Turkish delight: 4 reasons to pick Kuşadası for your next beach holiday

Add in some excellent local cuisine, exotic markets laden with spices and the fascinating blend of east meeting west, and it’s no wonder that visitors return year after year.

Kuşadası, in the up-and-coming Izmir region, is a great place to start if you’ve never visited Turkey. Here are four reasons to consider Kuşadası for your next beach holiday

Ephesus: The best-preserved classical ruins in the world

There’s one thing that Turkey isn’t short of, and that is ancient cities. There are literally hundreds of them but by far the best preserved of these is Ephesus, which is less than an hour away from Kuşadası and even closer to many of the package holiday resorts just up the coast.

It’s difficult to put into words exactly how impressive Ephesus is, but it wouldn’t be controversial to claim that it’s the best preserved and most impressive example of a Greco-Roman city in the world, with only Pompeii giving it a run for its money.

Travellers have been admiring the ancient city for millennia and notable visitors from the ancient world include Alexander the Great, Cleopatra and Mark Anthony, so It’s not surprising that the UNESCO listed World Heritage Site is the second most visited tourist attraction in Turkey. Cruise ships from most of the major operators have Kuşadası on their itineraries, so it can get crowded on a morning and early afternoon. Better to wait until late evening and enjoy the ruins in relative peace.

Cotton Castles and Ancients Spas

If there is an ancient city in Turkey that could give Ephesus a run for its money, it would be Hierapolis and Pamukkale, around 2.5 hours away from Kuşadası by road. The ruins of the ancient city of Hierapolis alone would warrant a visit, with a beautifully restored 12,000-seat amphitheatre overlooking the whole complex and the equally stunning Cleopatra’s Pools – where the Queen of Egypt once bathed – just a few steps away. The pure, warm waters of Cleopatra’s Pool were once surrounded by a Roman temple to Apollo with an ornate roof held up with Doric columns. The roof and columns are no longer standing but this only adds to the allure of the pools, as the fallen columns are actually submerged in the waters below you. It feels magical to sit on a genuine Roman artefact as you soak up the health-giving properties of the water

A very short walk from the ancient city you’ll find a truly special place. The World Heritage–listed terraces of Pamukkale. The name means Cotton Castle and it’s easy to understand how Pamukkale got this name once you set your eyes upon the surreal, powder- white calcite terraces. They look for all the world like a naturally sculpted fortress of ice, and are clearly visible for miles around. The terraces are actually made up of calcite deposits from the mineral saturated waters that flow from one pool to the next, turning the cliffs into cotton candy like stalactites as they cascade down. The pools formed on the terrace are not particularly deep but most people visiting bring a swimsuit or shorts, so that they can submerge themselves and get a closer look at the spectacular terraces. This is the highlight of many travellers’ visits to Turkey and is well worth a day trip through your tour operator.

Perfect for families

Kuşadası has become a firm favourite with families in recent years and it’s easy to see why. All-inclusive mega resorts abound here with many of them boasting huge waterparks as well as kids’ clubs, animation teams, private beaches and night-time entertainment. There are several resorts very close to the ruins at Ephesus and many of these allow day visitors. We visited one of the resorts as day visitors and found three large swimming areas – including an adults-only pool and a fantastic waterpark. There was also a first-class beach and water sports centre, seven bars and beautifully manicured gardens with roaming peacocks. Most all-inclusive resorts have restaurants serving buffet style food throughout the day, which is perfect for kids, and give access to a-la carte once per week without a fee.

Twin Centre Holiday

The Greek island of Samos is a mere two miles or so across the Mycale Straight from Turkey, and around 45 minutes away from Kuşadası by boat. It’s entirely possible to enjoy a twin centre holiday, with a week in Samos and a week in Kuşadası, if you’re travelling independently – as we were – and are undecided between Greece and Turkey. A less stressful option would be to holiday in Kuşadası and take a day trip with one of the two operators that run daily excursions to Samos. It is also possible to day trip to Kuşadası from Samos, but these trips run less frequently – once or twice a week, depending on season – and only seem to operate in high season. There is far more to see and do in Kuşadası in any case, so it’s better to base yourself there and travel to Samos for a day if you want your fix of Greek culture.