A calm coastal town on Turkey's Aegean coast, known for its stone Greek houses, olive oil production, and small fishing harbor with local seafood restaurants.
Ayvalık spreads along Turkey's Aegean coast, where you'll find Orthodox churches with original frescoes, stone houses from the 19th century, and an archipelago of 22 islands. You can swim at Sarımsaklı Beach, walk through olive groves with 500-year-old trees, or take a boat to Cunda Island to eat fresh seafood at waterfront restaurants. The town connects directly to the Greek island of Lesbos by ferry and sits within reach of major archaeological sites like Pergamon and Troy.
Getting Around the Ayvalık Islands
You can reach Cunda Island from the town center by driving or taking a local minibus across the causeway. In summer, small boats leave regularly from Ayvalık's harbor for tours around the archipelago's 22 islands. Ferries run daily between Ayvalık and Lesbos, Greece, with additional trips during summer months.
Swimming and Beaches
Sarımsaklı and Altınova beaches form a 30-kilometer stretch of sandy coastline extending toward Dikili. Even in summer, you'll find plenty of space to spread out on these beaches. At Kiz Island, the water reaches depths of 19 meters, where divers can spot various species of marine plants.
Food and Local Production
More than 2.5 million olive trees grow across 13,200 hectares around Ayvalık. Many trees date back 500 years and produce olive oil that local producers sell worldwide. Waterfront restaurants prepare Aegean seafood dishes, including the local whitebait fish called papalina.
Exploring Cunda Island
On Cunda Island (also called Alibey Island), narrow streets wind between stone buildings from the 1800s. Visit the Taksiyarhis Church to see religious artifacts, or stop at one of the meyhanes (traditional restaurants) for meze plates. The Stone Teahouse gives you views over the fishing harbor, where boats unload their daily catch.
Former Churches and Architecture
The Orthodox churches in Ayvalık now serve different purposes while keeping their original elements. Inside the Clock Mosque (Saatlı Cami), you can see the preserved frescoes on the walls. The Plane Tree Mosque (Çınarlı Cami) keeps its bell tower and stone archways. The Taksiyarhis Church houses a museum displaying items from the town's Greek and Turkish past.
Day Trips from Ayvalık
You can visit three ancient cities nearby: Assos, Troy, and Pergamon. Regular buses run to Bergama (ancient Pergamon), where the Acropolis rises on hillsides above the modern town. From Ayvalık, you can also take day trips to the World War I battlefields near Çanakkale in the north.
