Edremit

For the town with the same name on Lake Van in Eastern Anatolia, see Van.

Edremit is a city in the Northern Aegean Region of Turkey. It’s a few km inland from the tip of the Gulf of Edremit, a large inlet of the Aegean Sea. Small resorts straggle along the coast, the main ones being Altınoluk, Akçay and Burhaniye, with Güre inland on the slopes of Kazdağı, the ancient Mount Ida. These resorts are also described on this page. The combined district had a population of 161,145 in 2020.

Understand

Windswept olive tree in Pelitköy

Edremit is named for Adramytteion, which lies somewhere beneath its modern streets. That ancient city had disappeared before the Turkish tribes assailed the area, and it was an early Ottoman conquest, by Orhan in 1336. However like other coastal towns it continued to have a majority Greek population: Dr Panos Dukakis, the father of Governor Michael Dukakis of Massachusetts, emigrated from Edremit in 1912. Murderous ethnic conflict broke out here in 1914, continuing through the First World War into the follow-on Greek-Turkish War. The 1923 Treaty of Lausanne deported the Greeks, who were replaced by Turks displaced from the Balkans plus immigrants from Anatolia.

The lowlands around town grow olives and other produce, while the slopes just north are forested, so Edremit's industries are agricultural.

Turizm Danışma the tourist office is on Ismail Kızıklı Cd near Ören beach west of Burhaniye, +90 266 416 3500. It's open M-F 08:30-12:30, 13:30-17:30, Sa Su 10:30-16:00. Other "tourist offices" across the district are travel agencies and commercial outlets marketing their own tours or accommodation.

Get in

1 Balıkesir Koca Seyit Airport ((EDO  ^IATA)), Bostancı, Edremit, ☏ +90 266 376 1297. Previously known as Edremit Körfez, this changed its name in 2012 to honour Koca (Corporal) Seyit, heroic gunner of 1915. What they didn't do is make it in any way more convenient for Balıkesir 90 km east. It has flights by Turkish Airlines twice daily from Istanbul IST (1 hr) and once from SAW; flying from Ankara involves a change so you might be quicker by bus. In summer there are occasional flights from Düsseldorf. There are car hire desks in Arrivals. (updated Jul 2022)

Edremit is on the Istanbul - Izmir bus route, so it has direct services every hour or so round the clock. From Istanbul these take 7 hours via Bursa and Balıkesir, fare 500 TL, and from Izmir 3 hours for 140 TL. Direct buses also run from Ankara (8 hr 30 min, 500 TL) via Eskişehir, Balıkesir and Bursa, and from Çanakkale (2 hours, 130 TL) on their way to Izmir. Operators are Metro Turizm, Pamukkale and Flixbus.

2 Otogar the bus station is central in Edremit town.

3 Burhaniye is also a stop for inter-city buses towards Izmir. The station is 1 km north of town centre.

4 Altınoluk is also a stop for inter-city buses towards Çanakkale. The station is mid-town on D-550.

Get around

Dolmuşes radiate from Edremit to all the other townships. Don't use the inter-city buses for the short hop between the Edremit Gulf towns; they probably wouldn't sell you a ticket.

See

• Ethnography Museum (Ayşe Sıdıka Erke Etnografya Müzesi), Yılmaz Akpınar Blv 12a, Edremit (500 m southeast of otogar), ☏ +90 266 374 1718. Daily 09:00-17:00. Small fusty museum in Edremit town centre. Adult 2 TL. (updated Jul 2022)
• Burhaniye town centre is modern, but Hacı Ahmet mosque south along Atatürk Cd is from 1798. It's built in the style of a Greek basilica but was always a mosque, not a converted church. There are pleasant cobbled streets south of it. In the centre, look out Koca and Çarşı mosques.

