Turkaegean generosity along the coast of happiness
There are places favoured by Mother Nature and the Aegean coast of Türkiye is one of them. Crystal-clear waters, pristine nature, secluded bays, tasty delicacies and truly hospitable people… The coast of happiness welcomes you with a heritage of thousands of years.
Imagine a generous climate and a region that grows various produces and is harvestable all year long. The soil, fed by numerous streams and cultivated for thousands of years, provides tasty fruits and vegetables. With tranquil bays, turquoise waters and lush greenery, nature here rewards everyone. The Aegean region offers the cornucopia of tastes!
Beautiful Villages
Türkiye stretching to the Aegean Sea know how to impress its visitors not only with cosy coastal cities but also with olive groves, vineyards, orchards and traditional small villages.
Cobblestone streets and snap-worthy coffee shops and town squares surrounded by century-year-old trees are the main features of the traditional villages on the coast of happiness. In the small shady alleys of cute little towns, life starts early in the morning.
Agricultural items join the décor and picturesque scenery, and it is often complemented by cats and dogs that are loved and fed by the residents. A constant refreshing sea breeze is another key element in everyday life. Restored old stone houses and villas function as bed-and-breakfast-run boutique hotels where the breakfast turns into an experience with all freshly picked produces straight from the garden.
Made in Heaven
The generous Mother Earth ensures delicious fruits and vegetables, as the climate and soil lend themselves to growing a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. Olive groves and olive oil production are also widespread in the region. Since the cultivation of olive trees goes back thousands of years, The Aegean region is a silvery-green diamond producing 75 per cent of all olives in Türkiye, the staple of Turkish cuisine.
The coast of happiness is where the sun’s rays nourish the olive groves finding their roots among millennia of shiny marble.
The fruit of the olive tree is bitter when picked and eaten directly. On the other hand, the tree is the source of much goodness that appeals to the palate as well as the eye: olives can be pickled or salted for delicious breakfasts or as meze, olive leaves make delicious and healthy olive leaf tea, dry twigs turn into objects that bring a rustic atmosphere to the table, and the olive oil is used in healing for centuries besides cooking and dressing.
A Feast for the Tastebuds
The delightful local cuisine is based on olive oil and fresh ingredients. Known for olive oil dishes, Aegean cuisine invites you on a special dining adventure full of unique tastes. It’s time to explore this feast of amazing flavours.
Delicious Green Festivals
The herbs and wild greens of Aegean cuisine are celebrated in April, every year at the Alaçatı Herb Festival. Attendants delightfully tuck into a variety of locally made dishes as part of the festival program.
Open-air Markets
With so much fresh fruit and vegetables, and the pleasant weather, it is essential to have dazzling open markets. Yes, here is the next one to explore on the list: the outdoor markets where you can come across all the local products that help the local cuisine flourish. Farmers’ markets expand along a large part of the streets. It is here you can find the culmination of Aegean products grown and produced by the locals such as cheese varieties, nuts, dried figs, fresh and dried herbs, olives, olive oil, vegetables and fruits.
A Sincere Welcome
The richness of various cultures has allowed the people of this land to have genuine and unpretentious hospitality to welcome guests and even unexpected ones with open arms and to share their meals with the newcomers. As the saying goes, “A Cup of Coffee Commits One to Forty Years of Friendship”, and in the Aegean the guests are here to become friends…