First, it’s not just Assos
Set 90 km from Çanakkale and 18 km from Ayvacık, Assos is convenient to a number of other places worth seeing! Use Assos as a base for excursions to Bozcaada, Canakkale, Balıkesir, Mount Ida, Edremit and Ayvalık.
Secluded swimming spots
Featuring a panoramic view of Edremit Bay, peaceful Assos offers several swimming options. In addition to Kadırga and Sivrice bays, there’s the even quieter Sokakağzı Bay. The coastline between Küçükkuyu and Assos has pebble beaches and wood piers for swimming; along the shore are campsites and small pensions, so whether you plan to spend a day or several, you’ll find something that suits.
Aegean flavors with an Assos accent
In addition to gorgeous scenery, Assos has delectable cuisine. Whether you dine at a restaurant overlooking the Assos port or in a rustic fish eatery, you’ll find delicious dishes: hunter’s pastry, stuffed squash blossoms, horse beans in olive oil, pancakes with herbs, salad with grilled octopus, swordfish skewers, grilled squid and grouper, scorpionfish soup, stuffed calamari and sea beans. A unique regional snack is black mulberry soup and you’ll see it everywhere. Purchase olive oils and lemon thyme and bring a little bit of the North Aegean home with you.
Restaurants not to miss:
Yahya Usta Assos Ice Cream, for unusually wonderful honey-almond ice cream
Muammer Can’s Place in Sivrice, for fresh seafood
Panorama Restaurant in Sivrice, for meatballs on clay tile
Long House Restaurant, for an upscale dinner
Yahya’s Place on the road to Küçükkuyu, for fresh fish in a rustic setting
Behramkale and beyond: Overlooking nature
Established during the Ottoman Era, the hillside Behramkale Village is quite small, with just 150 households. Picturesque shops selling herbs, olive oils, homemade tarhana and handmade lace line the village’s narrow, stone-paved streets. As you ascend the hill, you’ll see the historical Hüdavendigar Mosque and the Ottoman-era Hüdavendigar Bridge. We recommend an afternoon walk up the hill, reaching the top just in time for sunset. Enjoy a relaxing tea and scenic views, with Lesbos Island opposite and Kadırga Bay below.
Serene foothills of Mount Ida: Adatepe and Yeşilyurt villages
Also on the foothills of Mount Ida, the villages of Yeşilyurt and Adatepe are worth visiting if you have time and access to a vehicle. Similar to Behramkale, both villages have stone houses and narrow, winding roads. Sample Yeşilyurt’s fabulous lavender ice cream and taste the olive oil made in Adatepe Village. And there are terrific views of Edremit Bay from the Altar of Zeus.
The westernmost tip of the Asian continent and Aegean flavors: Babakale
For your last day in Assos, venture a bit further (27 km) to the westernmost tip of Asia where you’ll find Babakale, a quaint Ottoman fishing village. Here, you can dine on Aegean-style appetizers and fish, or buy capers, which are grown in the area. Scuba diving, snorkeling and spear fishing are popular activities; take a break in one of the village’s coffee houses. There’s even a castle, which was built to protect the village from pirates. A final tip: livestock graze on the thyme-covered hills behind the village, so the dairy products are sensational. Try the ezine cheese, made of 80% sheep’s milk and 20% goat’s milk.
