Things to do in Kuşadası

A port with a town attached

Kusadasi is a cruise berth first, a resort second. Pigeon Island, a fortified islet on a causeway, closes the harbour; a beach strip runs north. Behind the quay sits the old Kaleici quarter, with the Okuz Mehmet Pasha caravanserai of 1618 at its edge.

Few people come for any of that. Almost every arrival is heading nineteen kilometres inland, about twenty-five minutes by road. A phone-led route round the Ottoman quarter fills a spare hour before the coach.

What is at the other end of that road

Ephesus was the provincial capital of Roman Asia. Enough survives to be walked as a street, not read as a plan. The main marble avenue runs downhill, which is why guided groups start at the upper gate.

• Library of Celsus. Begun in 110 AD as a tomb for the man it is named after, and rebuilt from its own fallen stones.
• The Great Theatre. Cut into the hillside at the bottom of the street, with room for around 25,000.
• Terrace Houses. Under a modern roof, with mosaics and wall paintings intact. A separate ticket, and the best hour on the site.
• Temple of Artemis. One re-erected column in a field is all that stands of another of the seven wonders.
• House of the Virgin Mary. On the hill above, visited by Christians and Muslims alike.
• Sirince. A hill village eight kilometres east of Selcuk, known for fruit wine.

Working around the ships

The standard day here lasts six and a half hours and includes lunch. It is sold two ways: a small group joining from town, or a private shore excursion timed to the ship. Ships fill the ruins between ten and one.

Practical

• No shade. Ephesus has almost none, and summer midday passes 35C. The first hour after opening and the last two before closing are the ones that work.
• Footing. Two thousand years of feet have polished the marble. Grip matters more than looks.
• Season. May to October for the coast; April and November are pleasanter for the ruins.
• From the berth. The old town is five minutes on foot, so a shore excursion needs no transfer to start.
• Samos. Ferries run roughly April to October, thirty to ninety minutes depending on the port. Passport control means arriving an hour early.
• Buying. The bazaar prices for cruise passengers, and the wine is cheaper in Sirince than on the quay.