Akçay beach is crowded in summer

• 1 National Forces Culture Museum (Kuvayi Milliye Kültür Müzesi), Fidanlık Sk, Burhaniye (Burhaniye town centre). Daily 09:00-17:30. Built in 1840 as a mansion for a local worthy, this became the centre for local resistance to the Greek invasion of 1919, which escalated into the War of Turkish Independence. Free. (updated Jul 2022)
• 2 Adramyttium was a coastal city founded in the 6th century BC. It lay at the edge of several empires, so it was warred over by Persia, the Grecian states, Rome, the Norman Crusaders, Genoa and others. The original site is now in the midst of Ören beach strip and is still under excavation, but you can peek through the fence at the work in progress. A Pegasus statue was dug up - a modern replica has been set up north side of the site. At some point Adramyttium relocated to what is now Edremit, but nothing of this Mark II city remains. It's not known when or why it moved, but 6th to 12th century AD through harbour silting is the best guess.
• 3 Our Village Museum (Bizim Köy Müze Hareketli Etnoğrafya Galerisi) is on the main highway towards Ayvalık and Izmir. It's kinda kitsch and retail-oriented, which is why it's open daily 08:00-00:00.
• 4 Pelitköy is a beach resort on the cape west of Burhaniye. Its antiquities have moved to museums elsewhere.
• 5 Şahinler east of Pelitköy, 7 km from the highway, is the site of a "painted mosque". Don't be disillusioned by the mosque's very plain, boxy appearance from the outside; its interior is richly decorated with atypical floral and landscape paintings.
• 6 Karaağaç is a small resort further south. Ancient Kisthene (Κισθήνη) lay somewhere south near Gömeç, but until they find it, you can't go and see it.
• See Ayvalık for sights further west and south towards Izmir.
• 7 Akçay is a large beach resort at the head of the gulf, with the widest choice of accommodation and eating places.
• 8 Güre is a small geothermal resort inland north of the gulf. Ida-Madra Geopark on Edremit Cd south side of town introduces the area's natural curiosities.
• 9 Tahtakuşlar Ethnography Gallery, Çamlıbel 25 sk 1, Tahtakuşlar, ☏ +90 266 387 3340. Daily 09:00-19:00. Quirky but good value museum, exhibitions include Turkey's nomadic shamanistic period. Adult 4 TL. (updated Jul 2022)
• 10 Kazdağı Museum is a small museum at the foot of the road up to Güre. It's open daily 10:00-18:00, adult 8 TL, child 5 TL. 200 m up that road you can see the foundations of the ancient city of Astyra.
• 11 Antandrus (Ἄντανδρος) was a Hellenistic city on Devren hill. Excavations and discoveries continue, but you can look at the work in progress here and at the necropolis 500 m further west.

Hasan drowned but you'll be fine

• 12 Hasanboğuldu is a scenic mountain valley: from the coast highway east of Akçay, follow the lane north for 5 km through Zeytinli. There are waterfalls and ponds you can plunge in, where the steady temperature of 7°C will get your attention. There's a picnic area, camping and eating places. The name means "Hasan drowned" and there's a mawkish folk tale of unrequited love. Hasan the lowlander twice failed the test to marry the sturdy highlander Emine: by failing to tote a sack of salt that she wouldn't blink at, and then by drowning himself in a pool that hundreds of visitors actually find refreshing. So Emine hanged herself, but the upside is that she carried the salt home first, and there isn't a tree called "Emineasıldı".
• 13 Kaz Dağı is a mountain of 1774 m. In legend it was Mount Ida, where the gods reclined and watched the progress of the Trojan Wars. Its south slopes towards the gulf are a national park, Kazdağı Millî Parkı, and the main access is by the lane winding up from Pınarbaşı. It can also be approached from the north via Bayramiç; this side is not within the park.
• Altınoluk is the westernmost resort along the coast of Edremit district, see "Go" marker. Lots of accommodation and eating places. Some of these use "Güre" as their postal address, but see above for that hillside village.
• See Assos for the next small resort west, Küçukkuyu. Here you branch off on the coast road to Behramkale, for the ancient citadel of Assos.
• 14 Havran is a small town with a museum and a memorial to local hero Corporal Seyit. In 1915 he was a gunner at Kilitbahir repulsing the Allied fleet, but his crane for loading the massive shells was knocked out. He hefted and loaded three shells with his own brute strength, and the third of them disabled and sank a French cruiser.

Do

Atatürk in Edremit in 1923

• Derman is a geothermal spring (kaplıca) 4 km southeast of Edremit. It's a busy highway junction and the best way to experience it is at one of the spa hotels - Entur Termal is the pick of these, see Sleep.
• Akçay Lunapark is a chain funfair near Akçay marina, open daily 10:00-02:00.

