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Istanbul Jazz Festival

Istanbul Jazz Festival – this musical event radiates the city in jazzy lights with over 35 concerts featuring more than 250 musicians both from Turkey and abroad, including some of the most authentic voices in folk, blues, and jazz such as Jools Holland, Marcus Miller, Charnett Moffett, Stanley Jordan, Cyrus Chestnut, Jeff Watts, Chris Potter, Dave Holland, Lionel Loueke, Eric Harland, Melody Gardot, and Tigran Hamasyan. Thanks to this event, music resonates across Istanbul — from the most unconventional places to the more common destinations. See this event’s website for details: http://caz.iksv.org/en

Istanbul Coffee Festival

Istanbul Coffee Festival – held every October at Istanbul Haydarpaşa Gari (railway terminal), this event was established to support coffee culture and provide a place for meeting of people who are interested in coffew — whether they are professional baristas, coffeehouse owners, the ones who are just starting with coffee or others who are already familiar with it but wanted to learn more.

This festival is a celebration of caffeine with degustation of coffee & food samples, tasting from local and international rosters, presentation of various coffeehouses and baristas, watch, be inspired and drink good coffee in La Marzocco’s Artisan Bar, beside this tea and chocolate companies, gourmet food and beverages, bakeries as well as interactive workshops of brewing methods and LAB. programs, live music, DJs, art exhibitions and much more. See the event website for more details: www.istanbulcoffeefestival.com

Foça

Foça (Izmir province) – located six hours south of Istanbul, this is one of the most beautiful spots of the Aegean region. Foça is a lovely vacation paradise that enchants everyone with its scenic beauty and clear sea. One of the cities of the Ionian League of the ancient times, Foça was formerly known as Phocaea named after the seals inhabiting the area. This charming resort is divided into two districts namely, Eski Foça (Old Foça) and Yeni Foça (New Foca). A typical seaside resort, Foça will capture you with its natural wonders.

Electronica Fest

Electronica Fest (Istanbul & Izmir) — being the first and pioneering electronic music festival in Turkey, Electronica Festival has gathered more than 150,000 music lovers, accompanied by more than 600 musicians since its beginning in 2004.

Run by Turkey’s leading dance music station, FG 93.7, Electronica Festival is keen on its inclusionary take on electronic music and known for counting in various sub-genres. Electronica Festival presents 2 different editions every year that usually spans over 2 days: Istanbul (held in July) and Çeşmeme (Izmir) (held in August). Each edition welcomes both household names and up-and-coming young talents. See its website for ticketing and other info: https://electronicafest.com/

Datça

Datça (Mugla province) — One of the most beautiful peninsulas stretching into the Aegean Sea, Datça lies at the bosom of a bedazzling nature abounding in ancient monuments and artifacts dating back to more than thousand years ago. Settled by the Carians for the first time in 2000 B.C, the importance of the region has increased steadily over time. Datça, which lived its heyday by the time the Dorians had established Knidos, came under the rule of the Lydians, Persians, Byzantines, and finally the Ottomans.

Having sheltered a variety of civilizations throughout the centuries, the town is now the site of a variety of structures and monuments of diverse cultures. Particularly rich in the remains of the Dorian and Byzantine periods the region is worth exploring. Datça with its 235 km long coastline and 52 bays delights the visitor with different natural wonders in every corner. Surrounded by numerous blue flag beaches, the town has a typical Mediterranean climate. Summers are hot and dry whereas winters are mild and rainy.

Çeşme

Çeşme (beach town) – located 7 ½ hours via car southwest of Istanbul, Cesme, the site of ancient Erythrai (Ildırı) established by the Cretans as one of the cities of the Pan-Ionian League, is one of the most visited places of the Aegean region today. Named originally Cyssus in the ancient time (and located opposite the Greek island of Chios), the name of the location was eventually changed to Çeşme (the Persian word for fountain) due to the cold and delicious water resources in the region. Building fountains at the onset of springs became a tradition within time and made Çeşme a site of attraction for its fountains.

