Things to Do in İzmir

An hour south of İzmir, Ephesus is one of the best-preserved Greco-Roman cities on earth. Walk the marble-paved Curetes Street past the Library of Celsus, the Grand Theatre and the Temple of Hadrian — a city that once held 250,000 people, now open to the air and largely intact. Arrive before 10 am to avoid the tour groups.

• Library of Celsus — the two-storey facade is the iconic image of Ephesus.
• House of the Virgin Mary — a pilgrimage site on the hillside above the ruins.
• Terrace Houses — extra ticket; mosaic floors and frescoes of wealthy Romans.

In the heart of the old city, Kemeraltıis İzmir’s historic bazaar quarter — a labyrinth of narrow lanes with jewellers, spice merchants, textile sellers and tea houses tucked into Ottoman caravanserais. The Kızlarağası Hancourtyard cafe is an ideal rest stop. The bazaar is also the gateway to the city’s historic mosques and the 18th-century clock tower on Konak Square.

İzmir’s best feature may be its seafront. The Kordon promenade stretches along the bay through Alsancak, lined with bars, fish restaurants and pavement cafes. At sunset the bay turns gold and the city’s famous silhouette — the clock tower, the minarets, the hills — fills the view. Walk it slowly, eat well.

An hour west, the Çeşme peninsulaends in some of the Aegean’s clearest water. Alacatıis the jewel: a village of whitewashed Greek houses converted into boutique hotels, wine bars and design shops. It’s a day trip from İzmir or a one-night escape — quieter in spring, buzzing in summer, beautiful year-round.