Population: 20,400
Çine is a dreary small town with little to recommend it bar a thriving and highly competitive trade in Çine köfte (meatballs), sold in their thousands at a string of restaurants on the southern side of town. One of the restaurants claims to have been in the meatball business since 1936 so it must be doing something right.
The main reason to come here is as a base for getting to the archaeological sites at Alında, Alabanda and Gerga. The first two are accessible by public transport but Gerga seems to be a tall order even by taxi – I was told that I wouldn’t find the ruins in the forest without a guide.
Until relatively recently Çine was 5km further south on the road to Yatağan at a location now known as Eski Çine (Old Çine) where there is private museum of beekeeping (arıcılık).
Sleeping
Otel Alabanda. Tel: 0256-711 7949
Transport info
There are hourly buses and/or midibuses from Yatağan to Çine and back, and from Aydın to Çine and back.
To get to Alında, take a Karpuzlu minibus and then make local arrangements to get to the entrance 4km above the village.
To get to Alabanda, take a Doğanyurt minibus and get out at Araphisar (Alabanda).
Taxis wait at the otogar to run you to all the local sites.
Day trip destinations
Gerga
