Izmir has more going for it than meets the eye. Most sites are affordable or FREE. So, after you have spent all your money in Istanbul, pop on down to Izmir and enjoy the cheaper side of traveling in Turkey!
One of the best FREE tourist outings is Izmir’s first asansör or elevator! The Historical “Asansor” is a Turkish word taken from the French word “ascenseur.”
Built in 1907 by Nesim Levi Bayraklıoğlu, the historical building was crafted in order to make a connection from the lower level of Karatas to the upper hillside. Nesim built this elevator for the elderly, pregnant, and disabled people to get up to the top street without difficulty.
Years later, it was given to the Izmir Municipality to Izmir citizens.
What is there to do:
The elevator is not only functional but beautifully architected as well. From the top, visitors can see panoramic views of Izmir. Large metal standing binocular provide a closer view of buildings and sites for only one Turkish Lira.
At the top, there is a wonderful cafe-restaurant where you can enjoy a meal or just a drink. Along the upper streets, one can see historical houses and decorated stairs.
How much does it cost:
Actually, it’s free! There are two cabins each for 13 people and through the small windows seeing outside is possible. You may just have to wait in line on a busy day.
How to get there:
The elevator is located in İzmir’s Karataş quarter, within the boundaries of the metropolitan district of Konak. You can access by boat, tram, bus, or taxi depending on where you are coming from. I like using the İzmir Büyükşehir Belediyesi free App for figuring out transportation.
From Karşıyaka area, take any boat towards Konak Ferry Port and then you can take the tramway or walk. On a nice day, definitely take the 20ish minute walk to the elevator! The closer you get to the elevator is surrounded by narrow old streets lined with cafes primed to sit and enjoy. If walking is not an option, hop on the tramway at the Konak Iskele stop and take it one stop to the Karataş tramway – map here.
From Alsancak, take the tramway to the Karataş stop and walk from there.
screenshot from Google Maps
Screenshot from the Tramway website.
Make sure to stop by the rainbow-colored stairs for a photo shoot. You will definitely look like a local if you do!
Is it worth the trip:
Well, we think so! On a good, clear day, visitors can see all of Izmir. Another area to visit for views of Izmir is Kadifekale just up from the Agora. (Both I plan to write about soon!)
This was one of the highlights of our beautiful city of Izmir and great for seeing the views. We highly recommend it!
Now to you:
Have you been here before?
Would you consider this worth visiting in Izmir?
Any other tips for people who want to visit? Comment below and share them with us!
2018 finished out in a blur and all of a sudden it’s February 2019. While we have not been overly present here on social media in the last few months, it does not mean that we’ve been lazy! We have so many good things to share (especially one monumental one, that we CAN’T share fully yet).
One of our favorite traditions is to grab sushi and go through my list of year-end questions. There’s always WAtooto many questions, but it’s good for conversation.
You can grab a more simplified worksheet for your next year-end review by emailing me here! I’ll send it your way ASAP!
Several words come to mind as we think back to our year: re-direction, adoption, preparation, joyfulness, and hardship. Sometimes I get to the end of the year and can think about how we have missed documenting our journey here in Izmir, but every year, this recap shows me HOW MUCH WE HAVE!!!!
Here is our recap of 2018:
?Jason and his brother rewrote and relaunch bltn in January.
?Celebrated year 4 of marriage in Chios, one of the Greek island just a ferry ride off the coast of Turkey. (We chat about this trip in Episode050 of the podcast.)
?Catie’s parents came to visit and celebrated Christmas with us!
?Catie has her first major Travel Writing Publication!
?On the side, Catie started advocating for cleaner, safer beauty products via @catiecleancollection and started a little travel shop @deartravels – both will help fund our adoption!
You can grab a more simplified worksheet for your next year-end review by emailing me here! I’ll send it your way ASAP!
THANK YOU for sitting around when our posts have lulled and being part of our 2018. We can’t wait to share our big news with you soon! So, stick around!
