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Urla

DRIVING INFORMATION

Alaçatı – Urla: 43 kilometers

 

URLA OLD TOWN & SEASIDE

If you are looking for naive, authentic and unique discoveries, we recommend you to follow the route to Urla, a typical Aegean village with its calm spirit, fresh air and friendly atmosphere. Urla and its nearby villages offer a fantastic experience.

There are countless things to do in Urla, suitable for every taste. You can visit Old Urla village which has managed to keep its authentic architecture with gorgeous stone buildings, relax at the peaceful Urla seashore housing great fish restaurants or drive through the lovely villages offering green fields, horse farms and various vineyards.

Urla is the place from where Nobel-winning Greek poet Yorgo Seferis was inspired. The town used to be ‘home’ for writer Necati Cumalı who immigrated to the village at the population exchange years and also where famous Turkish musician Tanju Okan found the healing.

Old Urla houses gorgeous stone houses made in Greek astyle. Zafer Street, also known as ‘Sanat Sokağı’ (Art Street) is where many buildings have been restored and turned into art places such as ceramic and art studios, authentic handcraft boutiques, cafes and restaurants. Old or second-hand bookstores, antique shops, local stores like tailor, butcher, draper and traditional coffeehouses are being protected, thus şt has a genuine, naive and natural spirit where old and blend in together.

While wandering at the streets, colorful designs on the cobblestone streets and beautiful drawings at the shops will grab your attention; all are works of painter and sculptor Bilter Anı.

When you are in Old Urla, you should visit Necati Cumalı’s house and gorgeous stone buildings of Urla Music Academy (UMA).

International Urla Artichoke Festival, which is organized every year at the end of April and beginning of May, is a comprehensive festival inspired by the ancient vegetable ‘artichoke’, where tradition, custom, history, cuisine and art meet,

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The addresses worth visiting at Sanat Sokağı (Art Street) are as follows;

  • Located at a carefully renovated 150 years-old stone building, ‘Hiç Lokanta and Tasting Atelier’ is the new gem of Urla. ‘Hiç’ team, claiming they believe in divineness of olive, spell of wine and uniting atmosphere of the tables; present their olives they produce in ‘Hiç Olive Forest’ at Bademler Village and process in Hiç Olive Mills, accompanied with the products of Urla. It is a gourmet address with high ceiling and relax atmosphere which combines the stone texture with wooden, serving beautifully presented delicious dishes. Hiç is a place supporting environmental-friendly, seasonal, fair trade products and local seeds, sustainable and ethical agriculture, tourism and gastronomy.
  • Another address for a delicious breakfasts and lunch experience is Vourla Fırın Café. In addition to Zafer Street branch (named as Sanat Sokağı), it has another shop at Uzun Street (No:5) in an old stone building where they serve delicious food which you can’t forget.
  • The cheesecakes and cakes of Keçi Café, their daily menu and all day appetizers are also great options. It is a perfect address for a delicious breakfasts and lunch experience.
  • İstifçi Bahçe is a green oasis best for a great breakfast and tasty coffee breaks.
  • We recommend Uzun Masa Avlu, for those who want to enjoy Aegean meze at a tavern ambiance.
  • İrmik Hanım Patisserie, is a wonderful dessert place offering great cakes, cookies and croissants.
  • Şafak Restaurant serves great homemade dishes at an authentic ambiance.
  • Urla Konal Kafe is a perfect place for tasting delicious Urla style fried mantı (ravioli) prepared with minced meat, chickpeas, black pepper and onion for the lunch. You can also order börek (pie stuffed with cheese, minced meat, spinach or other ingredients), gözleme (flatbread with different ingredients), cookie with gum mastic, kalburabastı (a traditional dessert) or typical local breakfast.  (Zafer Cad. No:1)
  • There are nice addresses at Sanat Sokağı (Art Street) where you can buy hand-made ceramics or participate in ceramic workshops such as; Yıldızca, Çivit Mavi and Keramikos.
  • The atelier of Bilter Anı, painter and sculptor from Urla, will definitely grab your attention. Pay a visit to the atelier of the painter who brighten up the walls and the streets of Urla.
  • More addresses worth visiting at Sanat Sokağı are; İstifçi with marvelous cloth designs, Enginar Hediyelik selling hand-made souvenirs and second hand books, Amber with its hand-made jewelry, Eflatun Antika selling antique furnitures, lightings and accessories, Antre where you can find antiques, design cushions and home accessories and Huzurla, a Cafe&Bookstore.

