Things To Do in Izmir, Turkey (If You Could Ever Leave the Seaside)
On Sunday, my first day in Izmir, I was awake at 8:45 am. I went to the toilet quickly, showered, and got ready. I scanned the receipts from Dubai to send to my travel insurance company (you can read the story in the linked piece). Everyone in the house, which meant my host Mohammed, his cat, and his friend, whom I hadn’t met, were still asleep.
Mohammed probably woke up at 10 but stayed in bed for another hour and eventually came to ask me if I would like Turkish coffee. I was scanning documents, which I continued to do after coffee. Over that big cup of delicious Turkish coffee, we talked. He said he would go to the market to get some things for breakfast. I offered to go too, but I think he felt it would be a waste of time. Before heading out, he took out a few tomatoes, olives, mushrooms, and a cucumber from the fridge. I told him I would chop the vegetables.
Mohamed went to the supermarket, and I continued to put together the insurance things. When he returned, I chopped the tomatoes and mushrooms, and he cooked them with eggs. He had also brought halloumi cheese, which he grilled. He heated the Turkish bread bibit in a sandwich press and made two big cups of tea, too.
I went out after breakfast, and after descending many flights of stairs, I arrived at the promenade, where I would stay for a few hours. The sea was bright blue, and the sun was shining beautifully. The promenade was almost empty, with some lone walkers and fishermen, all their fishing lines hooked into the deep water.
I walked alongside for hours, speaking to my partner, Sagar, for more than an hour and a half. When you travel and stay this far apart, you still need to discuss things and make sense of life as it happens. He was telling me about his kayaking tour to a special bioluminescent place deep into the ocean. A guided kayaking tour which also became a stargazing tour. “When we come to Andaman, I will bring you here.” His voice was squeaky with excitement. I told him about my journey from Istanbul to Izmir and the dinner with Mohamed, and how nice he had been.
I said, “I feel relaxed about my days here. I am settled for two more days. One day, I am going to explore, and today is a relaxed seaside day with an easy itinerary. The sun is shining on me, and my stomach is full of food and tea.”
We made sense of our time in our own places, how we were managing things, and felt good. He went to dinner, preparing for another stargazing tour that was about to begin, and I walked along the sea.
Now the promenade was getting busier. Fishermen thronged this shore, too, like most shores in Turkey. Remember how successful they were on the Galata Bridge in Istanbul? Benches were affixed onto the promenade, protruding outwards. You can sit at a higher platform, keep your legs a little lower, and your back is supported, too. These concrete benches are laid with wooden slabs, so you are comfortable. These were fitted with wooden panels and seemed perfect for fishermen. I sat on one too, soaking up the sun.
More people, couples, and families were enjoying the sea. It was a Sunday, and no one was in a rush. My host asked me to take a right at some place to climb the elevator, a Jewish synagogue. But I liked the seaside so much that I kept walking, ignoring the crossover bridge that would have taken me to the other side. The cold clean smell of the sea and the fresh cool air refreshed me. The idea is to relax and enjoy.
Slowly, small carts started showing up. Locals were selling chestnuts, peanuts, chai, coffee, mussels, bibits, and so on. Now the concrete promenade led to grassy green steps rising on my right. They were dotted with people sunning themselves, enjoying a sandwich, tea, or pecan nuts. The sun was hot, but the sea wind was cold. I zipped up the big jacket that I had loaned from my partner, and licked my dry lips. A lip balm and lipstick rested in my bag; I was too lazy to apply either.
I made up my mind to buy something to eat and walked ahead.
After crossing the velvety green steps, I passed cycle and pushcart sellers selling tea, juice, steamed mussels, bibit, chestnuts, peanuts, and other food. There was a beer cafe which I decided to explore afterward. The ferry was right there, too. Instead of ignoring it (I ignore things when I don’t want to explore them immediately), I went inside and checked the situation. I say situation because I had no idea why there was a ferry, where it was going, or how to buy tickets.
I hadn’t seen the other side of the city, where stood more tall buildings and smaller houses too. My host, Mohamed, had told me, when I had asked him if he would like to visit the other side, that he didn’t want to. “There are only restaurants and cafes. Nothing interesting.”
The lady at the ferry counter told me I could go in with a credit card, and the two ferry options looked the same to me.
I couldn’t ask her which ferry went where, as she didn’t know that much English. Right before me, she sold tickets to a couple who were speaking English. There were entry gates, and I was sure I could do it. This one was saved for later, too, as I eyed the blue water, the open, blue sky, dotted with just one or two white clouds. I rejoiced at the idea of taking the ferry later.
