# Ayvalık, Cunda and Pergamon Ayvalık, on Turkey's northern Aegean coast 45 minutes from Edremit airport, has kept its fabric of 19th-century stone houses. Stay in restored mansions, drive over to Cunda Island and spend a day at Pergamon, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Three boutique hotels in the Sabaro selection. Source : https://sabaro-travel.com/en/turkey/ayvalik-cunda/ Ayvalık is a small town on the northern Aegean coast, facing the Greek islands. It has kept its 19th-century fabric almost intact: whole streets of houses in local stone, with arched doorways and tall windows. It is a slow-paced destination, quieter than the Çeşme peninsula, where you stay in restored mansions. Pergamon, one of the great ancient cities of Turkey, is an hour's drive away. ## Ayvalık old town Ayvalık's houses are built of a local stone known here as "sarımsak taşı". Their façades follow the same pattern: doors under an arch or a high lintel, wide windows, tiled roofs. Many have been restored in recent years, some more faithfully than others; a few have become small hotels, such as CavlıHane, a house from 1885. The town is best discovered on foot, with no fixed plan, between the harbour and the sloping streets. ## Cunda Island Cunda, also called Alibey, is an island linked to Ayvalık by road, 8 km from the centre, eight minutes away. Its landmark is the **Despot Evi**, built in 1862 by an Orthodox dignitary with donations from the islanders. It later became an Ottoman government building, then an orphanage and school after the population exchange of the 1920s, before being abandoned. Turkish cinema shot several films there in the 1970s and 1980s. Restored between 2015 and 2019, it now houses a hotel in our selection. ## Pergamon, an hour's drive away Pergamon, today's Bergama, is 66 km from Ayvalık, just over an hour. The city has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 2014. Allow a full day. - **The Acropolis**, the upper city, with its hillside theatre, library and temples. Open daily from 8.30 am to 5.30 pm local time (the ticket office closes at 5 pm). Admission: €16 from 1 April 2027. - **The Asclepieion**, the ancient healing sanctuary in the lower town, same hours. Admission: €15 from 1 April 2027. - **The Red Basilica** (Kızıl Avlu), a huge Roman brick temple in central Bergama, and the **Bergama Museum**: €5 each. Prices are from the price list of the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism. A guided day trip to Pergamon from İzmir is sold from €190 per person for nine hours; from Ayvalık, a car with a driver is simpler. For more sites, see our [museums and culture](/en/themes/museums-and-culture/) page. ## Hotels in the Sabaro selection Ayvalık has no hotel with an international label. Our selection includes three restored mansions, all with prices on request for June 2027: no rates were published for those dates in October 2026. - **[Cunda Despot Evi](/en/hotels/cunda-despot-evi/)**, on Cunda Island: the 1862 Despot Evi, now "Cunda Callisto Despot Evi", 28 high-ceilinged rooms including 6 suites. The spa is at the sister hotel, with a free transfer. - **[CavlıHane 1885](/en/hotels/cavlihane-1885/)**, in central Ayvalık: an 1885 house restored in keeping with local architecture. - **[Olea Leya](/en/hotels/olea-leya/)**, in central Ayvalık: a historic building turned into a small hotel, with breakfast. ## Getting there The nearest airport is Balıkesir Koca Seyit at Edremit (EDO), 46 km from Ayvalık (44 minutes). It has flights to Istanbul with Turkish Airlines, AJet and Pegasus and, in season, to a few German cities. İzmir airport (ADB), with better links to Europe, is 173 km away, about 2 h 15. Ayvalık combines with Assos and Troy to the north (Assos 1 h 46 away) and İzmir to the south (about 2 hours): see [Assos, Troy and the Dardanelles](/en/turkey/assos-troy/) and [İzmir and Urla](/en/turkey/izmir-urla/). ## Climate and best time to go Summers are hot on land and the sea is a little cooler than further south. Average highs range from 11.8 °C in January to 33 °C in July and August. The sea reaches 22.5 °C in June and 24.1 °C in August, then drops to 20.5 °C in October. Rainfall is 655 mm a year, with almost none in July and August. For the sea, aim for June to September. For Pergamon and the town, May, June, September and October are more pleasant than August, when you visit the site at opening time. ## Safety No European foreign ministry advises against Ayvalık, Cunda or Bergama; the general advice for Turkey applies. Several ministries point to the summer risk of forest fires and to illicit alcohol: drink in reputable establishments. The "Travel advice" table on this page gives the advice of your country. ## Frequently asked questions ### Ayvalık or Cunda: where should I stay? In Ayvalık old town to walk the lanes; on Cunda Island for the Despot Evi and the seafront. They are eight minutes apart. ### Can you visit Pergamon in a day from Ayvalık? Yes: Bergama is just over an hour by road. Allow a morning for the Acropolis and an afternoon for the Asclepieion and the Red Basilica. ### How much does Pergamon cost to visit? From 1 April 2027: €16 for the Acropolis, €15 for the Asclepieion, €5 each for the Red Basilica and the museum. ### Which airport should I use? Edremit (EDO), 45 minutes away, with flights from Istanbul; or İzmir (ADB), just over two hours away, for direct flights from Europe.