Although the long and ancient tendrils of Izmir’s past run almost 5000 years into the depths of European history, the city seen today on the western Turkish seaboard is nothing if not modern and cutting-edge. The town boasts a lively nightlife, one of the most popular seaside promenades in the country and excellent public transport to many of the nearby beachfronts, making this bubbling metropolis of modern shopping centres and wide trendy boulevards also one of the nation’s premier seaside resort towns on the Med.
While Izmir remains better known for its bustling café culture and 19th century architecture, its archaeological ruins add to the beckoning spread. Many Izmir tour guides will no doubt recommend to travellers who converge here from cruise liners or otherwise, shore excursions that comprise of day trips out to the famous ruins at Ephesus or Sardis. Alternatively, you can opt to join the crowds wallowing in the stylish bars of the Kordon, or bargain hunting in the sprawling Kemeralti market bazaar.