Sığacık is a seaside fisherman's neighborhood in Seferihisar, a coastal district in the center town of Izmir Province. This small community is lined with cobblestone walkways taking you directly to the homes of local artisens who are creating ceramics, hand-knit items, hand-sewn boutique quality clothing, soap, olive oils, fruits and vegetables, pastries, wine, and much more. Sığacık offers great shopping opportunites to find items found nowhere else in Turkey and maybe even in the world.
Sığacık gained fame after Seferihisar became a city of Cittaslow, an organisation founded in Italy and was inspired by the slow food movement. Cittaslow's goals include improving the quality of life in towns by slowing down its overall pace, especially in a city's use of spaces and the flow of life and traffic through them.
An Ottoman castle built in 1522 is also located in the area, but is in ruins.
Alaçatı and Çeşme are two of the most popular tourist cities in Turkey with beautiful narrow streets, old Greek stone houses, lots of boutique hotels, restaurants, cafes and pubs. With its rustic stone houses with vibrantly painted wooden doors, upscale restaurants, boutiques and galleries, Alaçatı has all the hallmarks of a typical Mediterranean town.
In Izmir you will want to visit the Kadifekale (meaning "The Velvet Castle") built in the 3rd century BC, which is located on Mount Pagos at an elevation of 186 metres. Here you'll enjoy panoramic views of a large part of the city of İzmir and the Gulf of İzmir.
