Kusadasi is a large resort popular with British and Turkish holidaymakers. A stone’s throw from the archaeological remains of Ephesus and the Virgin Mary’s house, it’s a popular port-of-call for cruise ships, as well as being on the coach tour circuit.
The beach in town, known as Ladies’ Beach, gets very crowded in summer, so you may decide to head north to Pamucak, a long sandy beach backed by several large hotels and campsites. There’s very little else at Pamucak and the water isn’t the clearest.
A better bet for swimming are the beaches in the Dilek National Park, a beautiful area of forest 20 minutes drive south of town. There are several walking trails, shady picnic areas and a string of clean, pebble beaches. There’s lots of wildlife in the area too, so don’t be surprised if you see wild boar cleaning up after picnicers in the evening!
Kusadasi has a good selection of restaurants, and after dark there are lots of lively bars and clubs.
Getting There
Kusadasi is a 1-hour drive from Izmir airport.
There are regular buses services to Izmir.
There are ferries to the Greek island of Samos.