You can choose your own version as to where the name of Ayvalik derives; it could be the breakdown of the name Ayva meaning quince; or it could be derived from the name of the sea urchin which is called Ayva and which lives in the bays of Ayvalik. But you will be told a different story again for sure!

Ayvalik derives its economy predominantly from the olive. There are around 1,750,000, mainly green, olive groves throughout the area of Ayvalik and Alibey that produce over 7,000 tons of the finest olive oil in the Aegean region, if not the whole of Turkey. Throughout the winter months, the tall brick chimneys of the olive factories release the pungent aroma of olives from the presses below. In the town you will find many shops selling products made from the humble olive. Jams, purees, pickles, olives stuffed with almonds or peppers, black olives, green olives, small olives, big olives and of course, the very best virgin olive oil. You will also find hand made soaps and products carved from the beautiful grained wood of the olive tree.

In the back streets, the clattering on cobbled streets of horse and carts compete with mopeds, scooters and tractors. The picturesque Ottoman architectural legacy was mostly crumbling and neglected until a few years ago when renovations by mostly wealthy Turks from Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir and increasingly Europeans, is beginning to transform the town into it’s previous glorious heritage.  Although there are few sights of specific interest, a stroll around the maze of back streets is a fascinating insight into some fine Greek and Ottoman architecture, albeit coupled with the pervading atmosphere of dereliction, with good examples of the pink Sarimsakli volcanic stone and a myriad of fascinating wrought iron window railings, doors and door knockers. From the overhanging windows, barely three feet apart in some places, you will often see women hanging precariously while they clean the windows and enjoy a raucous conversation and you will be surprised by the bark of a dog from a roof terrace or the thwack of a kilim being shaken from a window. Goats, sheep and chickens wander freely along the top areas of the town and mill around the children playing traditional games no longer seen in the west. Women sitting on doorsteps, knitting while they rock the baby on a cushion between their crossed feet, or preparing food and sharing the days gossip. Men whiling away the day perched on small stools sipping strong black tea, enjoying a cigarette or maybe the nargile pipe and indulging in endless games of backgammon played at breakneck speed or simply twisting their worrybeads (Tespih) and watching the world go by. But above all, the locals of Ayvalik are an inquisitive, incredibly warm and hospitable people with a wry sense of humour and relaxed attitude to life, which will certainly rub off on you.

While the main thoroughfare leading from the town square provides modern shops, the back streets hold a delight of traditional stores and workshops – hot sparks shower the cobblestone streets from the blacksmiths and ironmongers,the smell of hot bread straight from the huge bread ovens on long wooden platters, the colourful displays of fresh and abundant fruit and vegetables and much, much more..

On the seafront of the harbour you can sit and drink Turkish tea or coffee in one of the many cafes or sip an Efes beer and tuck into Ayvalik Toast, a speciality of the area, (a toasted sandwich with cheese, Turkish sausage, pickles, tomatoes, ketchup and mayonnaise) or maybe a plate of fried mussels (tava midye) or fried squid (kalamari). This is especially enjoyable in the evening where you can sit and watch the stunning sunsets over the islands casting a myriad of coloured shadows over the lake like sea. The fish market, surrounded by fishing boats also selling the catch of the day, offers a wide selection of fresh fish and seafood daily. From the quayside you can also take one of the half hourly boats over to Cunda Island.

Cunda Island (Alibey)

Cunda Island is reached either by boat from Ayvalik harbour or by car, dolmus or bus across the causeway. Despite some very grand Greek houses and buildings, the centre retains a village atmosphere and is easily navigated on foot. This is most enjoyable in the evening when the village comes alive from the sleepy heat of the day. Cunda is renown for the wealth of fresh fish restaurants along the quayside, but make sure you establish the price before ordering! Inside the village centre you will find many quaint eating houses serving a meze of delicious dishes cooked in olive oil and bars open well into the early hours, many with musicians playing both Greek and Turkish love songs. The atmosphere is enchanting.

You will also find stalls and small shops selling local crafts, beautiful textiles and original handmade jewellery.

Just back from the centre stands Taksiyarhis Greek Orthodox Church. With it’s cracked columns and crumbled stucco it is now dangerously close to collapse and home to some rather spooky large black birds who fly around the faded frescoes in a dervish like frenzy. But still it stands determinedly as testimony to its former glory and to the previous Greek inhabitants of the island. There is a charming café and pansiyon situated next to it, which also featured in a long running and highly popular Turkish TV soap drama.

On the highest hill of the island named Asik Tepesi, literally Love Hill, the old Greek Orthodox church and flour mill have recently been restored to incorporate a library and cafe. With magnificent views of the island and Ayvalik, the Cunda Library offers welcome rest and refreshment from the steep walk up the cobbled lanes from the centre.

Inland, the island has much to offer in sensational views and natural beauty along with some wonderfully peaceful and relaxing beaches surrounded by olive and pine trees. Patricia in particular is a beautifully isolated and rustic area where the sea is like a millpond and you can swim or float along side the tiny fishes. A 30 minutes walk via two abandoned villages (though these are now being slowly renovated) with stunning views will bring you to the ruins of the Moonlight Monastery.