Jason has to be the best husband ever (proud wife bragging rights). We for sure have our multiple disagreements about how to most everything – yep, we are complete opposites for the most part. BUT he is definitely the one who adapts and shifts his desires to suit us way more than I seem too. Maybe because I like everything? 😉 jk.
Last fall Jason started running – for me. The last 4 years of our marriage, he has seriously and politely denied all my attempts to start running with me consistently. But he saw how happy it makes me to run with someone and decided that, with my other running buddy eventually moving away, he would fill the void.
Plus, running/exercising is good for him – the hard working, computer engineer that he is.
It was tough at first, but he pushed through. By December, he was able to do a 5k without stopping. Every other day we went out and did his exactly 5k route while listening to a podcast(mostly to distract him from the fact that he was actually running).
And Christmas 2017, he gifted me with a 10k race that we would run together in February 2018 Dubai Desert Road Run in the UAE! IT WAS THE BEST SURPRISE.
We started to train together and did a few longer runs to prepare for the 6.4 ish miles to come.
And in February, JASON RAN HIS FIRST RACE EVER.
Y’all, I was GIDDY with PRIDE! You see, I grew up running with my family. Heck in 2016, before we moved to Turkey, my family based our get-together around the Chicago Half-Marathon with my mom and sister. Jason by that point had learned how to find us multiple times on the route to take pictures of us and cheer us on, all happily from the sidelines.
But this time, we ran with me!
And the race was HOT and SWEATY and the course was NOT SO FUN. But we both finished it!
You can LISTEN to our experience via Episode047 of our podcast.
The following are pictures from a proud wife loving every minute of this first race with her hubby:
So proud of you babe! (Jason, if he reads this! That would be creepy if I was talking to you the reader!)
Questions for you:
What is your favorite way to exercise?
Have you done something you didn’t like just because you knew it would bless you significant other?
Note: This article was originally guest-posted for Yabangee.
Izmir offers plenty of local sites within the city of four million people, but it is also known for its access to easy day trips nearby. If you have time, plan a few excursions outside Izmir. A longer trip inland to Ankara, Cappadocia, or the Black Sea can be tempting but don’t miss the coastal towns along the Aegean and Mediterranean coasts.
Here are some of the best day trips you can take from Izmir:
Şirince Little exceeds a well-prepared Turkish breakfast. Şirince, once a Greek village of a mere 600 inhabitants situated north of Ephesus, is famous for its mesmerizing white houses and red-orange clay rooftops. If you are not there in time for breakfast, visit shops known for local fruit wine. Entry is free and you are treated to many free glasses of wine.
Ephesus (a.k.a. Efes) Ephesus boasts of its 3000-year-old Greek city ruins. Most famous is one of the seven ancient wonders of the world, the Temple of Artemis. The area seduces history lovers with its flavorful tales. Entry is 40 Lira (and an extra 15 lira for the newly excavated covered hillside homes) but if you are interested in history, Ephesus is a must see. If you have time, trek out to the home of Mary, mother of Jesus, renown and highly visited by Catholic tourists.
Go North to Eski Foça Northwest of Izmir along the Aegean coastline, Eski Foça is named for the now endangered Mediterranean monk seals which also are the town’s mascot. Several local companies offer boat tours that will take passengers closer to the island of the seals for approximately 50 TL which includes lunch. Otherwise, enjoy a meal by the seaside lined with renovated historical, yet charming, Ottoman-Greek houses. While all Turkish food is delicious, the meze, or appetizers, and fish are the best options to get in Foça.
Visit a Greek Island Lesvos, Chios, and Samos, the closest Greek islands from Izmir, ascend from the sea disrupting the majestic view of Aegean Sea from Turkey. With the right visa, start early for a day trip (or stay overnight) by catching a bus to the ferry port and hopping over to the island of your choice. Chios is the most popular among travelers and is easy to access via a visit to Çeşme. Alongside its rich history, including adventures with Saracen pirates, and the Turks during the Greek Revolution, Chios also claims to be the birthplace of the poet Homer. Enjoy local wine, explore the ruined Byzantine village of Anavatos, and relax in the shade of a cafe or park. (Rhodes is a little out of the way, but well worth a visit!)
