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If you ever travel from Izmir to Çesme on the new motorway, after about 70 kilometers, you will see an exit "Alaçati" do not hesitate to get of the motorway at that exit, it will be an amazing visit to one of the oldest towns along the Aegean coast of Turkey.

If you were sailing up along the Aegean coast, although you will not see a mark on your map for Alaçati, but you will notice the windsurfers in a beautiful bay. Do not hesitate to enter the bay, a newly built marina (although not yet complete) will welcome you. A two kilometer drive from the marina to Alaçati town would be the start of a discovery tour.

The tour would be amazing, but it very much depends on what you consider an "Amazing tour". If you consider spending some time at you summer house, or laying lazily on the beach to absorb the sunlight, or eating and drinking until early hours in the morning and listening to incredibly loud disco sound, or going to movies, theatre even a concert, Alaçati is not for you.

If your understanding of an "amazing visit" is to swim and do all kinds of water sports, or just relax strolling around in the old vineyards, or walk around on the shining cobble stones and discover a surprise around every corner of an old town, or talk to the locals, or even sit in an old coffee house to read your favorite book or daily paper, then Alaçati is definitely for you.

When you drive to Alaçati, you will notice a beautiful pine-tree tunnelled road, which will lead you to an old amphi-theatre above which the hill is dotted with old windmills. There you will have to turn right to enter Alaçati town. You will notice the flow of people mostly going in one direction towards the little coffee-houses, shops, barber-shops, restaurants, mosque, right to the heart of Alaçati. You just follow the crowd, it will take you there. Following the crowd, or just going to left or right, which ever way you go, don't bother about getting lost. Don't even bother to try to to read the colourful rusty street signs to find your way, you will never get lost. Anyway even the locals do not know the name of their streets, if you ask them, they will turn around and ask their neighbors "hey do you know what our street is called". Doesn't matter whether it is "Cemaliye" "Mektep" or "Musavvail" street, nobody cares.

Once you turn left, you will notice a shop with "Antik (Antique) Shop" sign and a shaded entrance, if you walk towards the entrance or enter the shop, someone will turn the lights on for your convenience. Once the lights are on, then you will find yourself looking at the old "coal powered ironing machines", old watches hanging at the end of a chain, old pipes or even 100 year old dresses covered with dust. If you have time and the knowledge about antiques, you will definitely find something to savour. Even if you do not buy anything, make sure that you will remember the location of the "Antique Shop" as it is also the place to find out whether there are old houses for sale. It is very likely that once you stroll through Alaçati, you will want to buy an old house there like so many others. Restoration work on old Rum(Greek speaking Romans) houses have become the trend in Alacati.

Well, get back on the street and keep walking down, you will notice the smell of your grandmother's cookies. The smell will simply lead you to small "patisseries". Not too much, just get some cookies either salty or sweet, to keep your mouth busy during your stroll. But a little warning, further down the street, you will notice a brown "Agrilia Café Boutique" sign. An old animal food depot has been turned into a really beautiful Café-Boutique. A Turkish coffee or Cappuccino, on the side a toast or a slice of apple pie would definitely refresh your body. Beautifuly embroidered white table cloth hanging all the way down to the floor, will draw your attention. But don't stop there, just look around, you will notice the antique mirrors, doors, shelves, cupboards various glassworks, candle holders and old dresses used as sofa covers.

After enjoying your visit to Agrilia Café keep strolling to the left, until you come to the houses with door numbers 116 and 118, spend some time there to enjoy the restoration work done on these two houses. Alacati has number of these old "Rum" houses waiting for new owners so that restoration work can take place.

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