CESME 

Çesme, 85 km (53 miles) due west of Izmir, is the port for ferries to Chios, the Greek island, and also for the car-and-passenger ferries to and from Italy.

Çesme (CHESH-meh, "fountain" or "spring," pop. 100,000) is a pleasant enough, popular sun-and-beach resort town, especially for visitors from Izmir, Scandinavia and the United Kingdom.

There are good beaches south of Çesme, and at nearby Ilica (UH-luh-jah), easily reachable by minibus (dolmus).

The main square has restaurants, cafes, tea houses, and nice sunset views of the Aegean Sea. Çesme's small fortress, now nicely restored as the local museum, looms over the square and provides a nice big dose of history and architectural character.

Çesme's Tourism Information Office is between the south tower of the fortress and the sea, very near the dock for the Ertürk Line ferries between Çesme and Chios, Greece.

Sunday is market day in Çesme. If you're a day too early, head for the even nicer Saturday market in Alaçati.

If you'd like to stay in Çesme, the town has ample hotels in all price ranges, a few pleasant waterfront restaurants, and many more restaurants of all types along the old main street inland, which is now a pedestrian mall, and Çesme's major strolling and shopping street.

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Ceşme lies (~ 80 Km) west of Izmir on Turkey's Aegean coast, it is within easy reach of Izmir or Adanan Mendres International Airport (via a modern 6 lane highway) and can also be reached by ferry from the Italian port of Brindisi, or the Greek Island of Chios (in Turkish called Sakiz)

The name Çeşme (“Cheshme” derived from the Turkish word for Fountain) has always been a popular summer resort for the residents of nearby Izmir and over recent years the “secrets” of Çeşme have been discovered by an ever growing number of European tourists.

 The region is a combination of rich agricultural land enclosing unspoiled turquoise bays with beaches of fine white sand and (as its name suggests) natural hot water springs. 

 The choices of accommodation range from “supreme 5 Star luxury” to “friendly homely pension” and with a wealth of day and nighttime entertainment available too, this makes Çeşme the perfect destination for a fun relaxing holiday in the sun for all the family.