WALKING ROUTES
Discover Walking and Trekking Routes in Urla
01. Urla Art Street
Our arts, which are kneaded with all the past experience of centuries, come to life in the hands of today's artists… Urla Art Street, where a different art is spoken in every field, embraces its visitors with the coquettish beauty of colors, the dominance of traditional motifs, the architecture and elegance of master hands.
Arts Street, whose real name is Zafer Caddesi, was an active road connecting İzmir and Çeşme in the fifties. In 2010, a few artists discovered this place and opened workshops on this street and started organizing art events. After these events called "Urla Art Nights", the people started to call this street "Art Street". Today, courses and workshops are held in many branches of art in this street, which is decorated with stone buildings dating from the 1800s and carrying the old spirit of Urla. Thanks to the Urla Art Street Survival and Development Association, weekend art activities continue throughout the summer. Urla guests visiting the street have the opportunity to experience artistic experiences throughout the summer. In the street where different artistic works are presented every week, guests can witness exhibitions, concerts, theater, live music performances, workshops and beautiful talks. Visitors can shop for street-specific artifacts, taste special and authentic tastes of Urla, or enjoy the street by taking a tour through history in centuries-old antique shops.
02. Malgaca Market (Arasta)
With its living history, it is one of the most visited spots in Urla. Arasta, where you can find many shops you want and soak up its historical texture, can be both a nice trip and a different shopping point.
03. Ovacik-Klazomenai Track
While an important part of the track is crossed as a field road, a short part as a tractor road and a wide path, the part exceeding about 4 kilometers follows the asphalt road - since it is in the İskele Mahallesi of Klazomenai. The route partly passes through forest and scrub areas, mostly between olive groves, cultivated fields and estates. The last section reaches Klazomenai, running parallel to the coast through the residential area. Hot summer days should definitely be taken into account when planning to walk on the track.
04. Bademler Village
Bademler, located 9 km southeast of Urla, is an Aleut Turkish village named "Pademlerya" by the Greeks. Until the 1820s, the people of the village were engaged in woodworking, and they produced products such as boats, buckles and mortars for the surrounding villages. The inside and outside of the immaculate village houses are painted white. The value that the village people attach to education, health, environment, sports, culture and arts is at a level that competes with the big cities. The literacy rate of the village is 100%! It has its own library, museum, theater, Culture and Art Association and a sports club…
Its streets are washed every day, it is clean. Garbage is separated for recycling, environmental awareness is quite high. As a result of a competition held by the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization in 2012, it was chosen as the cleanest village in Turkey. The youth here are actively involved in village life. The most enthusiastic moments of Hıdırellez and Nevruz are celebrated in this village. Whatever is done in this village, where men and women are equal in every sense, is done together.
The most distinctive feature of the village is that it has a theater. This theater has the distinction of being the only village theater in our country. Actors, directors, decorators, and mostly writers, consisting of villagers, have met with the theater in their villages since 1933, before the theater was established in İzmir yet.
05. Balikliova Village
Balıklıova is a fishing village 30 km from Urla. It is located on the side of the region where the Karaburun peninsula is the narrowest, facing the Izmir Bay. While Balıklıova was a Greek village called Polikhne during the Ottoman period, it was abandoned during the post-Republic population exchange. Although the settlement area of the town was completely emptied, the name Polikhne survives to the present day as Balıklı and then Balıklıova.
The town, which is famous for its clean sea and fish restaurants, is mostly visited in spring and summer, but there is a demand for restaurants and restaurants in every season. Delicious sea fish, squid and mussels are taken from the sea and brought to your table. Aegean herbs accompany the delicious seafood.
You can be surprised to see every shade of blue and green in Balıklıova's hidden coves that you can explore by boat. Iztuzu Beach, which takes on the green tones of some bays and the color of the trees around it, and some of the bays are dark blue. And of course the best part of this place is that it is quiet and calm.
06. Barbaros Village
Turkmen nomads still live in Barbaros Village, which is 22 km away from Urla. When Ildırı was the capital, the name of this village was called Başköy. There was a plague epidemic in Başköy, where they first settled in ancient times, and the villagers slaughtered an animal and distributed its meat to different places, and decided to establish a village where the meat was spoiled. The place where the village is established today is the place where the meat was spoiled. They built rows of houses with earthen roofs here. That's why the village's first name was Ordinary.
