Swimming in the Turquoise Sea of Thermal Springs in Ilica, Turkey

02/04/2018 by Piia | Ticket to Adventures 8 Comments

After exploring the best of hot and hectic Izmir for 3 days I was so excited to head to the beach. As I am not really into any busy mass tourist destinations I was recommended by locals to travel to Cesme Peninsula for a relaxing stay by the beach.

Cesme Peninsula is a hidden gem of Izmir province in western Turkey, only around 85 km from Izmir. There are three main resort towns on the peninsula: Cesme, Ilica and Alacati, all with their unique characteristics. These coastal towns provide a tranquil Turkish retreat away from the overcrowded beaches of the southern Aegean and Mediterranean.Out of these three beach towns I opted for Ilica, mainly because accommodation prices in Ilica are more affordable than in Cesme and Alacati. Generally speaking prices in Cesme Peninsula are much higher than elsewhere in Turkey. Why? Possibly because the area has been a popular summer holiday destination for the wealthy people of Izmir since the late 19th century. Cesme Peninsula is also a popular sailing and boating destination among affluent Turkish people and the young creme de la creme of Istanbul. I am pleased that few international tourists make their way here.Ilica and other towns on Cesme Peninsula are served with good transport connections from major cities and towns along Turkey’s Aegean coast. I caught a coach from Izmir to Ilica. It was a very comfortable 1-hour ride and cost no more than 17 TRY.

Ilica is renowned for its beautiful beaches and hot thermal springs arising from the shallow sea bottom. At Ilica beach, the water stays nice and shallow for about 100 meters from the shore, which makes swimming in a warm giant thermal pool a very pleasant experience. Swimming at Ilica beach is also believed to have healing effects for the skin as the thermal waters that come out of the sea bed mix with the sea water adding minerals to it.

Ilica’s fine, golden beach with clear warm waters is the longest on Cesme Peninsula (1,5 km) and gets very crowded on the weekends. Most parts of the beach is private but there are also public stretches of sand where you can hire a sun bed or spread your towel on the sand.The beach is naturally at its best early in the morning at sunrise when it is calm and quiet, no one else in sight. I had the beach all to myself on my morning walks. These were my favourite moments in Ilica, together with sunset drinks at the marina.Inland from the beach there is a lively commercial area with a good range of shops, supermarkets, restaurants and cafes. When the sun goes down in the evening the most atmospheric spot to have dinner or a few drinks is Ilica marina where charming restaurants and bars set out tables and chairs right by the water.Ilica’s main attractions are the beach and the marina. Other than that, Ilica cannot be seen as the most fascinating town to explore. There are a couple of cute traditional Turkish houses with colorful window shutters, and a pretty blue mosque that are well worth seeing. But I would say Ilica is the least exciting out of the three major towns on the peninsula. Dolmuses (minibuses) circulate regularly between Ilica, Cesme and Alacati linking these beach towns to one another and making it easy to discover the area.

More Turkey posts you may like:

How to Get 10% off Your Next Hotel Stay with Booking.com

Falling in Love with Alacati – Turkey’s Best Kept Seaside Secret

14 Ways How to Discover Cesme’s Charms

Picture-perfect Postcards from Turkey

Guide to Izmir – Turkey’s Third City with a Mediterranean Twist

Top 15 Things to Do and See in Izmir

Hiking to Kadifekale Castle through the Slums of Izmir

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