Having satisfied my curiosity, I walked on. Now I knew what I wasn’t taking. I arrived at the Clock Tower immediately. It was built in 1900 or something and was now surrounded by pigeons and people. Sellers were sitting with bottles of grain you could buy to feed the birds. I tell you it’s a catastrophe, and they should be stopped.
What I loved about the square was the crowd! Everyone was out, enjoying the sun and life. Several carts were selling bibits. I was in the middle of the bustle. I strolled around, feeling alive.
I love this part of my travels. My ability and inclination to enjoy what a place is offering, rather than sticking to a strict itinerary that even I can’t refuse to follow. I do what I like when I like, especially when I am traveling solo. Every time, while discovering a place, I see something and can’t stop to explore it because I have to see further, and then I have to see further, and this goes on. At every pause, I promise myself that I will return to explore.
So I slowed down around the square, joining in the festive feeling.
Back home in India, being free out in the sun and open is tough. Big cities are way too crowded. Peddlers and sellers bother you immensely. New Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Chennai, Bangalore. Some of them are also scorching or have some other issue. For example, in Bangalore, in a park I used to love, several men bothered me. I can’t describe how disgusting it was. You can’t walk anywhere. In Delhi, the weather is always extreme, and you don’t find any empty space.
In Izmir, I could be me, out and about in the open.
True, several people noticed me. An Indian face wasn’t common in Turkey, I was surprised to know. I thought many Indians travel to Turkey. So many of my friends mentioned visiting Turkey. But they said Istanbul, and not Turkey. Did they only go to Istanbul and not further? Maybe.
I saw people looking at my face, sometimes averting their eyes when I saw them looking at me, at other times they came straight to me to ask where I was from and say something more. A guy in Istanbul said I was very beautiful, and asked if I was from India. Another man at the metro station asked me if I knew a station, and when I had told him, asked me where I was from, and told me he was from Istanbul. Why was he asking me about the metro station?
Asking for a metro station was a great pick-up line in Istanbul. Something to break the ice, if I may say so. But, still, I felt good.
From the Clock Tower, I walked inwards, into the market, the busy cobbled streets, crossing cafes, restaurants, and food joints. A juice shop charged me too much, I think, but I decided that it was on them and not me.
After the juice shop, I lost myself in the labyrinth of the market, streets, and activity. Though I had had a great filling breakfast, I wanted to eat something. The food looked much more affordable than in Istanbul. There were more options for me. But food places were crowded too, and people were turning every which way. Doner kebab joints were packed full (not that I would have gone in), and the restaurant guys were cold-calling. There were tonnes of sweet restaurants.
Amongst so many eating joints, a fish place caught my eye. Its live counter for mussels was catching attention. Locals were thronging to the counter. The menu, which mentioned sandwiches, anchovies, grilled fish, salads, calamari, etc., looked good. I chose an anchovy sandwich. A plate of anchovies wouldn’t be enough.
The anchovy sandwich was laid with tomatoes, onions, lettuce, and fried anchovies. It was good, but a bit dry. So I requested ketchup and mayonnaise. In Istanbul, they always served green chilies in vinegar with these sandwiches. I wasn’t given any, but later I saw that other tables had a bottle of green chili in vinegar. No worries. Last time I had too many chillies and spoiled the taste of the sandwich, so this was perhaps better.
It is all about explaining it to your brain.
The streets around me were full of the sweet Sut Lat. Sut lat is a small clay pot pie that looked like a cheesecake to me, at first. At a restaurant, four women were sharing a big clay pot. They sipped black Turkish tea from the curved glasses. At every table, everyone was drinking tea, and everyone was eating a sweet, mostly these pies. Later, I chatted with a girl at a sweetshop who said it was Sut Lat and explained some other sweets to me, too. I was too full, but I was going to get to that Sut Lat later.
The Turks do love their sweets.
I walked out of the market towards the Clock Tower, ran away from the pigeons, and climbed up the bridge on the road. Now I arrived again near the ferry counter and back at the lush sea. My Chilean friend Cristobal had messaged. We had promised to speak over the phone that Sunday, and so we got on a call.
After an hour, I walked towards the ferry, hoping to take it. Suddenly, many police bikes started rolling in. Men were running here and there. There were two groups, perhaps. People were fighting too. A fight broke out right outside the ferry station. When the crowd started running, I was in front of them, but I moved aside quickly and did not get hurt. A local woman fell down when the men ran past, pushing her. The promenade peace was destroyed.
Now it was above six pm. Although the attendant had said credit cards would work at the ferry, mine didn’t. I went back to her, and she asked for 120 liras. But I didn’t have enough cash. So I couldn’t take the ferry and decided to withdraw cash. I might need it again and wouldn’t have it.
