Population:102,500
Old name: Kios, Prusias ad Mare
There’s no reason why you would want to make a special trip to Gemlik, a large industrial port on the south side of the Sea of Marmara, unless you fancy a ride on the sea plane (deniz ucağı) or happen to be in transit between Mudanya and Yalova with an hour or so to spare. Of its history as ancient Prusias ad Mare, the port for old Bursa, there is no trace at all.
There’s a pleasant enough seaside promenade with many cafes including a smartish and central branch of Mado. Most of the town, however, is a concrete sprawl with little to attract the eye aside from the Balıkpazarı Cami (Yeni Cami) which clearly started life as a 19th-century church, and a huge and magnificent, partially wooden mansion, well inland from the sea, that had just been restored when I visited in 2014 but from whose entrance I was chased away by an officious custodian.
Sleeping
There’s a much more inviting selection of places to stay in Mudanya and Yalova (Termal).
Transport info
For the time being the hourly 104 bus service that links Mudanya and Gemlik runs from the town centre bus terminal at half past every hour. You need to buy a ticket from a kiosk before boarding.
Half-hourly Yalova buses leave from the main bus terminal on the outskirts of town as you come in on the Mudanya road.
If you want to get to Istanbul in super-quick time Burulaş Havacılık (fly.burulas.com.tr/) operates a sea-plane that is available for hire from Gemlik Pier. It lands on the Golden Horn in İstanbul.
Nearby destinations
