Çeşme is a popular resort town west of Izmir, on the Aegean Sea. Many residents of Izmir have holiday homes here and it is a very busy destination during the summer months. There is a restored military castle overlooking the harbour which is home to the Çeşme Archaeology Museum. 

It takes you a while to find your bearings around Cesme because things are a bit spread out over a fairly wide area. For example the best beach is the long sandy beach at Ilica which has warm thermal springs making the sea water quite warm in places. The Altin Yunus Hotel and its marina is quite impressive and interesting to walk around.

There are other holiday towns nearby such as Urla, Karaburun and Seferhisar. All of them are worth visiting. The sea along this coast is a beautiful turqoise colour and crystal clear.

Anyone who has visited Çeşme can see the appeal. Everything is of a high standard here and the residential housing is of a quality and design matched only by the best that Istanbul can offer.

A good time to visit is in the spring or autumn when the road are quiet and there is very little traffic. Avoid peak holiday times. The video shown here was taken in late December.

Cesme has some very good restaurants and shopping but prices tend to be higher here than in most other parts of Turkey. Now that Cesme has become a prime destination for visitors and second home owners from Istanbul this has had both a positive and negative affect on the area.