We’re very fortunate that travelling on a budget is made much easier for us by the fact that we both love to walk. In Izmir, apart from catching a local bus from the otogar into Alsancak, we walked everywhere. Sitting on the Aegean Sea, Izmir’s a breezy city, so late summer ambles (we were there at the beginning of September) are perfectly pleasurable, especially when you know you’re never more than a stone’s throw away from a refreshment stop of whatever description.
As with the Alsancak and Konak areas of Izmir on the opposite shore, amongst the high rise apartment blocks, there are still random historic buildings that catch the eye in Karşıyaka – and there’s a few monuments and statues along the harbour, too, but we’ll save those for another post. For now, we’ll just walk along the seashore towards Bostanlı.
Apart from a brief detour along Karşıyaka’s shopping street (just opposite the ferry terminal), this circular trip is all about taking in the sea air. There’s not a lot of quaint prettiness happening here. Concrete rules. We’re not fans of concrete. But the waves crash against the sea wall, providing cooling spray mist; there’s a chilled out atmosphere as people enjoy a Sunday stroll or a spot of fishing; dads peer through binoculars as their children battle the strong currents in some type of sailing competition taking place in the middle of the bay…the concrete is forgiven.
- The distance between Karşıyaka and Bostanlı is roughly 2 km.
- The distance between Konak and Alsancak is also around 2 km.
- We did this journey on a Sunday, but, for more flexibility, when the ferries are more regular, we recommend other days.
- Karşıyaka is worth a bit of your time so you can visit the grave of Zübeyde Hanım, (Atatürk’s mother) and other monuments dotted around the neighbourhood.
- Bostanlı has a market (pazar) every Wednesday if you’d like to combine your walk with a market stroll.
- You need an Izmir Kent Kart (Izmir City Card) to board public transport, including the commuter ferries, in Izmir. Keep an eye out for a future post about the Izmir Kent Kart. Easy when you know how – and don’t worry, they’re cheap!
- Fancy staying in Izmir? Use our best price finder for Izmir Hotels.
Read more: http://www.turkeysforlife.com/2013/03/izmir-circular-walk-alsancak-karsiyaka-bostanli.html#ixzz2NQkPQEl6
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