Kusadasi Hotel Entertainment

Kusadasi Hotel, Places to Stay - Mid-Range

Kusadasi Property, Hotels
Mid-range hotels are scattered throughout town, with some inland from the yacht ma­rina, some on the pension streets of Aslanlar Caddesi and Bezirgan Sokak; and many more along Atatürk Bulvarı and İstiklal Sokak.
Cephane (JEHP-hah-neh) Sokak leads off Barbaros Hayrettin Caddesi opposite the caravanserai. Bahar Pansiyon (256-614 1191, fax 614 9359, Cephane Sokak 12), used to be an excellent choice but nowadays its rooms look pretty mundane; the fans and roof terrace barely compensating for the leaky plumbing.

Walk up Aslanlar Caddesi to the right of the Akdeniz Apart-otel to find Hotel Sun Garden (256-614 3806, fax 614 4225, Aslanlar Caddesi 70-A), across from the AdaHotel.
breakfast included. in a previous incarna-tion this place was called the Hotel Flash -don't let anyone persuade you that the Flash was anywhere else.

Turn right onto Bezirgan Sokak to find the airy, two-star, 22 room Hotel Stella (256-614 1632, Bezirgan Sokak 44), with fabulous views of the town and the harbour. At the time of writing it was closed for renovation but bright, modern rooms used to be priced at US$75 a double with shower, breakfast included.

Facing the sea, just less than 1 km north of the caravanserai on Atatürk Bulvarı, are several convenient modem hotels offering comfortable rooms for moderate prices. The three-star Otel İlayda (256-614 3807, fax 614 6766) has 40 rooms with bath (and many with sea-view balconies) for US$40/60 a single/double. Otel Derici (256-614 8222, fax 614 8226), nearby at Atatürk Bulvarı 40, also has three stars, and 87 comfortable rooms (some with sea views) at rates of US$80 a double with breakfast. Right next door Atınç Otel (256-614 7608, fax 614 4967) charges US$90/110 for its rooms.

Continue along the seafront and, about 1 km north of the centre, you'll come to another group of moderately priced lodgings on istiklal Sokak. Hotel Köken (256-614 1460, fax 614 5723, Istikdal Sokak 5), is the Standard Turkish two-star: rooms with private bath cost US$24, breakfast included. Next door to the Köken is Yunus Pension, and beyond that the 20 room Çidem Pansiy­on (chee-DEHM) (256-614 1895, İstiklal Sokak 9), a clean, cheerful place with single rooms for US$22 to US$26, doubles for US$28 to US$34. This was being renovated at the time of vvriting. When it re-opens the cheaper rooms may be gone.

The nearby two-star, Hotel Akman (256-614 1501, İstiklal Sokak 13), is tidy if soulless. It's open from mid-March to the end of October and used by tour groups. Rooms, some with bathtubs, cost US$35/50 a single/double, breakfast included.

Entertainment

Much of Kuşadası's nightlife is aimed at specific national groups. Barlar Sokak (not to be confused with Barhar Sokak) near the Akdeniz Apart-otel is choked with Olde English and Irish 'pubs', and Deutsches 'bierstuben'. The quieter, classier bars are in Kaleiçi's narrow streets. Wander around to find Back Street Bar, Be Bop Cafe Bar, Orient and other places, bearing in mind that names change with surprising rapidity. Most offer dusky courtyards, comfy uphol-stered seats/benches, drinks, conversation and hip music.

Out on Güvercin Adası, the fort is usually let to disco organisers. Even if the latest incarnation is not to your liking, the walk out to the island and back is pleasant. This is certainly the place to come for a sunset rakı or two.

If you're into organised entertainment, Hotel Kervansaray plays hoşt to a Turkish night most evenings during summer. To watch the music and dancing without eating costs US$40; with a meal you're looking at US$60

Things to Buy

Kuşadası's bazaar offers the full range of Turkish souvenirs: onyx, meerschaum, leather clothing and accessories, copper, brass, carpets and jewellery. If you're heading on, save your shopping for later as almost anywhere else will be cheaper. If you must shop here, do it before or after the cruise ships are in port, as prices are higher then and dealers are ruder.

Kusadasi Beach Hamams Camping

Kusadasi Beaches, Kusadasi Turkey

You can swim from the rocky shores of Güvercin Adası and its causeway, but Yılancı Burnu, the peninsula less than 1 km to the south, is more enticing. Alternatively, catch the Şehiriçi (in-town) dolmuş to the northern beach near the yacht marina or further north, past the Kuştur holiday village, to the beach opposite the Tur-Yat Mocamp.

Kuşadası's most famous beach is Kadınlar Denizi (Ladies Beach), 2.5km south of town and served by dolmuş minibuses running along the shore road. Kadınlar Denizi is a small beach crowded by big hotels and woefully inadequate for the crowds in high summer, when the hotel pool is often more inviting. The coast south of Kadınlar Denizi has several more small beaches, each backed by ranks of big hotels.

There's also Pamucak (see the Pamucak section earlier in this chapter), 15km to the north. Most of the year you can get there on a dolmuş running betvveen Kuşadası and Selçuk; at other times you may have to change to a Pamucak dolmuş in Selçuk, or get out at the Pamucak road and walk 3 km.

Kusadası Hamams

Kuşadası's hamams are of the un-Turkish New Age type, allowing men and women to bathe at the same time, and charging an out-rageous US$20 for the full works.
The Belediye Hamamı (256-614 1219) is up the hill behind the Akdeniz Apart-otel; take the street which goes along the left side of the hotel. it's open from 9 am to 9 pm. The Kaleiçi Hamamı (256-614 1292), just west of the Öküz Mehmet Paşa Camii, is open from 7 am to 10 pm.

Kuşadası Camping

North of the centre about 1 km, inland from the yacht marina, are three decent camping areas. Best is Önder Camp­ing (256-614 2413, fax 614 2946), open all year, with lots of facilities: tennis, swimming pool, laundry and a good restaurant (open from March to October only). If the Önder is full, the adjoining Yat Camping (256-614 1333) takes the overflow.

The larger Tur-Yat Mocamp (256-614 1087), several kilometres north of these on the shore, is open from mid-April or late May until mid to late October. Across the road from a small beach, it charges US$8 for two people in a tent. break fast and dinner included. There are a few restaurants and a fuel station close by.