A small Turkish town of Kushadasy on the coast of the Aegean Sea is an ideal place for those who want to combine a beach vacation with the study of the ancient history of the region. Sand and pebbles here alternate with the miracles of the ancient world, and legends about saints are intertwined with the traditions of pirates and their fairy -tale wealth. We tell you how to get there, what to see, where to swim and where to go in the vicinity of Kushadasy.
How to get
To enter Turkey, only a passport will be needed. Russians can be in a country without a visa up to 60 days, all Covid restraints have been removed.
There are no direct flights from Russia to Kushadasy. The easiest way to reach is to fly to Izmir Airport (100 km remoteness) or Bodrum (157 km remoteness) and transfer to a regular bus or taxi. Prices for tickets from Moscow to Izmir begin from 17,500 rubles* in one direction, in Bodrum – from 16,800 rubles*.
Where to stop
In Kushadasy you can find accommodation for different taste and budget. We have selected several options with high marks.
Villa Fortin Pension (8.4 rating) is a family hotel with a pool and numbers with large balconies. The cost of night in a room for two from 5,600 rubles*.
Authentic Villa Konak Hotel (8.9 rating) with interesting details in the interior, cozy common areas and a small pool. Located a stone’s throw from the city museum. The cost of living in a room for two from 6,500 rubles*.
The small Lavista Boutique Hotel & Spa with a pool and magnificent views of the fortress and sea (9.3 rating) is located 0.7 km from the city center. The cost of night in a room for two from 18,600 rubles*, breakfast is included.
The Doubletree by Hilton Kusadasi Hotel (8.8 rating) – a five -star hotel of the famous world network, is 1.9 km from the Kushadasy center. The cost of night in a room for two from 27,700 rubles*.
Historical certificate
The first ancient Greek settlements in this territory appeared in the XI century BC. e. In ancient times, Port Kushadasy was in the shadow of a larger and famous shopping center – Ephesus. At the beginning of the 15th century, the city, which by that time, became an important port of the Venetian and Genoese Republic, captured the Ottoman Empire. Today, Kushadasy is a place for stopping cruise liners, beach and cognitive tourism.
What to see
Fortress on the pigeon island
The main attraction and one of the symbols of Kushadasy is a powerful fortress on the island of Guverjinad, which means pigeon from Turkish. The embankment of a 350 m long connects the island with the city, so that the fortress can be reached on foot or on a walking boat. It is believed that the first fortifications on the island erected the Genoese in the 13th century to protect the settlement and trade routes from the sea. After the port of the port of the Ottomans at the turn of the XV-XVI centuries under the leadership of the famous Turkish admiral and Korsar Hir Ad-Din Barbarossa, the fortress preserved to this day was built. In the legends of the formidable pirate, it is often called a pirate castle – looted wealth were stored here, and the seized sailors were sold in Istanbul’s slave markets.
The entrance to the fortress is free, excellent views of the turquoise-blue Aegean sea are opened from the walls and loopholes. Inside there is a small museum exposition with ships models and a skeleton of an ancient whale. In the fortress, pedestrian paths are laid among palm trees and wisteria, in the evenings the walls are highlighted. Near the dam on the island there is a small beach on pontoons, where you can sunbathe and swim. From the side of the embankment on the left, the dam is a small pebble beach, and on the right is the pier of excursion ships and a taxi parking.
Boulevard Ataturka
The three -kilometer embankment begins next to the port, not far from the clock tower traditional for Turkish cities. At the pier, you can admire the moored huge ocean liners, look at the fish market behind freshly delicacies and find a funny monument to cats with a fish box. Go to the shopping on the Grand Bazaar, reminiscent of the Istanbul Egyptian market, the covered trading pavilion with souvenirs, sweets and textiles.
Nearby is an impressive caravanserai, built in 1618-earlier merchants and trade caravans found shelter and protection here. Now in the restored building, which is more like a fortified lock, you can relax in the shade of palm trees, sit at the fountain or spend the night at the hotel behind tall gunted walls.
Another symbol of Kushadasy is located in the middle of the Ataturk boulevard – this is a monument to pigeons, in honor of which the city is named. The sculpture looks like a gigantic open brush, on which several dark and one white dove sit down. The monument against the background of the sea and hilly shores looks especially impressive at sunset. Along the entire embankment you can relax on the observation sites, watch the sunset or have a good time in numerous coffee houses, fish restaurants and bars overlooking the vast sea. The embankment ends with a small sandy beach.
