A holiday in Kusadasi can be full of many things: great weather, nightlife, cuisine, beaches, and shopping, but the Aegean Coast region of Southern Turkey has so much more to offer and the best way to see it is by hiring a car. If you hire a car in Kusadasi you can get out and explore more of the Aegean Coast; there are plenty of places to visit and our driving tour takes in just some of them including several ancient sites, scenery, and dinner by a lake…

 

The first leg of this Kusadasi driving tour covers a distance of about 23 miles. Leave Kusadasi on the main road, the D515 towards Soke. Drive through Soke and pick up the D525 for less than 2 miles until you reach a roundabout and take the first exit onto Route 09-56. Follow this road for another 6 or so miles and you will reach Priene.

 

There are ancient sites all over this part of Turkey and although Ephesus is undoubtedly the most impressive, Priene is a great alternative. This is far smaller than Ephesus but the hillside setting amidst pine trees is really quite peaceful in comparison and there are far less tourists here to navigate around. Once inside Priene you can still make out some of the old grid pattern of streets. The ruins are in differing states of repair, but the theatre for example has been well preserved. There’s a gymnasium and stadium to see too, along with several temples and other buildings.

 

Leaving Priene you continue along the road in the same direction you were heading, away from Soke. After 5 miles you leave Route 09-56 and join Route 09-55, heading south. Follow this road for another 7.6 miles then take a slight left towards Miletus, which is just under another mile.

 

Miletus is an older city than Priene and the age shows; remnants have been discovered here from a Creto-Mycenaean settlement that dates from the 16^th century BC, but there have been numerous civilisations living here since then. Remnants date back from several different eras, but the most impressive remain is the amphitheatre which could hold up to 15,000 spectators. Above this the Byzantine Castle offers you some great views over the ancient city and its surrounds. As you stand up here consider the fact that in ancient times Miletus was a harbour city as the coastline used to be right here. There are numerous other structures to see in Miletus as well as a small museum that features some of the relics that have been unearthed here.

 

Come out of Miletus and return to the main road, then continue driving in the direction you were heading, staying on Route 09-55 all the way to Didyma. The road actually goes directly past one end of these ancient ruins so if you go too far you’ll know! This makes access to Didyma very easy though, and because of this you may find it a little more crowded than Priene or Miletus.

 

Didyma was settled by Ionians in the 11^th century BC though it’s believed there was a shrine at the site long before this. It was never a city as such but remained an important shrine and sacred place, and being quite compact it’s easy to cover these ruins without too much effort.

 

From Didyma you have a couple of choices, depending on the time of day and how tired you are! You can carry on down to the coast and visit the resort village of Altinkum where there’s a beach, shops and restaurants. You could eat dinner here, but we suggest taking a route to Lake Bafa and enjoying one of the fish restaurants that have a prime lakeside setting.

 

From Didyma travel as if you’re going into the village on Ataturk Blv, then take a left onto Pinar Caddesi, followed by a right onto Selanik Caddesi. After a third of a mile turn left onto a more major road, Cumhuriyet Caddesi. This long straight road continues for about 7 miles, going through one roundabout and bearing left where the road splits (if you reach Denizkoy you’ve gone the wrong way). Turn left towards the D525 where the road splits again and continue for another 4 or so miles. You come out to the D525 – if you’re going to Lake Bafa for dinner turn right, or if you’re heading back to your hotel in Altinkum turn left.

 

You’ll start to see Lake Bafa after about 3 miles and realise this is a large lake, covering over 60 square miles. Fishing is still an important part of the economy here and the fish is of an excellent quality which is why the fish restaurants that line the highway are a great place for dinner. There are a number of places and don’t let their emptiness put you off. Also don’t worry about the fact that there’s no menu – here you choose the fish you want and they cook it for you. Without any knowledge of Turkish you can simply point and they will understand you. This slightly primitive way of ordering a meal will likely put off some visitors but the fish here will be amongst the best you’ve ever tried and at a reasonable price. The views over Lake Bafa while you dine are quite wonderful too!

 

Returning to your hotel in Kusadasi should take around an hour and it’s all on main roads. Go back the way you came along the D525, continuing past the junction where you joined the road earlier. After nearly 25 miles on the same road you’ll reach the outskirts of Soke where you need to join the D515 (3^rd exit at the roundabout). Travel another 14 miles and you’ll have reached the outskirts of Kusadasi.