Çandarli

Some 35km southwest of Bergama across a volcanic landscape, the small port resort of ÇANDARLI covers a headland that was formerly the site of ancient Pitane, the northernmost Aeolian city. Of this nothing remains other than some recycled masonry visible in the well-restored, fourteenth-century Genoese fortress, one of many such forts dotting the northwestern Turkish coast and the Greek islands opposite, a legacy of the days when the military and commercial might of Genoa dominated the North Aegean.

With its two sandy beaches – the easterly one facing south, and the more popular western one looking towards the Foça and Karaburun peninsulas – Çandarlı is not a bad place to retreat for a day or two, with a laid-back atmosphere absent from some larger resort towns. Everyday life centres on the east side of the peninsula, where frequent buses from İzmir, and regular minibuses from Bergama, arrive near the main meydan (market day is Friday). A short walk from here through lanes lined with a few old Greek houses leads to all the resort facilities, concentrated along the usually pedestrianized esplanade behind the west beach.