Experience the best of Dikili

Dikili sits on a sheltered bay in İzmir Province, with a harbour, a waterfront promenade of cafés and a long beach along the edge of town. Olive groves and pine-covered hills rise behind it, and the island of Lesbos lies close enough across the water to be seen on clear days. It is a quiet place, a holiday town in summer and a fishing port for the rest of the year.

Inland, Bergama stands on the site of ancient Pergamon, where a steep theatre, hilltop temples and the healing sanctuary of the Asklepion look out over the valley. The hot springs at Nebiler feed thermal baths close to Dikili, and a medieval castle guards the small harbour of Çandarlı to the south. Ayvalık and its Ottoman Greek houses lie farther north along the coast.

Tables here fill with grilled fish, vegetables cooked in olive oil and the wild greens and herbs of the Aegean, served in restaurants along the harbour. Markets bring in the tomatoes, figs and olives of the farms around town. Swimming is best from late spring into early autumn, and the hills are greenest in spring.