Destination guide

Çeşme

Türkiye

Çeşme (pronounced chaysh-may) is a beach resort in the Central Aegean region of Turkey. It's at the tip of a peninsula 85 km west of Izmir, but only 10 km from the Greek island of Chios.

AI insights

Local-led

AI-written from the Wikivoyage listings, transport section and mostly LOCAL creators' videos on this page

When choosing your accommodation, prioritize the location based on your travel style: stay near the town central plaza for historic access and proximity to the castle, or choose a beachfront property in Ilıca to maximize time in the water.
Dedicate a specific portion of your trip to exploring the stone houses and distinct architecture of Alaçatı, which offers a completely different atmosphere than the bustling Çeşme marina and bazaar areas.
Use the local dolmuş network to move between Çeşme, Alaçatı, and the various coastal stretches; these shared shuttles provide a direct connection between the main town centers and the outlying hotel districts.
Sample the local kumru sandwich as a street food staple and conclude your evenings with a traditional meze and rakı dinner, which is a foundational part of the regional culinary culture.
Visit the Çeşme Castle museum to understand the town's history of naval conflicts, and use the battlements for a vantage point over the town before heading to the beaches.

How we vet these picks

Every pick is drawn from real sources — YouTube creators, Wikivoyage, and Wikipedia. We only surface sources that actually exist and that we've checked for authenticity — no filler, no dead-end searches.

Watch first

Ranked by views and how well each landed with the people who watched it, judged against the other coverage of this place — plus a local creator where we found one.

Çeşme'de Mutlaka Gezmeniz Gereken 20 Harika Yer (2025) - 4K | Çeşme Gezilecek Yerler

Türkiye'yi Geziyorum · 47K viewsLocaltr

Alacati, Cesme, Turkey (Türkiye) Walking Tour (4k Ultra HD 60 fps) - With Captions

BookingHunterTV · 117K views

Çeşme'de Mutlaka Gezmeniz Gereken 10 Harika Yer (2023) | Çeşme Gezilecek Yerler

Türkiye'yi Geziyorum · 43K viewsLocaltr

CESME, Turkey 🇹🇷 - 4K

POPtravel · 18K views

ALAÇATI - ÇEŞME GEZİSİ - EN GÜZEL SOKAKLARI VE NOSTALJİK MEKANLARI GEZDİK - 4K (2024)

AİLECEK GEZELİM · 16K viewsLocaltr

ÇEŞME TURKEY | Swimming, Street Food & Nightlife in the Turkish Riviera

Turkey Travel Planner · 10K views

Best time to go

Best window: Any time — the weather is kind all year

Kind weather all year — there is no month to avoid.

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

IdealGoodOkayOff-season

Rated from ten years of daily temperature and rainfall recorded at this destination, via Open-Meteo's ERA5 reanalysis. Hover a month for its real numbers.

Getting around

Dolmuşes link Çeşme, Alaçatı and the outlying hotel strips.

Transport notes from Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0.

What to see

Places are listed from Wikivoyage and our own sourced research. Worth it means a second, independent source names the place too; “3 sources agree” means three or more do — and each card names them, so you can check.

Çeşme Castle

Worth it

Also recommended by Lonely Planet and 1 other

A well-preserved 15th-century Genoese fortress, now an archaeology museum and concert venue, regarded as the best spot in town to watch the sunset over the bay.

Vetted sources

Google Maps

Alaçatı old town and windmills

Worth it

Asma Yaprağı

Worth it

Also recommended by Michelin Guide

A Michelin Green Star restaurant in Alaçatı prized for its bohemian, rustic garden setting and a daily-changing menu built from local, artisanal produce.

Vetted sources

Google Maps

SOTA Alaçatı

Worth it

Also recommended by Michelin Guide

An open-air restaurant with mosaic-tiled tables and a Mediterranean-driven menu built around fresh seafood, listed in the Michelin Guide's Izmir selection.

Vetted sources

Google Maps