Imagine a little town surrounded by stone houses whose grey walls are dotted by vivid blue windows. And as you are stroll around the streets of the town, all of the paths lead you the Aegean Sea. In Alaçatı, a small coastal town in the western province of İzmir, just 8 kilometers southeast of Çeşme, this is the picturesque scene that greets you. Once a hidden secret, Alaçatı has been turned into a center of attraction for both foreign tourists and local ones from across the country. When you visit the town, you will easily understand why this small coastal town is one of the biggest attractions of western Turkey.Famous for being a haven for windsurfing with its vast sandy beaches, crystal clear turquoise waters and steady wind, Alaçatı is also adored for its architecture comprising stone houses and narrow, yet bustling streets lined with beautiful cafés, restaurants and artisan shops are reminiscent of fairytales that have sprung up relentlessly over the past decade.My friends and I arrived in Alaçatı at midnight. I was surprised because the summer season has ended, yet there was still a huge tourist influx on the streets. Then I realized that what makes this town unique is not just its sea or the shining sun, but its spirit that puts a big smile on your face.Until the 1990's, Alaçatı was a well-kept secret only known by the elites from big cities.Today, this lovely town witnesses a huge tourist influx each summer. As tourists rushed into the town in past years, water sports enthusiasts discovered that Alaçatı is a one of the most perfect spots for windsurfing and kitesurfing in the world. An exhilarating activity for all ages, I definitely recommend trying windsurfing during your visit. If you're a family, you are offered a great opportunity to try kitesurfing with your children. Schools have opened along the sandy coastline to teach kids, adults or elderly learners kite-surfing and windsurfing.What makes this place unique is not only its appropriate wind to surf but also its stylish houses, hand-crafted accessories and blossoming tree-lined streets filled with flowers whose scents and fragrances permeate the entire town.Nested between village houses, the winding roads of the town offers little shops you can buy souvenirs and cozy cafés where you can sit down for a drink and have a warm conversation with your friends. There are numerous restaurants serving high-quality Alaçatı cuisine to visitors.So, if what you are looking is a quiet place among the flowers to have breakfast, you should stop by Demlik Café whose namesake Demlik Pastry is beyond delicious! The café is right outside the center of town, but you can take a bus or rent a car to visit. If you are at the center of the town and looking for a restaurant to have lunch or dinner, Bizim Ev Ege Mutfağı is the perfect place to taste the delicious Alaçatı köfte (Alaçatı meatballs) and fried squid from the Aegean Sea. Together with its colorful umbrellas hanging over the covered street and friendly personnel, the restaurant shows you the warmth of Alaçatı hospitality.Catering to tourists throughout the year, Alaçatı's shops offer numerous travel gifts including giftware, accessories - especially Alaçatı bracelets suitable for women as well as men - interesting stickers and lovely outfits. With its trendsetting accessories and affordable prices, my personal favorite shop to buy accessories is Alatakı. The helpful lady who works at Alatakı said that three elderly women work during the winter to make those accessories and sell them during the summer. She said that the shop will be closed ahead of the upcoming summer, though. I was sad to learn that as of next year, I will not be able to find this shop again. So, if you catch the shop before it closes down, definitely buy as many accessories as you can.If you are worried about what to do at night in this little town, know that Alaçatı really comes to life at night! Surprisingly, only those who want to explore the town in tranquility rush into the city in the morning, but those who want entertainment await the sunset. There are numerous nightclubs in the town, but they are isolated to allocated streets to offer some serenity for those who are not interested in the clubbing scene.During your visit to Alaçatı, you should definitely spend two or more nights in the city to feel the peacefulness and entertainment surrounding you because one day is not enough to explore the town's houses, shops and friendly faces. At the end of my visit, the only thing that I can think about is coming back to open a small shop to sell handcrafted accessories in order to leave behind the hustle and bustle of big cities. How to get there: The drive from İzmir to Alaçatı is approximately 45 minutes. For those who come with their own vehicles from Istanbul; after getting off the Yenikapı-Bandırma ferry, driving through Balıkesir, Manisa, İzmir, it takes proximately four-to-five hours to get there. Companies in both >Istanbul and İzmir have regular buses to the destination. Alternatively, you can also fly direct to İzmir Adnan Menderes Airport from Istanbul and rent a car at the airport to drive to Alaçatı.