The town has been under the rule of the Lydian, Persian, Pergamon, Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman empires throughout the centuries. Today, the town impresses its visitors with its magnificent cultural mosaic. The peninsula extending into the Aegean Sea, offers a spectacular view of the sea and the mountains rising behind of it. Hot and dry during the summer while mild and rainy during the winter, Çeşme will introduce you to a typical Mediterranean climate.

Carya Golf Club

Carya Golf Club (Tasliburun Mevkii, Antalya) – located in Antalya’s Belek Region is the first classic, heathland style golf course to be built on Turkey’s Mediterranean coast. Set on undulating sand hills, Carya is a championship golf course at the heart of Turkey’s golf coast.

Grown in an extensive nursery on site, Carya’s heather shapes define the course into a truly magnificent spectacle. The 7,186 yards, par 72 course, is a demanding test of golfing strategy with free-flowing holes rhat run between pine and eucalyptus trees and across a dramatic sand ridge. Carya boasts a Player’s Course, a world class Gold Academy and spectacular new Club House.

More important, Carya has launched the first lighted golf course of Europe with a major investment. By lighting the last 9 holes out of totally 18 holes, Carya Golf Club offers the opportunity of playing golf at night with the comfort of daylight. In this way, the guests can enjoy playing golf under the warm climate of Mediterranean Sea up until late at night. Having been selected as the best golf destination in 2008, Belek Resort has been literally flooded by golf lovers since then. See its website for more info: www.caryagolf.com

Burc Beach Kilyos

Burc Beach Kilyos – located an hour north of Istanbul (on land owned by the University of Bogazici), the beach has everything to make you have a good day. It extends over 2 km, has white lovely sand and offers many activities such as sea catamarans, canoeing, kayaking, windsurfing and volleyball courts. There is also a bar – restaurant and a bar on the beach. On the weekends (during the late afternoon), music and good music await you. Burc Beach also hosts the annual World Championships of kitesurfing and many concerts.

Bodrum

Bodrum (Mugla province)(beach town) – located 10 hours via car (or 1 via plane) south of Istanbul, Bodrum is known as ’’the land of eternal blue’’, a stunning town both for its spectacular nature and variety of ruins with a history estimated to go back to the year 1000 BC. Bodrum is one of the magnificent bays of Muğla and among the most beautiful areas of the Aegean region. It offers different beauties to its visitors in every season.

Known as Halicarnassus in the ancient times, Bodrum has many ancient relics and sites left behind by the Romans, Byzantines and Ottomans. The year 353 BC was the most significant era in the history of the town when it was capital of the Caria region. Nevertheless, Bodrum still maintains its significance in the present day.

The Tomb of King Mausolus, one of the Seven Wonders of the World constructed within a time span of 100 years, is a popular open-air museum. Bodrum is shrouded in a dreamlike atmosphere with its castle located at the junction of the eastern and western ports, the cupolas and narrow streets and its famous white Bodrum houses lined up along the beautiful shore. Offering a variety of luxurious resorts and boutique hotels by the turquoise sea, Bodrum is a haven for visitors fond of history and entertainment all the year round.

Ayvalik

Ayvalik (Marmara region) (beach town) — one of the most beautiful holiday resorts of the Marmara region, Ayvalık attracts the attention particularly for its closeness to major cities such as Istanbul and Izmir. Famous for its scenic beauty Ayvalık is also well known for its delicious cuisine. Comprised of a great variety of dishes prepared with ingredients such as olives, olive oil, organic herbs, vegetables and seafood the local cuisine will please your palate. The resort, where you can enjoy the sea, nature, history and local cuisine, offers a variety of romantic and tranquil locations. The site of tourist attractions such as Cunda Island and Şeytan Sofrası (Devils Banquet), offering terrific views of a colorful nature, this lovely holiday resort welcomes tourists through the entire year.