Being one of the most beautiful cities in Turkey and attracting attention with its historical sites, İzmir also adds to its beauty with its different villages.
Some of the villages have a theater, some have completely switched to organic farming, some are as if they came out of a fairy tale hundreds of years ago. But they all have one thing in common: their beauty!
In this article, we have compiled the villages of Izmir, which are as beautiful as Izmir’s sea, for you.
The Most Beautiful Villages of Izmir- Places to Visit Around Izmir
Barbaros Village, Urla
Nomads live in Barbaros Village, whose name is not heard much due to its distance from the sea.
A monument greets you at the entrance of the village. There are 36 names on this monument. These are the names of the soldiers who were martyred in the Battle of Gallipoli from Barbaros Village. Only four of those who went to war were able to return.
With its unique nature, Barbaros Village serves as a natural set for many television series.
On the other hand, the main thing that makes the village interesting is the Scarecrow Festival . Since the festival, which was held for the first time in 2016, attracted a lot of attention, the villagers decided to make this festival traditional. The Hollow Scarecrow Festival, which is held every year in the summer, lasts for 3 days in total.
In Barbaros Village, there are houses called Çatkapı Evleri, which you have not seen before. You can enter these houses and fill your stomach for a certain fee. Accommodation is also available in some of the houses. You can spend the night at Çatkapı Evleri for an average of 100 TL.
If you are planning to go to the village, which is 22 km from Urla and 55 km from İzmir, by your private car, it is enough to enter from the point where the campus of İzmir Institute of Technology ends on the way from Urla to Alaçatı . You can reach the village in 3 minutes.
If you want to come by bus, you can choose the buses departing from Urla.
Germiyan Village, Cesme
Germiyan Village, which we have included in our Cesme Places to Visit list, fascinates those who see it with its white houses and colorful patterns on the walls of the houses. The pictures on the walls belong to Nurdan Eren, who lives in the village. The drawings, which started small at the beginning, have become today’s with the increase in interest. Germiyan Village, which was almost made up with these drawings, took on a completely different face.
But the main reason that makes Germiyan Village special is that it has broken new ground in our country. Germiyan Village, which is the first and only village with the “Slow Food” title in our country, has abandoned chemicals in agricultural activities and returned to traditional and clean agriculture.
If you happen to be in Germiyan Village, we recommend you to taste the sourdough bread and Kopanisti cheese, which have now become the symbolic flavors of the village. You can taste these delicacies at Dilek Hanım’s Authentic House, accompanied by authentic walls and furniture.
In addition, the herbal teas in the village’s coffee house are definitely worth tasting.
You can reach Germiyan Village of Çeşme by taking the village road on İzmir-Çeşme Highway with your private car . If you are going to arrive by bus, you can first reach Çeşme Bus Terminal and use the buses departing from there.
Bademler Village, Urla
It would not be wrong to call Bademler Village “ the village of firsts ”. After seeing this village, the concept of village in your mind will be reshaped.
The majority of the population living in the village, whose history dates back about 300 years, is Alevi. However, there is no mosque or cemevi in the village.
The event that made the village known is that the movie Susuz Yaz was shot here.
There is not a single illiterate person in Bademler Village. The theater building in Bademler Village, the first and only village with its own theater, was built in 1969 with the help of many institutions and organizations. The theater, which still has an active stage today, performs a play every year on March 27 in honor of World Theater Day . Who are the players? Of course the villagers!
Apart from this, there is also a Children’s Toys Museum in the village .
In addition, the village has been selected as the cleanest village in our country by the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization.
If you can’t wait to visit this fairy tale village, let’s give you the transportation information right away. If you are going with your private vehicle, you have to take the İzmir-Çeşme Highway and proceed towards Seferihisar. Bademler Village is located at the 11th kilometer of the highway.
Apart from this, buses departing from districts such as Seferihisar, Çeşme, Urla and ESHOT number 320 take you to Bademler.
Kosedere Village, Karaburun
Kösedere Village is a place where you will feel yourself years ago while walking its streets. Historical houses and mosques will immerse you in a different atmosphere. Kösedere is one of the places where time stops with its neighborhood grocery store, barbershop and village coffee shop that has become almost history.
Kösedere Village, which stands out from other villages with its cuisine, awaits you with a table equipped with delicacies that you cannot taste anywhere else. You can taste these delicacies at the place of Şükran Hanım, one of the locals of the village. In particular, Öküz meatball is one of Kösedere’s classic flavors.
Grape Festival takes place in Kösedere Village every year in August . The people of the village, who have been dealing with viticulture since ancient times, also protect this value. We recommend you to visit this beautiful Aegean village, which is one of the sought after places of television series with its natural beauty.
To reach Kösedere Village, which is approximately 1.5 hours away from İzmir , you have to turn from the İnecik signpost on the Karaburun road and continue straight until Kösedere Village. If you are planning to come by bus, you can first reach Karaburun and reach Kösedere Village by buses departing from here.
Uzbek Village, Urla
The beach of the village, which took this name because it was founded by immigrants from around Uzbekistan in the past, is most famous for its stone houses.
In Uzbek, which is a fishing village, most of the villagers make their living from fish.
All the information about the village’s past was destroyed in a terrible fire. But if you are very curious about the past of the village and intend to learn, give your ear to the ancient cypress in the garden of the historical mosque. This majestic tree, which is estimated to be 1000 years old, whispers stories of 1000 years ago.
If you happen to be in the Özbek Village, of course, you should definitely taste the fish. There are many restaurants in the village. But the most famous one is Akın’s Yeri , which has a 50-year history .
