The town of Ayvalik is famous above all for its olives. The surrounding countryside is covered as far as the eye can see with olive trees, the juicy black fruit of which are pressed into golden oil, salted or pickled for eating, or turned into soap.
Ayvalik had a large Greek population until 1923, when they were forced to move to Greece, while Turks arrived in their place from Macedonia. The back streets of the old town are lined with beautiful stone houses, built by wealthy Greek merchants and local businessmen. Many are falling down, although others have been restored and turned into beautiful second homes or atmospheric small hotels. Look out for the town's churches - another reminder of it's Greek past- which are now used as mosques by the locals.
The streets of the old town are so narrow that horses are still used for deliveries. On your wanderings look out for the Atarabasi Duragi – or Horse and Cart Stop – a small square where the drivers wait on their colourful carts for business. There are several excellent seafood restaurants on the quayside, or you may prefer to catch a ferry over to Cunda, an island connected to the mainland by a causeway, where there are more beautiful old buildings and some excellent fish restaurants.
Getting There
Ayvalik is a 2 ½ hour drive from Izmir and Canakkale.
There are regular buses north and south along the coast.
There is a car ferry in summer to the Greek island of Lesbos.