Koruncuk Foundation, which helps orphaned children, also chose this village. Now they have started a construction in the village, they are establishing a children's village for orphans. In 2017, this construction of the Koruncuk Foundation was continuing.
Barbaros Village has been hosting the Barbaros Hill Festival since 2016.
07. Nohutalan Village
Nohutalan Village of Urla district of Izmir was founded in 1940. The entire population of the village consists of the descendants of the Bosnians who migrated from the Balkan geography (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia / Sanjak). Bosnian immigrants were settled in the villages and houses abandoned by the Greeks who migrated to Greece with the population exchange. The outskirts of the village are cultivated with natural agricultural lands, and the majority of the people are engaged in agriculture and animal husbandry. Nohutalanı is famous for its sweet waterless melon and chickpea registered around Urla.
08. Birgi Village
Especially Çakırağa and Sandıkoğlu Mansions, Ulu Mosque, Dervişağa Mosque and Birgi Tomb are places that must be seen. Even though it has lost a lot after the fire, it is impossible not to be surprised by the richness of historical and cultural heritage in the tiny village when you come here. It continues to attract the attention of photographers and filmmakers as it preserves the old village texture. Those who want to visit Birgi village can buy products grown with natural farming practices. They can enjoy a pleasant lake view accompanied by the sounds of ducks, or they can camp by the lake in the quiet piece of nature.
09. Urla İskele (Pier)
It is the seaside settlement of the Urla district center. It is possible to swim in the sea, even though it is very shallow, in the region where a market is set up at night during the summer period. There is a small marina at Urla Pier and restaurants around the port. You can taste seafood at the outdoor tables and take a walk in the coastal area.
10. Ceşmealti
Another place to visit in Urla is Çeşmealtı town. Although it is thought to be close to Çeşme from its name, this is not true. Çeşmealtı, which is 36 kilometers from İzmir and 5 kilometers from the center of Urla, is very lively with its camping areas, bars, cafes and restaurants as well as night shopping venues. Çeşmealtı, where summer residences are also located, also has a port where boats anchor.
It is recommended to eat cinnamon balls for those who go to the region, watching the sunset from Güvendik Hill will be an important privilege to add to your holiday. The shores of Urla and the Izmir Bay with its 12 islands in front of it are best viewed from here.
11. Yagcilar Village
Çevresi çam ormanları kuşatılmış Yağcılar Köyü adeta ormanın ortasında bir cennettir. Köyü 1924 Mübadelesinden sonra Selanik göçmenleri kurmuş. Bugün halen köyün neredeyse tamamı Selanik göçmenlerinden oluşuyor. Köylerini, ‘Havası en güzel yer’ olarak değerlendiren köy halkı tamamen tarımla geçinmektedir.
Köyün çevresinde çok fazla delice zeytin ağacı var, yaklaşık 150 bin ağaç civarında. Rumlar bu ağaçları yetiştirip zeytinyağı üretimi yapmışlar, köyün ismi de bu yüzden ‘Yağcılar’ olmuş.
Yağcıların çok değerli sahilleri var: Altınköy, Düzdeniz, Papaz Boğazı, Ayrıklı Boğaz, Düveli ve Bezirgan gibi.
Köyün huzur veren ormanlık alanlardaki toprak yollar hem yürüyüş yapmak, hem de bisiklet kullanmak için oldukça keyifli. Muhteşem üzüm bağlarına sahip olan Yağcılar Köyünde sertifikalı organik tarım uygulaması yoğunluktadır. Köyde üretilen tüm ürünler geleneksel yöntemlerle yetiştirilmektedir. Köylüler hafta sonları ürettikleri ürünleri köy meydanında kurulan pazarda satışa sunar ve bununla geçinirler.
12. Demircili Village
Urla’ya 15 kilometre uzaklıktaki köy muhteşem koyların yanı sıra ekstrem sporlar ve organik yiyecekleri ile öne çıkıyor. Huzurlu, sessiz, sakin ve kafa dinlemek için doğa harikası bir yerdir.
