Çeşme Castle

The castle at Çeşme was built in 1508 under Bayezid II, after Venetian raids in 1472 and 1501, to guard the harbour and the crossing to Chios, a few kilometres offshore. It is compact - a walled enclosure with six towers, a dry moat and a gatehouse - and it survives more completely than most coastal forts in the region. Inside is the Çeşme Archaeology Museum, holding finds from Erythrai and the surrounding peninsula, amphorae raised from the sea, and displays on the castle itself. The ramparts can be walked, and from them the marina, the town's Ottoman caravanserai and the strait toward Chios are all in view. Below the castle the harbourfront is a strip of restaurants and the ferry pier for the Chios crossing. It takes an hour, and it is the only substantial historic monument in a town that otherwise runs on beaches, wind and summer nightlife.

Highlights

• The six-tower enclosure - the walls, moat and gatehouse.
• The archaeology museum - Erythrai finds and raised amphorae.
• The rampart walk - the harbour and strait from the walls.
• The Chios view - the island across the water.

When to go

April to June and September to October. Mornings; the ramparts are unshaded and Çeşme is very hot in high summer. August brings crowds to the whole town.

What to expect

It is small - an hour covers castle and museum. Rampart edges are unfenced in places. Çeşme in August is expensive and packed; out of season much of the town closes.

Nearby

Alaçatı is ten minutes inland; Ilıca beach is on the way, and the Chios ferry leaves from the harbour.

Key facts