Go here, not there: a guide to Alaçatı
The merits of alternative travel, plus a Turkish wine primer and a fun new note feature
Hello!
How is everyone? After the last post about aging I heard from a lot of you and what I’ve gathered is we’re all basically in our 20s in our heads. 🤣 Glad we’re such a youthful group!
Substack launched a new feature called Notes. It’s kind of like Twitter, but for Substack users and without Elon Musk. Anyway, I’ll be using it to share fun travel and food related things I come across between newsletters, including some of the links I typically share here.
Be a Better Traveler - Alternative Destinations
Santorini. The Amalfi Coast. Barcelona. Dubrovnik. Bodrum.
What do these destinations have in common? They’re all extremely crowded and expensive during the summer and other peak travel months.
Naxos. Puglia. Lisbon. Ljubljana. Alaçatı.
These are all great alternatives (though maybe not Lisbon for long). If you’re dying to visit a specific place for a specific reason, an alternative destination won’t cut it. But if you want a beautiful beach with great food, or a general style of architecture, or somewhere with a mix of outdoor activity and culture, you can usually find somewhere equally fun and interesting, for a lower price and without the crowds.
Overlooking adorable Alaçatı ⤴️
Enter, Alaçatı (Ala-cha-ti) a beautiful whitewashed town on the Turkish coast and much less expensive and easier to get to than Bodrum (a popular town on the Turquoise Coast) and most Greek islands. Alaçatı was actually settled by Greeks in the 17th century, but after Greece lost the Greco-Turkish War there was a population exchange, where the Greeks moved to what is now Greece, and Muslims in Crete and elsewhere settled in Alaçatı. This is a *very* simplified version of the history, but important to read up on before visiting because whether Alaçatı is Greek or Ottoman is a touchy subject.
Here’s a mini guide if if you find yourself on the gorgeous Cesme Peninsula.
Getting there: Fly into Izmir and rent a car for the 50-minute drive. (If you stop in Izmir, here’s where to get the best manti.) The roads in this part of Turkey are well maintained and driving is fairly easy.
On your way to Alaçatı, stop along the Urla wine route. Urla and Mozaic are two of my favorite wineries. (See more about the wines here. And follow along on a recent Alaçati trip here.)
Where to stay: The BeyEvi is maybe one of my favorite hotels in the world for the incredibly kind owners, afternoon tea (the cakes!), the pool that is much needed after a day exploring, and the excellent Turkish breakfast spread. The location in the center of town is hard to beat.
What to do: You’ll want to spend some time just wandering around the adorable city, stopping for coffee or glasses of wine, eyeing produce at the large Saturday market, taking photos of the flower-covered walls.
Take a day trip to the village of Ildiri and the ancient ruins of Erythrai. The fishing village is tiny, but has a few restaurants on the water. The ruins are at the top of a hill with great views.
Take another day trip to the beaches. Illica has clear turquoise water and free areas, but there are also lots of beach clubs nearby. Ask the hotel for recommendations, as they all have different vibes and it depends on what you’re looking for.
I did not do this, but apparently it’s a world-class windsurfing destination.
What to eat: Eat fish at Karina Restaurant and everything at Fava Alaçati. Ortaya is also pretty good.
Alaçatı makes a perfect Turkish Coast road trip stop. Last week, paid subscribers got a full guide to the coast, including Ephesus, Bodrum, Izmir, and lots of tiny towns I’m still dreaming of moving to and opening up a beach bar/bookstore.
Wine of the Week
Like so much of the Mediterranean, people have been making wine along the Turkish coast for ages. Ionians planted grapes here in 1000 BC! But it’s pretty rare to see Turkish wine outside of Turkey, which is a shame because there are lots of indigenous grapes, as well as wineries making wonderful Chardonnays, Nero d’Avola, and more. 🍷
A few highlights from the wine route on the way to Alaçatı:
Turkish rosé! It’s what I drank about 90% of the trip. Much of it is made with Syrah, Grenache, or Cabernet Franc and is much darker than your typical French rose (swipe on the above Instagram photo left to see). If you like juicy, zippy strawberry wines, you’ll love them. If you prefer paler rosés, look for those made with local grape Çalkarasi. A few favorites: Paşaeli Blush 2017 Çalkaras; Büyülübağ Iris Rosé; Kavaklıdere Lâl Rosé; Sarafin Merlot-Cabernet Franc Rosé.
Narince is an indigenous grape that makes dry, citrusy and floral white wines. Nativus makes a good one (with a pretty label), and a tried a really nice reserve Narince from Varinka.
Of course, Chardonnay is one of the most popular grapes in the world for a reason, and Turkey’s dry Chardonnays go well with seafood (it seemed every restaurant served Allure, which I think is easy to find in the states as well), which you’ll probably be eating if you’re in the Aegean wine region.
If you love Nero d’Avola like me, Urla Wines makes a great one. Finally, Turkey is all about the blends. Too many to recommend, but try a few from Mozaik Winery if you can find them.
Weekend Reading
Why are these Italians massacring each other with oranges? (The kind of article I wish I’d written)
Can confirm central Texas in the spring is gorgeous
The incredible story of renting a friend in Tokyo
How Bookshop.org survives, and thrives, in Amazon’s world
Another reason to seek out alternative destinations - this summer could be a record for tourism
Sorry guys - my actual job has been busy! More links next time. :)
Random Recommendations
Do: Challenge yourself. My brother Robert and I ran a 10k last weekend. I hate running, but followed this plan and it wasn’t as bad as I expected. We went out in New Orleans the night before, which was not a wise choice but does mean that next time if I actually get a full night of sleep and don’t have martinis and oysters at 1am, running should be even easier! Now planning to do a half-marathon in Madison in August. Anyone want to join me?
Make: I often top leftover rice with eggs, dried seaweed, soy sauce and hot sauce, a la Eric Kim. But last weekend we were out of seaweed and Robert mentioned he usually eats his leftover rice with tinned fish and eggs. Delicious. I knew our stockpile of sardines in tomato sauce would come in handy one day!
Listen: Started the Catch and Kill podcast (years late) and love it so far.
Thanks as always for reading and hope y’all have a great weekend! We were supposed to be in the Everglades, but flights were cancelled due to flooding in Fort Lauderdale, so spending the weekend catching up on life in Baton Rouge. Louisiana guide coming soon!
-Rebecca 💛
Love this! What a blast of memories it gave me. I haven't been there since the 1980s when I was budget backpacker. Oh gosh, did I appreciate those days enough, long before over-tourism? I love Turkey and I've been back to Istanbul recently but what do you think Rebecca, if I go back to Alaçatı and the Cesme peninsula, will I cry?
Hi Rebecca, I love your substack. My wife and I would like to do a seaside holiday in Turkey and you have already helped. We are looking for a place that is very quiet, upscale, and has warm water to swim in. We are looking to go in a few days -- last minute! -- so any tips would be appreciated.
Oh, nothing that looks like White Lotus!