As Turkey’s one of the most popular and trendy summer destinations, Alaçatı has a large population at the high season; from July to August. However, in the last few years several festivals have started being held outside of the high season, making Alaçatı a good choice for all year long. If you are not able to visit Alaçatı during summer, we’d recommend going there in spring or fall, because the village is left to the locals and residents after the crowds leave and its actual beauties can be experienced.
ACTIVITES
Here are the activities you can attend while visiting Alaçatı:
-Atölye Yağhane is one of Alaçatı’s treasures. Antique olive press factory has been transformed into a workshop place to support the local artisans and craftsmen & for locals and tourists to improve their cooking, music, pottery, tile making & Tokat yazma (pressing) skills. (www.facebook.com/groups/atolyeyaghane/)
-You can attend ceramic workshops to learn how to make your own ceramic creations or improve your skills at the new atelier Terra Cotta. Located in Hacı Memiş, this cozy place supports street animals with their own ceramic creations. (Instagram account @atolyeterracotta)
-You can enjoy Aegean & Crete Cuisine cooking workshops with Dilek Yetkiner, Terrarium design workshops with Tuğçe Küçükören, yoga and fishing workshops at Zeytin Konak Hotel on weekends (www.alacatizeytinotel.com)
-You can check out the workshops & talks on arts, design and art of living at Bazen Atölye. (www.bazen.com.tr)
-Weekly yoga & health & wellness workshops are also conducted at Alavya Hotel during spring and fall. (www.alavya.com.tr)
-BICYCLE FRIENDLY ALAÇATI: Thanks to the bicycle roads made with the collaboration of Alaçatı and İzmir Development Agency, you can go cycling to discover Alaçatı and around. Green Track is an easy track of 6 kilometers, Ovacık Track is a challenging route of 28 kilometers; while Karaköy Track is the hardest track of 34 kilometers, starting from Karaköy, a 300 years old abandoned village, continuing onto Port Alaçatı and the Center through Zeytineli Village and Mersin Cove.
ALAÇATI FESTIVALS CALENDAR
APRIL
- Alaçatı Herb Festival: Organized since 2010 in March or April, the Herb Festival aims to introduce the variety of herbs in Alaçatı, the richness of its cuisine and transfer the traditional recipes made with these herbs from generation to generation. It is a real privilege to experience Alaçatı during fresh spring time when the nature awakens and the village is equipped with thousands of different kinds of herbs. At this festival where the home made jams, food made with a variety of herbs, pancakes and desserts by the locals are displayed for 2 days, a competition takes place and the recipes of the participants are gathered in a book. This way, Herb Festival leaves a heritage of these tasty recipes for the next generations. alacatiotfestivali.com
- Tasting Alaçatı Festival is another food and arts festival and gathering platform, that aims to present, promote and support the traditional and regional recipes and products. Tasting Alacati takes place for three days under the great hospitality of local enterprises located inside the village and surroundings of Alacati, carrying on the beauty of Aegean peninsula. Tasting Alacati has taken place in 26-27-28 April 2019 for the second time after great success in May 2018, featuring the unique life gustos of Alacatı. https://www.tastingalacati.com/index-en.html
MAY
- Fly Me Resisdere Kite Festival: Organized since 2011 in May, this kite festival hosts world-famous kiters and kite fans from around the world. Hundreds of colorful, creative kites in different shapes turn the sky into a festival area. Each year a different theme is selected and the theme of 2014; “sea” indeed turned the sky into a colorful sea. Lasting for 2 days, this kite festival offers complete entertainment with all-day live music performances, kite workshops and foods prepared by the local women.
- Hıdırellez Spring Celebrations
JUNE
- Çeşme Open Chess Tournament
JULY
- Alaçatı Piano Festival: Organized for the first time this year, Alaçatı Piano Festival brought world-famous musicians such as İdil Biret, Tolga Tüzün, Burçin Büke, Wolfgang Manz, Ezgi Serim, Mizuka Kano and Gülsin Onay together with the audience in July and August at Alaçatı Open Air Theater.
AUGUST
- Ildırı Arts & Culture Festival
- *Canceled!!! PWA Windsurf W: Each year in August one leg of the world wind surf cup competitions takes place in Alaçatı. Alaçatı brigtens up all day and night with live music and DJ performances of Surf Sound Festival which is organized during these competitions; gathering the best surfers from all around the world.
SEPTEMBER
- ALAÇATI BIG FISH Fishing Tournement: Taking place in Octobers since 2008, this fishing tournament turns Alaçatı into a sea with attendance of lots of athletic fishermen in Turkey. In 2012, it turned into an international event, hosting 70 boas and more then 300 amateur fishermen and becoming the biggest open sea fishing tournament in Europe. https://alacatifishing.com/
- Alaçatı Fancy Women with Bicycles Festival https://suslukadinlarbisikletturu.com/
- Barbaros Scarecrow Festival
- Çeşme International Classic Music Festival
- Ovacık ‘Sakız’ Sheep Festival
OCTOBER
- ASH Alaçatı Art Week
- Germiyan Festival
- Dalyan Love Festvial
NOVEMBER
- Gran Fondo Cycling Tournament
DECEMBER
- Alaçatı New Years Festival
FEBRUARY
- IF Independent Film Festival: In February, recurrent with Istanbul, films on display at the independent film festival are also shown in Alaçatı.