Local Markets

The Thursday open air bazaar in Ayvalik, which spills out across the centre shopping area and maze of cobbled side streets, is a particularly colourful Aegean affair with hill villagers and Greeks from Lesvos descending on the area to both buy and sell and add an additional frisson to the frenetic bartering. It is best visited as early as you can unless you want to be literally carried along by the crowds. You can find, at incredibly good prices, the usual assortment of counterfeit designer named fashion clothes as well as the real thing, beautiful handmade cotton textiles with intricate embroidery, leather, as well as standard household necessities with all the market traders vying noisily for your attention. But don’t forget to bargain! The real draw, however, are the food sections. You will find an abundance of fresh organic produce – vegetables and fruit, cheese, eggs, fresh produced butter, divine local produced honey, hand made yufka (a kind of filo pasty used in borek), nuts and spices and much, much more. Don’t miss the village market section where you will also find the most extraordinary array of “green vegetables and salads”, most of which the average European would think of as weeds but which are actually a culinary delight served the Turkish way.There are also smaller markets, predominantly food based, to be found on Saturday in Cunda Island, on Sunday in Armutcuk and on Tuesday in Sarmisakli.

Devil's Table (Seytan Sofrasi)

A good place to start your visit to Ayvalik would be Seytan Sofrasi – literally “The Devils Table”. Set at the highest point in the Ayvalik vicinity and formed by a volcanic eruption, Seytan Sofrasi offers a magnificent unobstructed 360 degrees panorama across the convoluted local coastline of bays, headlands and islands, including the Greek island of Lesvos (Mytelini). The view is particularly impressive at sunset with an ice cold Efes to hand! But equally, is a good place to get your bearings at the beginning of your holiday. The legend is the Devil liked the view so much, he ate his dinner on the top and left his footprint upon leaving. The “footprint” is now cordoned off and visitors throw coins onto it or tie pieces of cotton to tree branches for good luck. Unfortunately, a lot of the pine and wild shrubs tumbling down to the sea were lost in the devastating forest fire of 2006. However, this does not detract from the incredible views. There are restaurants and cafes at the top and also an authentic Turkish teahouse under canvas where you can relax on low cushioned seating, sipping tea and maybe eating gozleme (a kind of Turkish pancake but far superior, filled with meat or cheese!), while taking in the surrounding natural beauty.

Beaches and Sea Activities

Although essentially a harbour town, there are many fine beaches and swimming areas around Ayvalik and Cunda Island. There are swimming areas in the suburbs of the town at Camlik and Sirinkent and a public beach facing the open sea just off the causeway to Cunda Island. Slightly inland around Sarmisakli and Badavut the terrain is marshy and you can find little bays of millpond like water with sand your feet sink into. You may also be lucky to see pink flamingos and other native birds.

Sarimsakli

Approximately 5 km from Ayvalik, Sarimsakli beach is the most commercial but one of the most beautiful beaches with several kilometres of white sand and clean calm sea, although somewhat marred by the unsightly and unplanned development of the approach to and the town itself. There are also several popular beach clubs, heading north from the town towards the E87 coastal road, which offer bar food and drinks and music. You can also hire jet ski's, paddle boats or ride the proverbial banana boat.

Badavut

Just before Sarmisakli and again, once past another ugly apartment block development, the road to Badavut meanders through pine forests to one of the area’s best kept secrets. A stretch of beautiful sand and sea with the village and several rustic cafes at one end where you can buy simple food at realistic prices, progresses westwards to an old hilltop military base surrounded by magnificent rock formations, while the middle the beach is backed by an area of scrubland and dunes, which in the Spring are covered in a blanket of wild flowers, grasses and heathers. During the summer months, a local fisherman sells his catch of the day from his boat surrounded by flocks of seagulls. Without rousing from your deckchair, you can be served with fresh corn on the cob or mussels filled with spiced rice by hawkers who must walk literally miles each day to delight the culinary senses of the sunbathers. And of course, the proverbial melon and ice cream boat arrives several times a day.

Cunda Island

The top road out of the town offers stunning views of the Ayvalik bays and meanders up and down in spirals surrounded on both sides by forests of pine and olives, the red rock formations coloured neon green by lichen. Dropping down from the road there are a couple of beach clubs set into the forests and rocks and both offering exceptionally peaceful and relaxing facilities along with delicious freshly cooked traditional Turkish cuisine.

The road signposted to Patricia rapidly changes into a dirt track, which probably explains why this beautifully serene area remains relatively isolated and rustic. Even the sea is too relaxed to make any real waves. A quaint café provides Turkish meals or you can take your own barbecue, fish for your supper and watch the sunset.

Boat Trips

The highlight of any visit to Ayvalik is to take a boat trip around the many little bays and islands. There are half a dozen boats, all cheerfully competing for your business, from the larger “pirate boats” down to the smaller family owned ones. The boats stop off at islands for those who like to explore and moor up in pretty bays for swimming. A delicious lunch of fresh, fried sardines, bread and salad is included in the price and the servings are as plentiful as your stomach can take. These trips are extremely popular so during the summer months, you will need to pre book.

Diving, Fishing, Water Sports and Sailing

A few miles offshore, the depths of the Aegean Sea around Ayvalik reveal a hidden paradise of colourful marine creatures, corals, plants and sponges as well as many species of fish. The local diving centre provides various courses for different levels of experience with certification.

You will find people fishing from virtually any point in and around Ayvalik. Fishing tackle from the most basic, available by the fish market, to specialised equipment, can be found in the town. You can also take a trip on a fishing boat from the harbour.

The blue flag marina offers facilities for yaughtsmen as well as a lively and comfortable little open air bar which is very popular in the summer months and closes when the last person has left!  The warm winds in summer are extremely conducive to sailing and windsurfing.

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