I have written this in other articles on Turkey too, but I would say it again. Use PTT ATMs in Turkey for cash. PTT is the Turkish Post Office bank, and no charges are levied on withdrawals. A PTT near the Clock Tower didn’t work (I think it didn’t have any cash), so I put on another closer one on the map (hoping it would work).
On the way, I passed an interesting shop that displayed tens of varieties of candies, peanuts, jellies, chickpeas, sweets, nuts, dry fruits, and spices. I went inside. I understood that people were wearing plastic gloves and tasting and packing themselves. But I asked a young male employee, and he said, “Here is the price,” and motioned towards the plastic gloves, and then said, “Self-service.” Into the peanut display I had pointed, he emptied two more big containers of peanuts. I wasn’t sure why. The guy wanted to avoid any conversation at all costs because he didn’t know English.
I tasted everything. And then I packed salty peanuts and prunes with cashew and apricots. An attendant weighed the things, and I paid about 140 liras.
The second PTT Matik near Basmane worked perfectly. I withdrew 3k liras without fees, and that was when Mohamed messaged. “I’m with other Couchsurfers. A French couple and a French girl. I accepted them all for today. We are all hanging out, and I would appreciate it if you came.” So I dropped the idea of Sut Lat and walked to them. It would be four Couchsurfers at Mohamed’s home for a few nights. Apart from the fact that the French Couchsurfers talked late into the night, I had no other problems. Mohamed had given me a private room, I had the house keys, and I think I was pretty much a queen at his place.
At a small supermarket, I also got a bread for ten liras and a coffee pack. You should always have some food with you while traveling. You never know when you need it. I wanted to get some cheese too, but that shop didn’t have any. Another shop didn’t have any cheese either.
While walking to the neighborhood of Alcansak, where Mohamed was, I searched for places to eat around them. The whole area looked fancy and expensive and not my type. So I sat down on a bench and ate my bread, peanuts, and a sweet I had bought earlier. I had liked the Konark region more, where I had been in the afternoon. It was a traditional, affordable area with character.
Things you do while traveling!
We took a tram home at ten pm, and I went to bed at 11:30. I had to get up at 5:30 in the morning, and I needed to catch some sleep for the long day ahead. I was taking the train to Ephesus.
I liked Izmir more than Istanbul because Izmir was a quieter kind of busy city. I mean, Izmir tried to get busy, but it was still quite laid back. On all weekdays, you could find people fishing and drinking beer by the coast. Families and friends occupied the tables at cafes, chatting, playing with their children, and drinking tea and eating desserts. Unlike Istanbul, where the coast was often blocked by private homes, restaurants, and other buildings, you could walk by the seaside in Izmir for hours.
I would go on many more walks in Izmir.
One day, I had breakfast at the seaside. I bought a cheese sandwich, a bibit, and a chai: all from the stalls near the shore. I took my picnic to the grassy steps and enjoyed it there. The wind was cold, and I had lain down on the grass, giving my stomach a rest (I was on my period). After two hours, I got up and walked to a cafe. I worked there for a bit. I don’t generally sit in cafes, but it was cold outside, and I had to get some stuff done. I needed the warmth and the coziness of an indoor place.
I spent two and a hour hours in the cafe. When I got out, I found the most delicious anchovy sandwich, which was stuffed with so many fried anchovies that they were falling out of the sandwich. I got chilies soaked in vinegar, too, and the staff was friendly. The place is around here on Google Maps. Then I roamed around the market a bit more, watching the traditional tea and sweet shops.
After breakfast, I reached the other end of the city walking.
I didn’t know that I could walk along the seaside. I had gotten down from the bridge over the road and found myself staring to my right at a promenade walk. It seemed to go on until the horizon, and I wondered what lay ahead. I got onto the promenade, and the deep sea lilted on my left. So many more people were walking on the promenade that I was quite joyous to have found it. The sea was right next to my feet, and on the right side, cafes and restaurants started rolling up.
As a writer and a walker, I can go on describing the walk, but I think I have written enough about walking in Izmir. Parks and benches lined the promenade walk. You could also sit on the promenade; it was clean and wide enough. I sat down and closed my eyes, listening to the ocean and quieting my mind.
Following the promenade, I reached the other end of the city near the Izmir port. I watched the sunset from the promenade and walked back all the way, some 9.5 kilometers.
It was a beautiful walk, and every bit of the day was delicious.
The reason I travel was manifested that day again, like umpteen times before. You land in a new place, have no idea what to expect, and are surprised at every step. Your whole messy unpredictable unplanned day slowly turns into a perfect day out, more perfect than you could have ever planned it, every step leading to the next one as if it was forever meant to be.
Places I Couldn’t Visit in Izmir:
Cesme and a hot springs on the way
So many National Parks around Izmir, only accessible by car
Did you like my narrative of places to visit in Izmir Turkey?
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