DRIVING INFORMATION
Alaçatı – Özbek: 46 kilometers
ÖZBEK
Özbek Village, which derives its name from the Uzbeks who immigrated from Uzbekistan in Ottoman period, is actually a village where the Greeks and Turks used to live in peace together back then. The documents about the history of the village disappeared with the fire broke out in Urla Government Office in 1950. Yet, the two bridges with more than 1000 years of age, ruins of fountain and bath, 1000 years old cypress tree at the garden of the mosque stand still as caretakers of the past. Özbek village, located by the seaside is a fishing village famous with its fishermen and stone houses.
What to do in Özbek Village:
- The most famous experience this fishing village offers is the fish auction which takes place in Akkum Port at the weekends. The auction is exciting to watch as the fresh catches from the sea such as sea bream, white seabream, sea bass, red seabream, painted eel, gray mullet, rockfish, red mullet, sole fish and shrimps are scraped between the participants of the auction.
- The local market where the local women sell their products at the weekends is worth visiting. We’s recommend tasting the ‘Özbek Katmeri’ (a kind of pastry made of butter and flour) and ‘Yonga’ (fried dough) in the market where you can find marvelous artichokes if it is the right season, various Aegean herbs, spices, homemade tomato paste, jams, noodle, tarhana (a dry mixture of soup prepared by dry yoghurt, flour, tomato paste and herbs), olives, grapes and local breads. You can also taste the snails caught by the villagers after the first rain in September and October.
- Akkum Beach is a popular beach with its turquoise sea and yellow sandy beach. The near regions such as Torasan, Maksut ve Eğri Liman are also worth seeing.
- Completing the day with a dinner facing the sunset over the sea at the beach of Özbek village is a wonderful experience. Our favourite is AnaksAgoras, a simple yet delicious place, settled just over the seashore serving great meze and seafood.
- Akın’ın Yeri (Akın’s Place), located by the fishing port which continues the 50 years of family tradition at a nostalgic ambiance is still a nice fish&rakı address although it has become too popular and a bit overpriced.