“Original valley” Population: 1,500
Old name: Kesri
Market day: Saturday
If you’re travelling north from Kuşadası to Seferihisar and onto Siğacık you will pass along the main coastal road that skirts Özdere, an architecturally rough-and-ready beach resort with a lovely sandy beach that reminds me vaguely of Kızkalesi on the south coast but on a larger scale, with less beach to celebrate and without the drawcard of the castle.
Özdere has become very popular with expats especially from the Netherlands but although the area around the beach is inviting with neat, well-kept streets running back from it there are no historic buildings or formal tourist attractions here. It’s only really a place for those in search of a family beach holiday who don’t fancy the noise and full-on shopping experience of Kuşadası or the much lower-key charms of the Siğacık area.
This is a very built-up part of the coastline rather like the Edremit Körfezi (Gulf of Edremit) – Özdere segues seamlessly into Gümüldür, home to a Tabiat Parkı (Nature Park), which, in turn, merges with Ürkmez, the site of ancient Lebedos.
Sleeping
There are hotels here to suit all budgets but the resort is somewhat dominated by the vast five-star Paloma Pasha Resort (Tel: 0232-797 9090).
Transport info
There are frequent minibuses to Özdere from Selçuk and Kuşadası, fewer from Seferihisar.
Day trip destinations
Lebedos/Ürkmez
