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Ayvalık & Cunda

6 places · 1 route · Marmara

An olive-oil town of stone houses and converted churches, an island of fish tavernas across the causeway, and Mount Ida behind the gulf.

Today in Ayvalık & Cunda: sunrise 07:30 · sunset 18:24 (calculated)

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Old town, island and sunset1 day · 2 stops

Open / closed: Istanbul time, Thu 03:15. Ticket = foreign-visitor price. Visit times are our estimates.

  1. Culture · 200 m ~3 min walk

    Ayvalık old town

    Open space Free ~2–4 h

  2. Culture · 200 m ~3 min walk

    Taksiyarhis Monument Museum

    Closed now €3 ~30–45 min

  3. Culture · 550 m ~7 min walk

    Ayvalık old town and Cunda Island

    Open space Free ~4–8 h

  4. Nature · 5.4 km ~13 min by road

    Şeytan Sofrası viewpoint

    Open space Free ~30 min–1 h

  5. Beaches · 6.2 km ~15 min by road

    Sarımsaklı Beach

    Open space Free

  6. Nature · 44 km ~1.2 h by road

    Kaz Dağı National Park (Mount Ida)

    Hours not verified Not verified ~3–6 h

Also in this area

Caves, waterfalls, gorges, hidden gems and viewpoints within 50 km (straight line) of the places above.

Adventure nearby: Diving (Ayvalık)

On this map and in our themes: Şeytan Sofrası viewpoint (viewpoint)

Local food with a registered name: Ayvalık Zeytinyağı

Caves & waterfallsHidden gemsViewpointsAdventureRegional food

Climate: when to go

Sea today: 19.0 °C at Ayvalık (MGM station, 21 Oct 09:00)

Monthly averages for Balıkesir province: warmest in August (average high 31.1 °C), coldest in January (average low 1.1 °C). Averages hide heat waves and cold snaps — check the forecast before you travel.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Average high9°10°13°19°24°29°31°31°28°23°15°10°
Average low1°2°3°7°12°16°18°19°15°11°5°3°
Sunshine, hours a day3.03.64.45.77.29.29.59.07.85.23.51.7
Rainy days1314131111542381015

Source: Turkish State Meteorological Service (MGM), 1991–2020 climate normals for Balıkesir province (this month is highlighted). Values are averages for the whole province as MGM publishes them, not for one beach or hill.

Boat trips from here

Ayvalık & Cunda

Stops are the usual ones — operators vary; rules on the water come from the authorities' own texts. No operators or prices. All boat trips →

Watch

  • WHY ARE AYVALIK AND CUNDA HIDDEN GEMS! (YouTube'de Türkçe altyazılı seçebilirsiniz)

    Mick and Trudie · Watch on YouTube (new tab) ↗

  • Ayvalık: Turkey's Best-Kept Secret | CUNDA |51.

    WhereAbouts · Watch on YouTube (new tab) ↗

Videos by independent creators on YouTube; we don't endorse tours or offers in them. The player loads from youtube-nocookie.com only when you press play.

About Ayvalık

Ayvalık was a prosperous Greek olive-oil town until the population exchange of the 1920s; its neoclassical houses, factories and churches survived, and today it is one of the most atmospheric small towns on the north Aegean.

Cunda (Alibey) Island, joined by a causeway, is the evening destination for fish and meze; the beaches of Sarımsaklı and the islands of the bay are close by, and Kaz Dağı — Homer's Mount Ida — rises over the Gulf of Edremit to the north.

Is Ayvalık worth visiting?

Yes, for a slower Aegean stay: old streets, a good market, seafood and easy beaches, without the resort feel of the south coast.

Two or three nights is ideal; it also pairs well with Assos and Bozcaada to the north or Pergamon to the south.

Best for
Slow travellers, food lovers, couples, families looking for calm beaches.
How long
2–3 days.
Getting there
Buses from İzmir (about 2½ hours) and Çanakkale (about 3 hours); Edremit Körfez airport is about 45 minutes away. General directions, not checked against timetables.

Best time to go May–Jun · Sep–Oct

Early summer and September have warm sea and space on the beaches; July and August are busy. Many island restaurants close in winter.

Part of Marmara — all destinations, when to go and more places in the region.