Beaches
For a peaceful rest, go away from the port. The best locations are sandy ladies’ beach and love beach. There is all the necessary infrastructure, you can sit for a small fee on sun loungers or for free – on your stomachs and towels. The entrance to the water is gentle, but by evening waves often rise. It is easy to get from the center on a city minibus – Dolmushka. Another option to swim in the city is a small zyan beach. Here, only a small part is available for free, but among the stones on the left you can see the fish.
If you want solitude, choose the beaches in the National Park of the Dilen Peninsula. There are four of them in total: the first sandy, the rest are mainly pebble. Most people will be on a pebble beach called Milli Park. The purest sea from turquoise to a rich blue shades approaching the very shore of pine, friendly wild boars that can be fed by hand, and the presence of the necessary infrastructure will turn the day on the peninsula into a summer fairy tale. You can get to the park by minibus, which goes once an hour. The entrance is paid, about 20 lire (approximately 75 rubles). The road to the beaches passes through the Zeus cave, known for an underground lake with blue water.
ADALAND water park
A place for a fun recreation with children: in one of the best water parks in Turkey there are several levels with many slides, pools and attractions. There is an imitation of rafting in stormy water, rescuers are looking after vacationers. There is a dolphinarium on the territory: you can not only look at the show with trained animals, but also swim with them. It is easy to get to the water park by minibus from the city center. Children under three years old are allowed free of charge, the cost of an adult ticket is about 2,700 rubles.
What to visit in the vicinity
Antique city of Ephesus
Half an hour from Kushadasy, it is worth visiting the ruins of the ancient city of Ephesus, one of the largest megacities of antiquity. Its history has 8,500 years – this is a unique monument of the Hellenistic and ancient Roman eras. The remnants of the great temples, streets, gates, gymnasium, trading square, theaters, houses with terraces, library and baths, which make it possible to transfer to a distant past and revive the lines of school textbooks are preserved.
The city became famous thanks to the cult of Artemis: the Ephesian temple in honor of the Greek goddess of hunting was one of the seven miracles of the ancient world. In 356 BC Its arson is a conceited heroostate, thus retaining his name for centuries. The funds for recovery were allocated by Alexander the Great, and by the beginning of the III century BC. The majestic temple was again rebuilt and existed until the 5th century. It is known that temple columns were used in the construction of the St. Sophia Cathedral in Constantinople. Today, tourists can see only one reconstructed column on the site of the temple.
Celsus’s library was significantly better preserved, the magnificent facade of which was also restored in its original form. Built in the II century n. e., it was considered the largest in the ancient world after the Alexandrian library – from 12,000 to 15,000 scrolls were stored here. The theaters are no less impressive – a large one, in the arena of which gladiator battles were held, accommodated 25,000 spectators. Separately, it is necessary to note the surviving houses with terraces – the villas of Roman patricians, trimmed with mosaics, marble and frescoes.
A ticket to the archaeological park will cost 400 lire (about 1,400 rubles), for entering the Ephesus Museum you will have to pay another 100 lire (360 rubles). Additionally, they charge a fee for individual objects, for example, houses with terraces.
Ephesus is a monument of not only ancient Greek, but also early Christian history and culture. Not far from the temple of Artemis, you can inspect the ruins of the basilica of John the Theologian, built by Emperor Justinian at the place of burial of the saint. And 6 km from the ancient city is the house of the Virgin – a chapel in the building, where, according to legend, she lived after the death of her son, the maiden of Maria.
Pruna, Miletus and Dim
Fans of ancient history will be interested to go from Kushadasy three less popular than Ephesus, ancient cities. It is more convenient to ride on a rented car or taxi – the distance is about 200 km. On the way you will see deserted ancient theaters, the Ionical Church of Athena Pallas, the Sanctuary of Zeus, the ruins of the house, where, according to legend, Alexander Macedonian, the temple of Apollo, bas -relief with the image of Medusa Gorgon and many other monuments of antiquity stopped.
To diversify the route, we advise you to visit the secluded village of Dganbey after the examination. It is nice to walk along the quiet streets among Bugenwillia and Cypresses, admiring the prayer road and restored stone houses. Do not forget to look at the local museum and try a gastronomic specialty – juice from black mulberry.
*Prices are relevant at the time of publication.
