Back in 2009, the chilled out Seferihisar district of Izmir was awarded Cittaslow status. The first place in Turkey to be awarded the accolade. And if you visit here, there’s a very good chance you will be staying in the pretty Sığacık neighbourhood.
Exploring Sığacık, Seferihisar
We’d stopped off in Sığacık previously for a driving break when we were en route to explore another of Izmir Province’s famous destinations on the Aegean Sea; the Çeşme Peninsula.
We knew Seferihisar had Cittaslow status so we were curious to see what it was all about.
Our noses led us to the Sığacık area. We loved the feel of the place – the relaxed atmosphere. So when it was Barry’s birthday and we were deciding where to go for it, he decided on a short break in this slow city.
Whilst Sığacık is an increasingly popular destination in the summer months for weekenders from Izmir and holidaymakers from Istanbul, it soon became apparent that not many of our Fethiye friends had heard of it.
Whenever we said where we were going, it was met with a “Where?”
The general Seferihisar area is more widely known. But with its pretty historical buildings and surrounding natural beauty, Sığacık makes a great choice for us.
It proved to be an ideal base for exploring other areas of the Izmir Peninsula. We’ll definitely stay in Sığacık again for exploring the wider Aegean region.
Why Sığacık? Things To Do
So, what was it that made us want to return to Sığacık after we’d first dropped in a few years ago?
The Pretty Old Town
From the streets of the more modern newer town, this ancient archway takes us into Sıgacık’s Kaleiçi. Not to be confused with the more famous Kaleiçi of Antalya.
In Turkish, this name means ‘within the castle walls’. When we enter this world, we’re within the walls of ancient Sığacık Castle.
Sığacık Castle – Sığacık Kalesi in Turkish – dates from the 16th Century. It was ordered to be built by the Ottoman Sultan at that time; Süleyman the Magnificent.
Pirate attacks were a common occurrence, so what better than a castle fortress to guard the harbour?
As with many of the historic old towns around the country, this area is now restored and is a fully-fledged part of the neighbourhood.
Unsurprisingly, it is also packed with small, boutique hotels; pensions; restaurants; souvenir shops and stalls set up by local artisans.
And, as you might expect, it’s very much a magnet for the visitors who come to the area. A perfect wandering and people-watching zone.
Pedestrianised cobbled streets, vibrant and pastel-coloured window shutters, whitewashed buildings, trailing bougainvillea and lush green foliage.
We’re in Aegean heaven, here!
Market Day
As you’ll know if you follow our ramblings on a regular basis, we love local markets. So we were really sad that we weren’t in town on a Sunday for the weekly local Sığacık market (Sığacık Pazarı).
Even more reason to return.
This is a market where locals from the Seferihisar area gather to sell organic products, fresh produce from around the region and artisan textiles.
Apparently, only local people and people from surrounding villages are allowed to sell their goods. They must also be locally produced.
No mass-produced goods allowed, here. Our perfect market!
We can only imagine the varieties of fresh wild herbs (nearby Alaçatı has an annual herb festival), olives and olive oil.
This area is awash with olive groves. There is an almost constant whisper from the leaves on the olive trees as the strong Aegean breezes rush through them.
And should you happen to be in the Seferihisar area in November or December, you might be lucky enough to catch the celebration of another local fruit. This is when the Seferihisar Mandalina Festivali (Mandarin Orange Festival) – takes place.
Local Cuisine
As we’ve already mentioned, the Aegean areas of the country are where you’re going to find lots of meze made with local fresh herbs and light olive oil dishes.
The Izmir Province is also where tons of sardines are caught each year. So whenever we’re in that area, sardalya tava (fried sardines) is the first thing we order.
After a long drive from Fethiye, this simple but wonderfully delicious plate of sardalya tava with fresh lemon and big chunks of fresh crusty bread was just perfect!
For now at least, as you can see in the very top photo, Sığacık is still a fishing port of Seferihisar. So many of the local restaurants and meyhanes serve fresh seafood alongside their meze plates.
As with so many other places in the world, it seems this traditional way of life could be being squeezed.
Whilst we were there, posters pinned to walls by the fishermen and allies were protesting a proposal for the enlargement of adjacent Teos Marina as this would take their space in the harbour.
For our part, we hope the fishermen are still there, supplying the town with fresh fish when we return in future.
And don’t worry if seafood is not your thing.
In the centre of the old town, there are these great outdoors lokanta-style restaurants where you can order a variety of dishes from the display including various types of börek and sweet baklava.
Beaches & Boat Trips
So many people love this area of the country for its beautiful beaches. The coastline of the wider Seferihisar area is dotted with some of them.
In fact, Seferihisar holds Number 1 spot in the Izmir Province for the number of Blue Flag beaches. 11 in total.
Yes, you know us – we’re not beachy people. So we’re not really going to head to a beach club and pay x amount of money for for entry and sun loungers that are going to hold our attention for all of 30 minutes.
But there are public beaches, too, and many of those proudly fly the Blue Flag. An impressive 9 of the 11 are public and some have watersports available, too.
The strong Aegean breezes, here, make it an ideal place for surfing.
Popular beaches include Akarca Beach, Akkum Beach and Ekmeksiz Plajı.
And if you happen to be staying in one of the larger seafront hotels along the coast road, these have their own private beaches where you can enjoy the azure waters of the Aegean.
If you’d rather be swimming and bobbing about on the ocean waves rather than lying on the beach, daily boat trips leave from the harbour in Sığacık.
If you’re a group, just like with Fethiye boat trips, you can book a private boat. Alternatively, just jump on one of the public ones.
Some boats offer fishing trips and scuba diving, too.
But another reason for us thinking we will one day return to Sığacık and have it as a base is the boat trip to another country.
Along with Kuşadası further south, Sığacık is a port that operates a high speed ferry to the Greek island of Samos.
We’d love a trip over to Samos, sometime!
Ancient City Of Teos
Not just a pretty harbour with historic castle walls. A short drive or bus ride out of Sığacık centre brings you to Teos Antik Kenti (Teos archaeological site).
If you’re a history buff and you like to have archaeological sites (almost) all to yourself, a wander around these sprawling ancient ruins is a must.
A separate article on this site is en route – we loved exploring around here. As you can see, we were lucky to be there whilst archaeological work was in progress!
Sığacık, Seferihisar – FAQs
The nearest airport is Izmir Adnan Menderes Airport which is 60-70 kilometres, depending on the route you take.
Whilst there is public transport, this requires numerous changes and takes well over three hours so we recommend either hiring a car (perfect for further exploring the area) or booking a private transfer.
In the centre of Sığacık, there are lots of smaller boutique hotels and pensions housed both in historic buildings and in the newer part of town.
Larger hotels tend to be out of the immediate town centre in the wider Seferihisar area.
Be aware that parking can be a challenge in high season so if you are driving, book a place to stay that offers parking spaces.
Seferihisar, of which Sığacık is a part of, has Cittaslow status. This is not a big party town.
Sığacık is very much a Turkish seaside town and nightlife centres around the cafes, restaurants and a small smattering of bars.
Head to a meyhane for lots of delicious meze, seafood and some live Turkish music. Or sit along the harbour and enjoy the food and drink by the sea.
There are places to suit all budgets.
We used Sığacık as a pretty base for exploring more of the stunning Izmir Province by car. Urla is only a short drive away.
If you want to visit Selçuk with its famous Ephesus ruins, village of Şirince and other sights, and you’d still like a seaside base, Sığacık can make a good alternative to the large resort of Kuşadası.
A 90 minute drive will get you there.