Ayvalik

Ayvalik is a popular North Aegean seaside resort for local people, with ferries to the Greek island of Lesvos (Mytileni).

Surrounded by groves of olive trees which produce much of Turkey's best olive oil, Ayvalik ("Quince Orchard", pop. 30,000) has an interesting history.

After the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, the Ottoman Greeks of Ayvalik moved to Greece, and Turkish citizens of Greece moved to Ayvalik. Thus, even after the Greeks left, you could still hear Greek spoken in the streets of Ayvalik, although the speakers were Turkish Muslims (who had grown up in Greece).

Ayvalik has many old Ottoman Greek houses, and orthodox churches now converted to mosques. Turkish tourists throng the many waterside open-air restaurants in summer, or take the ferry across the bay to Alibey Island (Cunda) where there are even more good waterside restaurants and tavernas.Dining, relaxing, swimming and boating are the things to do here in summer.

Ferries run daily in summer between Ayvalik and the Greek island of Lesvos (Mytileni), less frequently at other times of year; but the fare is extraordinarily high that most people choose to use other Greek-Turkish ferries, such as from Cesme to Chios, Kusadasi to Samos, Bodrum to Kos, or Marmaris to Rhodes.Distances & Travel Times

Assos (Behramkale): 130 km (81 miles) NW, 2.25 hours

Balikesir: 104 km (65 miles) E, 1.75 hours

Bandirma: 200 km (124 miles) NE, 3.5 hours

Bergama: 50 km (31 miles) SE, 50 minutes

Bursa: 300 km (186 miles) NE, 5 hours

Canakkale: 200 km (124 miles) N, 3.5 hours

Dikili: 30 km (19 miles), 30 minutes

Istanbul (via Bandirma ferry): 200 km (124 miles) NE, 3.5 hours, plus 2-hour ferry voyage to Istanbul (Yenikapi)

Istanbul (via Yalova ferry): 355 km (221 miles) NE, 6 hours, plus 45-minute ferry voyage to Istanbul (Yenikapi)

Izmir: 240 km (149 miles) S, 3.5 hours

Selcuk (Ephesus): 320 km (200 miles), 5.5 hours