The Kaleiçi — literally 'inside the castle' — is the small walled core of the old town, just behind the harbour and the caravanserai. The lanes are narrow and cobbled, with bougainvillea on the wooden balconies of converted Ottoman houses. Most of the houses today are restaurants, carpet shops, and small hotels rather than family homes.
It is touristy and the carpet sellers can be persistent — they know the cruise schedule better than the port authority — but the bones of the neighbourhood are real and the early evening, after the day-trippers have gone, is a good time to wander. The Camikebir and Alacamescit quarters at the back of the Kaleiçi are quieter and more residential.