Since I am visiting my hometown, I decided to share some insider information about Turkey. If you wanna do a Turkey vacation and see different places not only stuck with Istanbul, these are the cities you should see and enjoy the culture, nature, food, and beaches…
Adana
Why did I pick Adana? Because It’s my hometown and definitely interesting city see with eastern culture but at the same time a modern big city. Adana is the host of one the two major film festivals (The Golden Boll Film Festival) of Turkey. Also, hosts one and only Carnival of Turkey which is Orange Blossom Carnival. The very famous bridge that James Bond jumped from in Skyfall Movie is also located in Adana. The biggest mosque in Turkey is not located in Istanbul but Adana. Adana is maybe the not most exciting travel destination but It is the center of the other cities you can easily pass by like Mersin, Hatay or Gaziantep. All these cities are including Adana great visits for culinary purposes.
Nevsehir
Nevsehir is one of the most vacation worthy cities in Turkey. The city has both natural and historical beauties. Cappadoccia is one of those places that everyone should see at least one time in their life. The city was under influence of so many civilizations like Assyrians, Persians, Byzantines then eventually Turks. Because of this heavy cultural influence, you can find this city very diverse.
The things you can do in the city.
-Stay in stone houses,
-Fly with Balloons,
-Eat pot kebab,
-Taste local wines,
-Go hiking to discover underground churches
-Visit the pot making workshops.
There are so many other things to do. But this is my favorite to-do list.
Izmir
You might hear about this city because It has so many attractions to do. The very famous The Temple of Artemis Ephesus which is one the seven wonders of the world is located in Izmir. Leave all the other things, you should just go to see this place and It’s definitely worthy!
Izmir also has great turquoise Aegean Sea. It’s one of the best locations for beach vacations. The sea temperature is little cold for my taste but some love their water cold! You can go to Cesme where is very popular among the local people. So many people from Izmir’s city center have a summer house in Cesme. Alacati is “the new thing” in recent years. Alacati has the most beautiful village houses renovated and turns into boutique hotels. The street of Alacati feels like you live in this magical world. This place is also very important for windsurfers.
Sirince is another village from Izmir. Go to Sirince and drink a bunch of different fruit wines and enjoy the calmness of rural life.
Mugla
In my opinion, Mugla is the far best beach destination in Turkey. My personal favorite is Bodrum. Bodrum is located on the southwest coast of Turkey. It has so many natural coves. I’ve never done a yacht tour in Bodrum but I do have so many friends that only do yacht tours through all Bodrum coves.
I suggest you stay in Airbnb, so you can learn so many from local people. If you stay in the hotel you probably stuck in only one place. But if you wanna see all different kinds of beaches and coves, prepare your stay flexible. Golturkbuku is my favorite place in Bodrum but I enjoy Turgutreis and Yalikavak as well. Marmaris is also another major destination in Mugla to enjoy the sea and beaches. But I don’t have so many things to say about Marmaris.
Fethiye is the other place to be there. My personal favorites are Dalyan and Oludeniz (Blue Lagoon) in Fethiye. Dalyan is not that typical touristic place. It still has this beautiful village vibe and I really appreciate to see this. Because whenever a place modernizes a lot just for tourists I don’t like it. I wanna see places that still have that local life but embrace the tourism so It’s clean and safe. Dalyan is definitely like I’ describe it. You should definitely do a boat tour. Oludeniz (Blue Lagoon) is my second favorite place in Fethiye. Paragliding is a must in Oludeniz if you are afraid of height don’t bother to go there. Because you need to see that beautiful lagoon because you can find the same crystal clear sea in other places in Turkey.
Since you are in the Mediterranean Sea, don’t forget to eat the yummiest and fresh fish.
I hope you enjoy my small list and get some valuable tips for your next Turkey vacation.
P.S. These photos are also taken in Adana city center.
