“Bird Island” Population: 100,000
Old names: Neapolis, Scala Nuova
Market days: Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday
Boozy hellhole or exciting Aegean holiday resort? Kuşadası is one of those places that attracts both battalions of devoted fans and a good deal of knocking copy. The problem is that it has so outgrown its original boundaries that it’s sometimes hard to see what made it attractive to tourists in the first place. But just as you’re grumpily thinking this you’ll find yourself on the terrace of your hotel as the sun is going down and all of a sudden the myriad noisy bars and the shops selling tacky souvenirs will seem a very distant memory.
Around town
The most interesting part of Kuşadası is the area towards the harbour that is called Kaleiçi (the Inner Castle). Look for the surviving medieval tower-gate beyond which the main shopping street crudely divides the area into two.
It takes a bit of imagination to see it but Kuşadası actually started life as a harbour town used by Italian merchants in the 14th century when it was called Scala Nuova (New Harbour); very slight traces of the sea walls still survive on the inland side of the coast road. The attractive castle on Güvercin Adası (Pigeon Island) dates from this period; the 17th-century travel writer Evliya Çelebi said that it acquired its name because it was a popular resting place for migratory birds.
In 1612 Öküz Mehmet Paşa (1550-1662) was responsible for building a huge new caravanserai on the waterfront. In 2013 it finally abandoned the effort to operate as a hotel although it still acts as a carpet showroom and venue for Turkish nights.
The caravanserai is on one side of the main shopping street. If you cross to the other side and duck into the area called the Old Bazaar you will come upon the delightful Kaleiçi Cami that is contemporary with the caravanserai; its courtyard is a blissful oasis from the hurly-burly outside and even contains a few fragments of Roman masonry testifying to an earlier settlement on the site. The Turkish bath nearby once formed part of the same mosque complex. The surrounding streets are full of whitewashed Ottoman houses that are easy to overlook amid all the shops.
The pedestrianised shopping centre is frankly disheartening but the marina brought a much-needed injection of upscale shopping and eating options. So what that it’s another branch of Starbucks – – the view is to die for.
But perhaps the most interesting part of Kuşadası is the area tucked away above the harbour and approached via some very steep streets. Here you will find many more fine old Ottoman houses, once in a poor state of repair. When I last visited they were about to be given a complete makeover which might result in more boutique hotels. There’s a second Turkish bath up here. Compared with those in İstanbul its prices seem very reasonable.
The Old Town Tanneries is a development on the site of the early Republican-era leather tanneries where stone buildings have been restored to serves as a tourism and entertainment centre behind the DoubleTree Hilton Hotel. There’s a small museum on site and several cafes amid little art galleries. Sadly when I visited it was virtually empty.
Kuşadası has several small beaches including one right in the town centre. Kadınlar Denizi (Ladies Beach), to the south and accessible by bus, is very popular despite being very built-up with the sort of restaurants that loudly tout their all-day full English breakfasts. North of town the Kuştur Beach is less built-up but has the main Kuşadası-Selçuk road running behind it.
Classier are the private beach clubs on Yılancı Burnu (Snake Headland) just south of Pigeon Island.
Eating & Drinking
Kuşadası used to have rather a rough reputation when it came to food but things have been looking up, particularly on the seafront leading north towards the marina where popular Turkish chain restaurants and a few one-off places now offer more interesting food.
Sleeping
Anzac Golden Bed Pension
As high up in Kuşadası’s old quarter as you can get (and making a joke of it) is this smart backpacker favourite. Tel: 0256-614 8708
Efe Boutique Hotel
Right by the water as you walk towards Güvercin Island, this hotel, tiered so many rooms have sea views and with a pub on the ground floor, is one of a new generation of more upmarket hotels. Tel: 0256-614 3660
Hotel Kismet
In splendid isolation, this historic hotel is the most interesting in town although it’s very expensive and some people think it a tad old-fashioned. Tel: 0256-618 1290
Villa Konak
17-room boutique hotel in the old, upper part of Kuşadası with attractive rooms set round an inviting garden. Tel: 0256-612 2170
Behind the tourist facade Kuşadası still retains its old Turkish quarterTransport info
The nearest airport is in İzmir.
There are frequent buses from İzmir, Selçuk and Aydın to Kuşadası.
From April to October Meander Travel operates daily ferries to and from the Greek island of Samos. https://meandertravel.com/ferrytosamos/samos.php?details=ferrytosamos&m=1&md=sc1https://meandertravel.com/ferrytosamos/samos.php?details=ferrytosamos&m=1&md=sc1
Day trip destinations
Hoteliers and local travel agents will happily organise a trip to Ephesus for you. Alternatively pop to Selçuk by public transport and walk to the ruins.
Samos
Uphill the old Greek quarter is now being restored
