İzmir's position on the Aegean makes it an ideal base for coastal day trips. The Çeşme Peninsula to the west has excellent beaches, thermal springs at Ilıca, and the kite-surfing and windsurfing conditions at Altınkum and Alaçatı that attract enthusiasts from across Europe. The village of Alaçatı itself, with its stone houses and boutique hotels, has been developed as one of the more fashionable small resorts in Turkey.
To the south, the Aegean coast runs through Kuşadası, Bodrum, and eventually Marmaris — all accessible by bus from İzmir's Otogar. For a day trip that combines beach with antiquity, the combination of Kuşadası, Ephesus, and the Dilek National Park is hard to beat.