Hi Down, that's true. It was a fun summer here.

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  7. It looks like such a wonderful experience. You really got to check out some amazing things.

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    1. It was..We also collected so many good memories this summer. There are still so many things to discover :-)

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  8. You have 100% convinced me to go. I want to experience every bit of this wonderfulness.

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    1. Hope you visit next summer. Don't forget to call me :-)

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  9. WOW, what an amazing place. My travel to-do list has been upgraded :) I hope I get to visit before I turn 46 so, let the planning begin. Me and my friends are going to have a blast.

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    1. Tamika, you and your friend will be addicted to this place when you guys come her.

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  10. This looks fun! Wish i could go here soon.

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    Replies
    1. Hi Margo, Cheshme is very quiet in winter. June, July, August, September are the best months to visit.

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  11. Hello, what a fun vacation. Looks like a beautiful place to visit. Wonderful collection of photos. Happy October to you!

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    1. Hi Eileen. Glad you like the photos. It is really fun taking photos here. Lovely stone houses with gorgeous views and delicious food 💗Happy Friday!

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  12. Oh my goodness, what a gorgeous place! The food, weather and scenery look amazing, especially that ice-cream! WOW!

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    1. Mastic ice-cream is delicious. Different types of ice-cream comes in different types of cones like nuts, chocolate cones, m&m/ skittles decorated cones and more. We turned into ice-cream monsters this summer :-)

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  13. Looks like a fabulous place to visit. The food looks awesome too !!

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    1. Cynthia, olive oil is the first actor of the Aegean cuisine, then the second ones are the thousands of different plants that live in this region. Besides, the most talented chefs of Aegean Turkish Cusine all together bring these amazing food to our table.

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  14. That looks so great! This is a place I would absolutely love to visit

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    1. Hi Amy,
      Hope you make a trip plan here one day. This place is totally worth to visit.

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  15. That looks like so much fun! All the photos are very beautiful. Even the food looks delicious.

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    1. Thanks Kathy. Some of these photos are taken by me, my son and hubby, my sister. Others from original site of alacati big fish and Gezi Alemi.

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  16. I am SO jealous right now. This sounds overwhelmingly amazing. SO glad you got to go!

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    1. Thanks Sheena, hope you plan a trip here one day. Can't agree more, overhelmingly amazing!

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  17. That looks like an amazing place to visit! Looks so beautiful and full of live and color.

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    1. That's true, Michelle. Çeşme is colorful!!!l have so many more pics for second Cheshme post left.

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  18. It looks like it was a wonderful trip! The fish that was caught didn't look real. It was so big! I love your photos!

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    1. lt is a pic from Alachati bigfish tournament. When it comes to seafood, this town is very rich like herbs

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  19. That looks like a beautiful place— and so much fun for a vacay!

    — DT | Here I Scribble

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    1. That's right! And for me and my family it started as a vacay and then we loved this place and rented an apartment.

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  20. There are so many beautiful sights to see! I am sure the food would delight any one's palate. They all look so good. I wish I could be there someday too.

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    1. Hope you could come here and see all these colors, Annemarie. This amazing place is worth to see.

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  21. This place looks amazing with so many great things to do. Plus that water is beautiful!

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    1. Hi Katy,
      White sand and blue water.Ilica Beach is amazing.

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  22. The place is amazing and it's definitely worth going to! I love that they've maintained the old structures. It would be awesome to go there with the whole family!

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    1. Hi Elizabeth,
      Çeşme is historical and fun town on the western edge of Turkey. It totally is worth to see.

      Delete
  23. This looks like such a fun place to visit. All of that food looks so good.

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    1. It really is. So many things to do all day and night. Delicious and healthy food. One of the funny signs I mentioned,says 'I am happy here' my son love it!

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  24. I definitely am adding this to my list of places to visit. Looks like so much to do and see.

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    Replies
    1. Hi Sarah,
      Hope you make a visit plan to Turkey for next summer. You'll love it!

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  25. Fantastic post, we love Turkey and all it has to offer! Everything looks amazing here, from the food to the sights!

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    1. Hi Azlin,
      Thanks! I'm glad you like the post. It made me excited to prepare this post as much as being here.

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  26. It's been a while since I last saw a perfect place that has everything that I like. I've always loved Santorini mixed with an assorted feel of having Morocco and the beach just splashed all around. The streets of Alachati will be surrounded with my friends and I sometime soon!

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    Replies
    1. Hi Karla,
      Thanks for stopping by and commenting. I've just visited your wonderful website and also followed you. By the way, your pinterest pictures in Istanbul caught my eye. So, it is not gonna be your first visit to Turkey. I hope you'll like, Izmir, Alacatı. Let's keep in touch :-) Take care!

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I' m loving to read your comments:)

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