Never-ending wind makes Alaçatı a windsurfing heaven

When approaching Alaçatı, the first eye-catcher for the visitors is the windmills that embrace the sky with their white sails. The windmills some of which have been here for more than a hundred years point out the good relation between Alaçatı and the wind. When sea view is available, many colourful windsurf boards dancing on the water welcome you. If your visit comes across with the Kite Festival, you can witness to a visual feast of the kites dominating the sky. Alaçatı and the wind have always been together throughout history. This is Alaçatı's distinctive feature from the other coves in the Aegean Coast. And this is why windmills decorated its hills. Today, the never-ending wind makes Alaçatı a windsurfing heaven. For windsurfing fans, one other charming fact is that the sea never gets wavy. As the well-known Turkish captain and navigator Piri Reis has told, the sea in Alaçatı is like a dough sheet. What is more is that the sea depth is not more than one and a half meter even far from the coast. All these reasons make Alaçatı one of the most popular seven windsurfing centres in the world. Alaçatı welcomes windsurfers from all over the world mostly between May and September. In this period, Alaçatı hosts national and international races and tournaments. For those who want to try this beautiful sport, there are windsurfing schools. Its calm sea and the water depth make Alaçatı a perfect place to learn windsurfing. Thanks to its nature, the world-known Aegean Cuisine is very rich, and especially greens and herbs, which become unique delicacies when prepared by skilful hands, have an important place in cuisine culture. One other fact that played a role in shaping Alaçatı's cuisine is that most of its population has settled here after the population exchange. Greens have been the common point of different cultures and traditional cuisine. For keeping the cultural values and traditional dishes alive, Alaçatı Herb Festival is held annually at the beginning of April, heralding the spring. Besides conversations, cooking workshops, video shows, photo exhibits and concerts, another enjoyable part of the festival is the parade cortege in which visitors can participate. One of the popular activities in a town identified with its wind is, undoubtedly, flying kites. The sky of Alaçatı is coloured with hundreds of best-designed kites especially during the Kite Festival. Located in the south of Çeşme Peninsula, Alaçatı has become one of Turkey's most popular tourist destinations with its historical stone houses, windmills, calm sea and windy air perfect for windsurfing. Thanks to the windy air it is also possible to enjoy sunbathing all day long. The best place for swimming is Çark Beach which has a tropical look. The rising popularity of Alaçatı has resulted in the opening of a large number of hotels and pensions. Restored from historical stone houses, the boutique hotels offer guests comfort together with home's warmth. Some of the windmills which are town's symbol are today used as cafes and restaurants. To find peace and serenity, Alaçatı is the perfect choice with its stone houses decorated with bougainvillaea flowers, cobblestoned streets, beautiful nature, rich history, and warm and gracious people.