8 Best Sights in The Central and Southern Aegean Coast, Turkey

Construction of the magnificent, 5,000-seat ancient theater began during the 4th century BC reign of King Mausolus, back when Bodrum was known as Halicarnassus of Caria. The Hellenistic theater was used and updated through the Roman era, and remains one of the ancient city's best-preserved monuments; it is still used for concerts and other performances. The view of Bodrum and the Aegean sea is breathtaking from this high, hillside vantage point, though the outlook is marred by the loud, busy highway that runs alongside the theater.

Named for St. Charalambos (also known as Haralambos), a local bishop martyred at the age of 113, and whose skull is still venerated in Greece, this large, early-19th-century Greek basilica church is a relict of Çeşme's former Greek Orthodox inhabitants, and was restored by the municipality in 2012. The space is now used as a cultural center that hosts art exhibitions and handicrafts bazaars. If it's open for one of these events, it's worth taking a peek inside as you stroll down the main street of Çeşme's shopping district; look up to see painted saints peering down at you from the ceiling.

This delightfully hokey museum, across the street from the Archaeology Museum, focuses on folk art and daily life. The collection includes everything from a reconstructed Ottoman bridal chamber (the mannequin groom looks like he's had second thoughts) to camel-wrestling gear, 19th-century embroidery, and a reconstruction of an old İzmir pharmacy.

There aren't many sights in Kuşadası proper, but the causeway just south of the harbor connects the town to an old Genoese castle on Güvercin Adası (Pigeon Island). Once home to three infamous Turkish pirate brothers in the 16th century, the fortress has been restored and opened to visitors, with its tree-studded grounds providing a lovely space for strolling, relaxing, and taking in the sea and city vistas. To the right of the castle entrance, there’s a swimming platform well-used by locals in summer (despite the proximity to the city center, the water appears quite clean) and a casual café serving reasonably priced snacks and drinks with a million-dollar view.

Only 7 km (4 miles) from Pamukkale, this down-to-earth village attracts visitors for its "red springs," where the warm water—which bears a red glow due to its mineral content—and gooey mud are popular for their supposed health-giving properties. A small section of the springs is open to the public and flanked by inexpensive restaurants—mud baths and pools that have dead-skin-nibbling "doctor fish" are also available. There's regular dolmuş service from Pamukkale to Karahayıt, which also has a busy covered market area with lots of small local eateries and cafés.

Kuşadası's 300-year-old caravanserai is a short stroll from the cruise ship dock; its central courtyard is open to the public during the day but there's not much to see. Previously a hotel, there are now plans to turn the building into a city museum.

Today a lone column towering over a scattering of fallen stones in a marshy lowland on the Selçuk–Ephesus road is all that remains of a temple that was once four times larger than the Parthenon in Athens, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Fragments of the temple are on display at İsa Bey Mosque. Begun in the 7th century BC, greatly expanded by the wealthy Lydian king Croesus, and redone in marble in the 6th century BC, the temple was torched by a disgruntled worshipper in 356 BC. Rebuilt by Alexander the Great, it was captured by Goths in AD 263 and later stripped for materials to build Istanbul's Aya Sofya and Selçuk's St. John Basilica. As goddess of the hunt and wild creatures, Artemis might well approve of the temple's new inhabitants: lizards, frogs, storks, and dozens of other birds. The temple is an easy 10-minute walk along a tree-lined road from Selçuk center, and more evocative if you visit it on your own.