Day 48 - Çeşme (Turkey Motorcycle Tour)

13 September 2011

The ride to Çeşme was a pleasant motorway blast of about 100km due west of İzmir with nice coastal views. İzmir is a big city, shrouded in a haze of pollution and humidity. As I escaped the city limits clear blue skies once again emerged, creating the perfect backdrop for the ocean and coastline.

Çeşme is right at the end of a peninsula and the gateway to the Greek island of Chios which is only 8km away. This town of 25,000 inhabitants swells to over 300,000 in the height of summer. Luckily the busy season was starting to wind down and I found a bed for the night at the Sahil Pansiyon.

I had a good walk around the town and the marina. There was plenty of wealth on display here, nice boats of the power and sailing variety, and upmarket boutiques and restaurants surrounding the marina. It reminded me very much of the marina developments on the Gold Coast.

I settled on a restaurant overlooking the water at the opposite end of town from the marina and enjoyed some grilled fish and a Turkish salad. Fresh and cooked simply, my dinner was delicious.

I was reliably informed September is the best time to visit Çeşme, when it is not as busy but the weather is still sublime. I can’t help but agree. This is the kind of place you could easily spend a few lazy days doing very little. Maybe I should hang around? Have a look for yourself. What do you think?