Buy

All the towns have small supermarkets, and Edremit town has a couple of dozen. The chain stores are Migros, Dia and A101, usually open daily 08:00-22:00.

Eat

• Edremit has a cluster in the old centre near the museum. Pick any of Gram Plus, Mercan, Deli Burger, Cumhuriyet Mustafanın Yeri, Tarihi Ömür Lokantası, İnci, Özdemir, Öz Hamur or Cumhuriyet Lokantası.
• Akçay has Ciğerci Malik Usta on the highway, with liver and other kebabs as its specialties, 24 hours daily, 100-175 TL.
• Burhaniye eating places are mostly on the south beach strip near the marina.
• Pelitköy has a couple on the north-facing beach, but more beyond the cape on the west-facing beach.

Drink

Hacı Ahmet Mosque in Burhaniye

• Edremit has Gece Bistro by the otogar, and Park Izgara and Tütüncü Baba in the centre.
• Ören Beach has Martin Pub, Köşem, Sizz Cafe, Nostra (formerly Kuytu), Antica F, Pasha and Kafemm.
• Akçay has Köprü Beach, Esinti, Asparagus Beach, Akçay Kıyı Cafe, Çınar, Garage Art Shot Bar, Rock Cafe, Dostlar, Luca's, Ah-Pub and Sosyete.
• Altınoluk has Defne, Rıhtım, Hoppa, Shot Bar, Nisan Türkü Evi, Sant Pub, Sahil'de Bistro, Kırmızı Bar, Günlerin Getirdiği Rock Bar and Mamba Beach.

Sleep

• Zeybek Hotel, Hürriyet Cd 21, Edremit (500 m east of otogar), ☏ +90 266 373 1075. Smart business hotel, central and good value for money. B&B double 500 TL. (updated Jul 2022)
• Uytun Otel, Akçay Cd 84, Edremit (500 m northwest of otogar), ☏ +90 266 373 0047. Boxy basic place, cleanliness erratic, convenient for transport. B&B double 1000 TL. (updated Jul 2022)
• 1 Entur Termal Hotel, Kaplıcalar Mevkii Küme Evler 8, Edremit (jcn of D550 and D230), ☏ +90 444 6703. Spa hotel in the geothermal area. B&B double 1200 TL. (updated Jul 2022)
• Burhaniye town has a couple of hotels, but most accommodation is on Ören beach strip 3 km west. Going north along the strip are Idahan, Karakaş, Çiçek Aile Pansiyonu, New Fiord and more. Going south from the creek are Tezmadra, Köprü, Blue Port and Marina Hotel.
• Pelitköy: Grand Rimedya is the main hotel.
• Akçay has dozens of hotels and pansiyons. Campsites along the coast include Güre Camping Plaj, Askar and Ulus 99.
• Altınoluk has lots. Around the marina not far from the bus station are Mare & Monte, Bacahan, Ucem, Asmalı and Vesta. Campsites are Barbaros, Caravan Çadır, Onuncu Köy, Deniz and Endemik.
• Güre: the hotels here (such as Ramada Resort) get rotten reviews.
• Mountain campsites around the National Park include Weeping Falls, İnek Obası, Troltunga, Pine Garden, Değirmen, Kazdaği Kamp, Arden, Akaleos, Kuzgun and Xibalba.

Connect

Edremit town, the gulf shore resorts and the highway from Balıkesir have 4G from all Turkish carriers. As of July 2022, 5G has not rolled out in Turkey.

Go next

• Assos is an acropolis with a temple to Athena, by the village of Behramkale.
• Troy is on the highway north. The ruins are scrappy but there's a fine museum.
• Balıkesir east is the regional capital. It's mostly modern but its mosques were rebuilt after the earthquake of 1898.
• Ayvalık heading south is a large resort with causeways to nearby islands.
• Bergama, the ancient city of Pergamon, can be reached via Ayvalık or by winding over the hills.
• Istanbul to Izmir is an itinerary through this region, with one branch swinging through Edremit.

Routes through Edremit

Çanakkale ← Troy ← Junctions (W), (W) ←	N  S	→ Ayvalık → Izmir
Ends at ←	W  E	→ Balıkesir → Eskişehir