Kusadasi

Kusadasi's port sits directly in the downtown area. The shops are an easy 5 minutes away on foot, while a pleasant boulevard leads towards Goveroin Ada, also called Pigeon Island, and the beaches beyond.

Kusadasi's new cruise terminal doubles as a contemporary mini-mall named Scala Nuova. The complex also contains a reasonably priced duty-free shop.

Bring the printable map with you.

Only 30 years ago, Kusadasi was a quiet, traditional Turkish coastal village sustained by fishing, farming and honey production. Mass tourism has since proved a double-edged sword, bringing wealth and marble-finished main-street pavements, which can be slippery when wet, but also widespread commercialisation.

Traffic now crowds the streets, which are lined with increasingly costly carpet and jewellery shops. Yet the old town's twisting, narrow lanes retain pockets of traditional Turkey, including lively markets, Turkish baths and places to bargain over Oriental carpets.

Follow the pedestrian, shop-lined main road, Barbaros Hayrettin Caddesi. At the top, ask for directions to the principal market and ancient Kaleici neighbourhood, a web of narrow streets packed with bars, restaurants and character.

"Kaleici" translates from Turkish as inside the castle grounds. This oldest part of town is a historic quarter where many restaurants and shops, plus some night clubs, occupy old houses. The area also contains Turkish baths, known as hammam.

A causeway joins tiny Güvercin Adasi, or Pigeon Island, to the mainland. In its romantic setting, a well-kept flower garden encircles a restored 14th or 15th-century fortress containing a restaurant and open-air café. It is roughly a half-hour walk from port. Entry to the grounds and fortress museum is 10 Euros, and no part of the site is accessible without paid admission.

Kusadasi is straightforward to explore on foot.

Taxis around town are inexpensive, regulated and easy to find. On longer trips, however, a driver may ask for more than the meter shows, so settle the price beforehand. Turkey's more unusual transport is the Dolmus, serving routes that buses do not. Its name means "To Fill", and it departs once full. Usually a minibus, jeep or van, it fills quickly and can drop passengers anywhere along the route.

Ephesus ranks among the eastern Mediterranean's best-preserved cities from classical antiquity. It was already an important seaport in 600 BC, but silting across many centuries left it a few miles inland. A ship-organised tour is the easiest way to reach the site.

Kusadasi, approximately 8 miles away, serves cruise passengers as the gateway to Ephesus. Summer afternoons become extremely hot, so most excursions arrive in the morning; consequently, the ancient city is also particularly crowded on summer mornings.

Coaches leave visitors on one side of Ephesus for a gradual downhill walk to the collection point opposite. Along the extensive route, guides explain remarkable mosaics and feats of architecture and engineering.

Allow at least half a day for Ephesus. Wear supportive walking shoes and a hat, apply sunscreen and carry water.

Further sights around Ephesus include the Church of St. John the Apostle and its frescoes, the celebrated House of the Virgin Mary and the excellent Ephesus Museum.

Tours to Ephesus often include the House of the Virgin Mary, and it is certainly worth seeing. On top of Nightingale Mountain, or Bulbul, this modest one-storey brick house is traditionally believed to be where she spent her final years. A German nun who experienced a vision discovered it in 1880. Countless pilgrims, including two popes, have visited since.

Reaching Ephesus by public transport is difficult, so a ship excursion or another organised tour is advised.

When taking a taxi, arrange collection from the opposite side of Ephesus, as the buses do. A short taxi excursion costs about 50 Euro, while admission is 7 Euro per person. This approach is especially advisable in hot weather.

For a cheaper journey, comfortable dolmuses, or public minibuses, leave Kusadasi very frequently for Ephesus and charge about 1 Euro per person one-way. Near the cruise terminal, board dolmus #5 and tell the driver you are travelling to Selcuk; the driver will indicate where to leave. Continue there by dolmus to Ephesus. At the Ephesus stop, either pay 22 lira for a taxi to the upper gate or walk to the lower gate.

Families may enjoy Adaland Aquapark, whose attractions include numerous water slides, a children's pool, Jacuzzi pool, wave pool, activity pool, ocean pool, lazy river, rafting river with an extra charge, jumping towers and trampolines. Adaland is around 8 km (5 mi) north of Kusadasi port, approximately a 15-minute drive. A taxi for 4 people costs 20-25 USD.

Grand and Orient Bazaars are Kusadasi's most important and most visited shopping centres, helped by their position close to Kusadasi harbour.

Popular purchases include traditional carpets, copperware, painted ceramics and jewellery, along with the leather goods, sandals and beachwear sold throughout most larger resorts.

Most shops sell many imitation brands, including Lacoste, Dolce & Gabbana, Louis Vuitton and Calvin Klein.

Haggling is always worth trying in souvenir shops and market stalls. Local mini markets cover basic food needs, while supermarkets close to larger resorts resemble those shoppers may know at home.

Visitors will find plenty of fish restaurants along Kusadasi's waterfront.

The Turkish Lira is Turkey's currency. Shops and restaurants in large cities and coastal resorts often take foreign money, but anyone travelling elsewhere in the country should carry some Turkish Lira.

Cash machines in convenient locations throughout cities, towns and resorts allow withdrawals of local currency using a credit or debit card.

Free WiFi is available in many of the town's restaurants and cafés.

Across Turkey, call 112 for an ambulance and 155 for the police.

Trading times are quite flexible in coastal and visitor areas. During summer, many shops remain open late into the evening, seven days a week, so visitors can browse unhurriedly and avoid the day's heat.