We didn't have much time in Izmir, but we really wish we did. We ended up spending most of our days, based in Izmir, exploring ancient cities and taking day trips to other sites.
We made sure to check out the historical elevator, which was pretty cool. The elevator connects the upper and lower neighborhoods, where the alternative would be tons of stairs. The views from the top were amazing and there are even a few cafes where you can sip some Turkish tea while enjoying the view. The neighborhood at the bottom of the elevator is beautiful, with tons of colorful artwork and cute restaurants and cafes to check out.
We also made sure to walk over to Konak square, which is the main square here. It was beautiful, with the tall clock tower and mosque dominating the space. There was also a nice park and tons of green space along the water on the way to Konak Pier. The pier was a nice place to walk around inside, with restaurants, shops, and even a Starbucks inside.
Izmir also has a great bazaar, the ruins of an ancient city, and tons of other museums and places to check out. We'll have to come back someday to see the rest!
We didn't get much footage from our time in Izmir, our Airbnb, or our wonderful host there. We also spent a day at a local beach that had some beautiful blue water, however my camera stayed safely at the Airbnb that day.
Check out some of our other videos from Turkey, including our next video, which is our day spent at the great Pamukkale.
And check out our Instagram @gabbettfamilytravels