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Other addresses worth seeing around Sanat Sokağı (Art Street) when you are in Old Urla Town;

  • Pizzeria Luna Romana (Haci İsa Mah. 75. Yıl Cumhuriyet Caddesi No:31/F) makes wonderful crispy pizzas.
  • Lokanta Levan (Hacı İsa Mah. Erdoğan Ker Caddesi No:12) prepares 5-6 different & delicious casserole dishes daily in the stone oven.
  • Balıkçım Urla (Hacı İsa Mahallesi, Bülent Baratalı Bulvarı No:62) is a wonderful fish griller.
  • Merkez Et Lokantası (Kemalpasa Caddesi, No: 3) serves daily homemade dishes and delicious meat at an authentic atmosphere.
  • Ömre Bedel (No:23) and Beğendik Abi (No:12) located next to each other at Tatarcami Street serve delicious homemade meals.
  • Mia Sanat Kafe (Tatar Cami Sk. 33/a) is a peaceful and cozy place which serves fresh and daily dishes such as desserts, kısır (a typical salad prepared with bulgur wheat, tomato, cucumber and spices), börek (pie stuffed with different ingredients). You can also enjoy the pieces displayed at temporary exhibitions held there while sipping your coffee.
  • It is a real pleasure to sit at the village coffeehouses and drink a cup of tea or coffee under the plane trees of Arasta Çarşısı (Arasta Bazaar)
  • Ekrou, selling a fabulous collection of clothes, bags, shawls, accessories and home decorative objects in a wonderful stone building, is a ‘must visit’ address for design lovers. (Yeni Mahalle Uzun Sk. No:4)
  • Miujiza, (Yeni Mahalle Uzun Sk. No:4) is a magical shop offering resonance yantras (sacred geometrical designs) designed in balance with the personal energies in bronze and silver with geometrical shapes.
  • Kün Tasarım is a nice address for ceramic lovers with original ceramic objects, jewelry and pots. (Tatar Cami Sk. 33/a)
  • Kekliktepe, located at Arasta Bazaar in Cami Atik district is another ‘must visit’ address with its fantastic olive oil and soaps.
  • 15 Eylül, was opened recently at a gorgeous stone building at Necati Cumalı Street, next to the house of Necati Cumalı and has brought a refined vitality to the days and nights of Old Urla. It offers snacks and hosts jazz concerts at a beautifully courtyard which.
  • Dükkan, located at the crossroad of Necati Cumalı Street and Zafer Street with an antique shop at the entrance, is a tasty address serving Aegean food at a ‘sweet home’ ambiance.
  • Baristocrat, the 3rd wave coffee shop located at Necati Cumalı Street, serves great coffee for 3rd wave coffee lovers.

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Addresses located at Urla Seaside:

  • Ünal Kardeşler Katmer Salonu: You can have breakfast with ‘katmer’ (a regional pastry) at the pier of Urla by the sea, facing the amazing view. Katmer is known as a dessert in most of the regions but in Urla, the dough is fried in oil after mixed with eggs. Its texture is similar to ‘gözleme’ and is prepared with cheese, parsley, minced meat or yellow cheese. Don’t forget to ask for a glass of ‘ayran’ which goes perfect with katmer. (Urla İskelesi, Maraşel Fevzi Çakmak Cad. No:12)
  • Our favourite fish restaurants at Urla seashore is Yengeç and Sahil.
  • The stone house which Poet Yorgo Seferis born was restored and opened as a hotel for visitors. You should definitely see the amazing stone building when you are in Urla.
  • Klazomenia Ancient City, located behind the pier, is a place worth visiting as the oldest olive oil production center of the world.
  • Held every Sunday at the seashore, the local market offers a colorful shopping experience.

 

Hotels in & around Urla:

  • In Old Urla Town at the Uzun St, an old stone mansion was renovated and opened as Urla 8 Design Hotel,
  • In Urla Pier, overlooking the dock the old customs building which dates back to 1820’s has been renovated and transformed into Urla Pier Hotel, 
  • On Urla seaside the boutique hotel Batis Inn,
  • In the heart of Urla Wine Route, in Yağcılar Village, Urla Bağ Evi is an oasis with its tasteful stone architecture offering 6 unique rooms. You can taste all Urla Wine Route wines at its restaurant, and also you can taste Mrs Hediye Hanım’s (a local resident of Yağcılar Village) Aegean delicacies.
  • Two Rooms Hotel is located in the middle of Urla Şarapçılık Vineyards on top of the winery. You can stay at one of the two pleasantly decorated suite rooms with vineyard view.
  • Close to Urla, inside a green and lush horse farm, Kemal Bey, with its 9 rooms is a very nice boutique hotel.

 

Swimming in Urla :

In Urla, on the Sığacık bay side, there are marvelous bays and beaches. Especially the ones under Demircili Village and on Altınköy shore are virgin & hidden gems. Some have restaurants & beach facilities:

  • Demircili Village Deniz Yıldızı 
  • Demircili Village Melengeç 
  • Demircili Village Komodor Muhtar İbrahim’in Yeri 
  • Altınköy Shore Marika