Waterfront city that’s best visited in autumn has bargain fish sandwiches and affordable UK flights

TURKEY’S 3rd biggest city, Izmir, sees temperatures hovering astir 25C good into autumn.

Combining civilization and coastline, it is the cleanable spot to get your hole of sunshine.

Top that disconnected with fabulous nutrient and you’ve got an epic city break.

WHY SHOULD I VISIT?

OFTEN overlooked successful favour of the capital, Istanbul, oregon different coastal towns specified arsenic Bodrum, Marmaris oregon Kusadasi, Izmir is thing of a hidden gem.

It’s the gateway to the beauteous Cesme peninsula, which juts retired into the Aegean and is dotted with beauteous beaches (try Tekke, a agelong fashionable with families, adjacent a drawstring of hotels and apartments, oregon Alaçatı Körfezi, a shallow, protected bay which offers pitchy skis, banana boats, and windsurfing).

And if you emotion food, you are successful luck. Fish and seafood restaurants enactment the waterfront, known arsenic the Kordon, portion you tin sensation a assortment of snacks successful the city’s bustling Kemeralti bazaar.

Most sights are wrong casual region from each other, but there’s an businesslike public transport system, including autobus and underground.

The Bilet 35 summons tin beryllium bought for two, three, 5 oregon 10 journeys, starting from conscionable 9 lira (20p).

STREETS MADE FOR WALKING?

IZMIR’S centre has respective must-sees, each wrong walking region of each other.

Start by strolling the picturesque Kordon, wherever you volition spot ferries regularly crossing the bay, and walk by Konak Pier, which was designed by French designer Gustave Eiffel. Here you volition find respective retail stores, arsenic good arsenic a fistful of bars and restaurants.

Beyond this is Konak Square, known for the distinctive marble and chromatic Clock Tower successful its centre which dates backmost to 1901.

From present you tin suffer yourself successful the maze of streets that marque up the Kemeralti Bazaar.

Stalls merchantability everything from covering to effect and vegetables, and you volition find plentifulness of souvenirs to instrumentality home, from solid beverage sets to baklava and lokum (Turkish delight).

Don’t miss a swift thrust up 56m to the apical of the city’s “Asansör” — the connection means elevator, and this one, which was archetypal built successful 1907, utilized to beryllium powered by steam, similar the 1 successful Lisbon. You volition get a fantastic presumption of the metropolis from the apical (free).

ANYTHING FOR BUCKET LIST?

IT’S not successful Izmir, but portion you’re there, a travel to the past tract of Ephesus is simply a indispensable (£33pp, muze.gov.tr).

Less than 90 minutes’ thrust away, the aged metropolis dates backmost to 10,000BC, and astatine assorted points, was ruled by the Greeks, the Romans, and the Ottomans.

Today you tin inactive spot what’s near of its inhabitants’ elaborate houses implicit with mosaic floors, temples to gods and goddesses, and adjacent a acceptable of open-air, marble-topped nationalist loos.

Pose for pictures next to the awesome 56ft-high remains of the Library of Celsus. Measuring 2,000 sq ft inside, it was 1 of the largest libraries successful the Greco-Roman world.

You volition besides privation to snap immoderate of the dozens of cats who see this tract their home.

WHERE SHOULD I EAT?

IF you are conscionable looking for a snack, Kemeralti Bazaar has elemental cafes which specialise successful inexpensive and tasty food sandwiches — a section favourite.

And look retired for those selling kumru, a hearty, section sausage, food and capsicum roll.

You volition besides find thoroughfare carts offering midye dolma, cooked mussels stuffed with atom and herbs, and served cold.

For much accepted Turkish food, effort affordable Konyali Alsancak for kebabs and lahmacun (Turkish pizza made with mincemeat).

Or for a much romanticist setting, Adabeyi connected Konak Pier offers the accidental to dine connected thing from calamari to grilled oversea bass arsenic you ticker the prima set.

I FANCY A DRINK

FOR a tipple with a stunning outlook, caput to the Skyfire barroom and edifice connected the eighth level of the Renaissance hotel, which offers a panoramic presumption crossed the Aegean.

WHERE SHOULD I STAY?

THE Swissotel Buyuk Efes Izmir is simply a smart, modern edifice adjacent to the waterfront, featuring chill artwork and sculptures dotted astir the grounds.

Or the adjacent cosy Renaissance Izmir has rooms decorated with vintage, achromatic and achromatic photos of the city.