Article by:
Noelle Alejandra Salmi
“Everyone in Istanbul and Ankara wants to retire in Izmir,” or so I was told by Ayça Kesici, an Izmir native and award-winning tour guide. With a population exceeding four million, Izmir is a sizeable city, but it offers a relaxed pace of life and easy access to the outdoors, Ayça told us. In just 15 minutes, you can be hiking in a pine forest, while in 30 minutes you can be swimming in the Mediterranean.
Izmir itself is situated on the shores of a beautiful bay. While you wouldn’t necessarily want to swim in that busy body of water, the sea views are lovely, and you can always grab dinner at an outdoor restaurant near the shore. On a summer night, those restaurants will be buzzing with diners until late into the evening, tables laden with grilled fish and small meze plates and locally produced wine flowing. On a warm August evening, you might find the women wearing skinny jeans and summery shirts that reveal their shoulders. Read the full article here
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