AYVALIK

A CITY OF HISTORY, FISHERMAN and OLIVE TREES

You can get to Ayvalik through Izmir Airport (150 km distance from Ayvalik) or through Istanbul Airport (500 km distance from Ayvalik). There are many inter-city buses connecting Istanbul and Izmir to Ayvalik.

Facing the Greek island Lesbos (Mytilène), Ayvalik is in a magnificent bay with many little islands, Cunda being the most picturesque of all. A stop over in Ayvalik is a must on the highway connecting Canakkale to Izmir. The site, hidden behind dense pine trees, is classified as a national patrimony site.
Under the Ottoman Empire, most of the population of Ayvalik were Ottoman Orthodoxes. Ayvalik was a prosperous city with a certain degree of autonomy. We can still see the mansion houses where the French, English, Italian and Norwegian consulates were established. In 1830, when Greece gained its independence, the region of Ayvalik wanted to join Greece, but the Sultan suppressed the uprising.
In 1923, Lausanne Treaty brings about the exchange of Anatolian Orthodox population and Muslim populations in Greece and Crete.

What can you see and do in Ayvalik?

You will feel as if you are traveling in time while walking in the narrow streets full of houses with a refined architecture and with beautiful wooden, stone and iron-works ornaments. Do not hesitate to go in the little streets towards the hills from where you can admire both the ancient architecture and the gorgeous panorama.
You can also enjoy the fine sand of Sarimsakli and Cunda beaches.
Many boat excursions are on offer to the little islands in the bay and to Assos and Lesbos.
You can go to the antique city of Pergamus by car, driving through the magnificent mountains covered with pine trees or climb Mount Ida which overlooks the Edremit Bay.

Local life

Ayvalik has its many restaurants, frequented by locals, which offer a superb menu of sea food, fruit and vegetable dishes, all prepared with the famous olive oil of the region.
The local market on Thursdays is a must. It occupies a big part of the city and offers a picturesque show. You can find a wide range of produce, all produced and sold by the locals.