Cool off at the Beach! While it’s not possible to swim in the bay in Izmir, beaches line the coast both north and south of the city center. Çeşme comes in an easy first with its pure white sand and crystal clear water, but it also draws a crowd to the much-enjoyed shopping district and nightlight. Take one of the many private buses from your neighborhood or a dolmuş to Çeşme center from the Izmir Otogar.
I would love to hear from you! Comment below or on the video answering one of the following questions:
Have you visited Izmir?
Did you take any day trip? If so, where did you go?
Note: This article was originally guest-posted for Yabangee.
Having lived in Izmir for over a year, I can say that I truly love the expat life here. Many people ask what the city is like and if it is worth visiting. And my answer? YES!
Istanbul or Cappadocia fare better in terms of tourism, but Izmir has things to do that are true to Turkish culture without having to fight the crowds. Also, the people of this lovely city are known for their friendliness and open-mindedness towards foreigners. If visitors are looking for the culture and experience of meeting with locals to truly understand what makes Turkey so wonderful, Izmir is your go-to location.
Here are just a few of the things you can do in Izmir.
Visit Izmir Clock Tower Konak is home to one of the most distinctive landmarks in the city, the Clock Tower. Built in 1901, the white marble tower and North African style patterns on the columns marks the 25th year of Ottoman sultan Abdulhamid II’s reign. Additionally, Konak’s established touristic center of Izmir offers historical mosques and many small streets with cafes, restaurants, and bars.
Shop ’til You Drop at Kemeraltı Market Kemeraltı is the little ‘Grand’ Bazaar of Izmir. Anyone who has been to the noisy, maze of stalls in the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul will prefer this one after a quiet, calm visit! Still a massive maze of stalls, find traditional Turkish gifts and more for a cost much less than Istanbul. Kemeraltı is also full of great, inexpensive restaurants. On a hot day, enjoy a fresh squeezed juice for around $1 in the nearby juice stalls.
Ride the Asansör Asansör, which literally means elevator, was the first elevator built in 1907 to help people travel between the top of the cliff to the seaside. Just a 20 minutes stroll from Konak square, reserve a table for a sunset dinner at the top of the Asansör. The delightfully classy Italian cafe not only provides one of the best views in Izmir, but the prices are very reasonable as well.
Stroll the streets of Kadifekale Kadifekale, or Velvet Castle, built by Alexander the Great into the Izmir hillside provides panoramic views across the city both towards the seaside and the land. Travel by taxi up the monstrous hill to the historic site to have more energy to explore the old walks and towers. Requiring less of the imagination than the ruins of Smyrna, visitors can see the layout of the castle while enjoying a bit of shopping in the shade of the tall trees. Walk back down the long hill or take a taxi again if you prefer.
Photo by Catie Funk
Be a Local and Drink a Beer by the Shore Whether you are in Alsancak or Karşıyaka, this is Izmir! Gençler, or young people, can be found sitting along the seaside enjoying the breeze at the end of a hard work day. Friends and families picnic or drink a beer while others enjoy a walk or bike ride. Free concerts provide entertainment throughout the year.
Izmir’s gems are easily overlooked. However, once visitors engage in the history of this coastal city, visitors discover places and activities not offered anywhere else in Turkey. Its secrets lie with the locals and give visitors the best experience of Izmir. While exploring the areas of Izmir, don’t forget a mid-morning snack on a gevrek or two, a traditionally brewed coffee in a small cafe, and a peaceful stroll along the Kordon.
I would love to hear from you! Comment below or on the video answering one of the following questions:
1. Have you been to Izmir? 2. What sites did you see? 3. What did you find interesting?
screenshot from Google Maps
Screenshot from the Tramway website.
Make sure to stop by the rainbow-colored stairs for a photo shoot. You will definitely look like a local if you do!