Demircili Köyü, Urla, Çeşme ve Gülbahçe’den gelen mevsimlik Rum işçileri tarafından 1900 yıllarında kurulmuştur. Köy’de büyüklü küçüklü ve bugün yıkılmış durumda olan kiliseler mevcuttur.
Demircili Koyu, gezilecek yerler açısından dikkat çekici bir kamp merkezidir. Bünyesinde Hamam ve Antik Tiyatro bulunan Koy’da, tarihin kokusunu da almak mümkündür. Denizle bütünleşen doğası ve hoş manzarası ile yılın büyük bir bölümü turistleri ağırlayan Demircili Koyu, aynı zamanda yerli ve yabancı turistlerin ziyaret ettiği bir kamp alanı olarak da ün kazanmıştır.
13. Kuscular Village
Kuşçular, the first village on the road from the center of Urla to the south coast, stands out in greenhouse cultivation and artichoke production. Kuşçular, which has recently been widely seen in residential settlements, is 8 km from the center. Vegetables are produced among almond, grape, walnut, fig, pomegranate and olive trees.
14. Ozbek Village
The village, which is 7 kilometers from the center of Urla, draws attention with its unique nature and clean air, as well as rich fish resources. As the name suggests, it was founded by Uzbeks who migrated from Uzbekistan during the Ottoman period. Unlike other villages, this is a fishing village famous for its stone houses by the coast, not at the foot of the mountains. The main source of livelihood is fishing. In the village center, there are cute cafes and village restaurants where you can taste delicious dishes, especially the famous keskek of the Uzbek cuisine
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The market set up by women on weekends is also worth seeing. It is an address where you can taste various Aegean herbs, spices and homemade products.
15. Gulbahce Village
While Gülbahçe was a Turkish village in the past, it took the name 'Rodana' with the increase of the Greek population towards the end of the 19th century. The people who settled after the population exchange came from the Balkans and were mostly of Albanian and Cretan origin. In September, 'Albanian Festivals' are held here. Since the village stretches along the coast, you can swim from almost anywhere. Thanks to its warm water, sandy sea and cafes on the coast, itawelcomes many visitors, especially on Sundays. To the south of the village, where the Tatar Stream reaches the sea, there is Gülbahçe Hot Spring. The hot spring, which is especially healing for psoriasis, shingles and eczema diseases, is visited every season because of its hot water.
Due to its windy location, Gülbahçe has also gained a reputation for water sports (especially kitesurfing).
16. Uzunkuyu Village
It is 20 km from Urla and is on the old Çeşme road. Uzunkuyu is a green, small and clean village. Uzunkuyu has an exquisite treasure worth visiting: the Köstem Olive Oil Museum, the world's largest olive oil complex. You should definitely visit a giant technology and industry museum where you can witness the thousands of years of olive oil production tradition in our country, which revives the crushing systems of olive oil production on a one-to-one scale by staying true to their original methods and materials.
17. Kadiovacik Village
Kadıovacık village, located on the old Çeşme road, claims to be the most environmentally friendly village in the region, measuring its carbon footprint and reducing its carbon emissions every year. If you want to stay in the village where there is no accommodation facility, you should know that the villagers will host you in their homes. Everything that is sold in the stalls of the peninsula in the village is produced by the villagers themselves.
18. Zeytinler Village
Olives are 18 km from Urla and on the Urla-Çeşme road. You can visit the old Yahya Kerim stone bridge in the village. Apart from agricultural lands, there is a forest area in the southeast of the village where you can hike and camp.
19. Urla Women's Producer Market
Urla Women's Producer Market, which was established with the cooperation of Urla Municipality and Urla City Council Women's Assembly, sells hand-made knits, jewelry, ornaments, as well as various foods obtained from organic products.
In the market that opens every Saturday in the old repair shop building, both sales and sports are carried out. Volunteer trainer Aytuğ Izat does sports with slow movements called ISO-CHI every Saturday morning in order to provide more enjoyable hours to women who produce and those who support women who produce. Women who can stand on their own feet and contribute to the family economy, are waiting for their customers coming from Urla and outside the district every Saturday with this different market understanding they have created.