You should definitely visit the market, which is set up on weekends and is dominated by women. You are likely to encounter a thousand and one kinds of grass in the market.
For breakfast, we recommend you to taste the fried dough called Uzbek katmeri and chips.
You can take advantage of the minibuses departing from Urla bus station to reach Özbek Village.
Saip Village, Karaburun
The village, which is about 3 km from Karaburun, has an ancient history.
The peace in the village, where Greek and Turkish citizens once lived in peace and tolerance, gave way to despair after the population exchange. After this date, Saip Village started to fade, so to speak.
The village, which has a pier, was once a trade center, but after the declining population, it lost its effectiveness in trade.
Today, the people of Saip make their living from animal husbandry, agriculture and fishing.
The most famous thing in Saip Village is the country coffee. At Saip Kır Kahvesi, 40 kinds of jam, handcrafted local delicacies of the women living in the village and delicious Ottoman sherbets await you. It is worth remembering that the breakfast of Saip Kır Kahvesi is also legendary.
Saip Kır Kahvesi has become a center where cultural and artistic activities are carried out besides eating and drinking. The venue alternately hosts an exhibition hall and an English course.
It takes about 1.5 hours from Izmir center to reach Saip Village. You can reach the village with a 6-minute journey from Karaburun, by using the minibuses departing from Karaburun.
Ildır Village, Cesme
Ildır Village is a deep-rooted and ancient place where settled life dates back to the pre-Bronze Age.
Erythrai Ancient City is located in the village, which is under protection as a protected area. We claim that the most beautiful sunset in the world can be watched from here.
Plato will agree with us that thousands of years ago, “The most beautiful sunset that can be seen in the world is in Erythrai.” said.
But it is not this historical and cultural richness that makes Ildır Village famous. What’s the Crime of Fatma Gul, which was shot in the past years? The shooting of the TV series in Ildır caused the village to become famous and flooded with visitors.
If you happen to be in Ildır, the main food you should taste here should be Ildır Lokma. Apart from that, you should definitely try the spring herb that grows only in Ildır.
If your preference is for fresh and delicious seafood, Ali’s Place has opened its doors to visitors. che
You can reach Ildır Village, which is 23 km from şme and 71 km from İzmir centre, by turning to the Barbaros Village turn on İzmir Çeşme highway with your private vehicle. On the other hand, there are minibus services from Çeşme to Ildır Village.
Birgi Village, Odemis
Birgi Village is a place that has almost come out of fairy tales at the foot of Bozdağ. With its centuries-old trees, stone and wooden mansions, it is one of the most beautiful villages not only of Izmir but also of Turkey.
Birgi, the capital of Aydınoğulları Principality, was the education, science and art center of the period. Although many historical buildings in Birgi were burned and plundered by the Greeks during the War of Independence, even the remaining ones are enough to create admiration for those who see it.
Historical mansions, mosques and trees still sing a thousand-year-old folk song in Birgi Village, which is under protection as a protected area today.
If you happen to be here, you can start your visit with the tomb of Imam-i Birgivi.
Then, head towards Çakırağa and Sandıkoğlu mansions, the two most famous mansions of Birgi. You will be amazed by the woodwork in the mansions.
Besides, Ulu Mosque is one of the must-see spots of Birgi Village.
If this unique and intense culture makes you dizzy and hungry, we can recommend Töngül pita, which is Ödemiş’s unique flavor.
You can take advantage of the minibus services departing from Ödemiş to reach Birgi, which is approximately 1.5 hours from İzmir and 10 minutes from Ödemiş.
Lübbey Village, Odemis
The reason for this ascription to Lübbey Village, also called “Ghost Town”, is its low population. There are about 10 people residing in the village. As you might have guessed, an eternal silence prevails in this Turkmen village, which is one of the mountain villages of Ödemiş.
In recent years, the number of visitors coming to the village to take pictures has tripled the number of people living in the village. The reason for this is that the untouched historical texture and old houses in the village give very aesthetic poses to the photographers.
Transportation to Lübbey Village, which is 13 km from Ödemiş, can be provided by minibuses that run twice a day from Ödemiş.
Sirince Village, Selcuk
İzmir village famous for its vineyards: Şirince.
Şirince Village, which is one of the places to visit in İzmir and which we can consider as the most popular among İzmir’s villages, may also be the most famous village of our country that has made its name known to the world.
The passing of Şirince as a spared region in the Mayan apocalypse prophecy in 2012 caused thousands of people from abroad to flock to Şirince.
After this incident, which made the shopkeepers of Şirince smile, there was a noticeable increase in the number of foreign tourists coming to Şirince.
There is no sea in Şirince, nor is it a luxury resort. But the old Greek houses, vineyards, wines and natural beauty make the village a center of attraction.
In addition, different projects such as Mathematics Village and Theater Madrasa are also carried out in Şirince.
If you happen to come here, you can taste the fruit wines of Şirince and buy your favorite ones.
If you are going to stay in the village, you can choose boutique hotels that are formed by the restoration of old Greek houses that promise to open the doors of a different experience to you.
There are many places in the village where you can fill your stomach. But a sumptuous breakfast around the Hodri Meydan Tower, where you can see the village in all its details, will be worth everything.
You can use the minibuses that depart frequently from the district center to reach Şirince, which is located within the borders of Selçuk district, which is also located in the Ancient City of Ephesus.
If you are going with your private vehicle, you can take the direction of Selçuk on the İzmir-Aydın road and follow the signs.
