Windsurfing in Alaçatı, Turkey

I learned windsurfing on a cold New England bay with fickle winds, currents and tides, so when I saw Alaçatı's windsurfing on Turkey's Çeşme peninsula, I was amazed: brisk, steady winds from the northeast, a broad bay protected from sea waves, tides and currents, with a soft sand sea bottom and few rocks.

Wow!

I sat there in a shady beachside cafe and watched the flags blowing sideways, steadily sideways, always blowing, as though someone had set controls on a wind tunnel to "moderate-brisk," then gone away on vacation.

This is perfect for windsurfing, I thought.

Then I saw letters formed with stones on the far hillside: Alaçatı: Surf Paradise.

On the hillside to the north of the bay, ranks of tall white electricity-generating windmills slowly turned, turned, turned. If it's steady enough for a windfarm, I thought, it must be windsurfing paradise.

Cafés, restaurants, many small hotels, and windsurfing shops provide everything you need, whether you want to take one run during your Alaçatı stay, or you intend to stay a week and surf 10 hours a day.

Alaçatı's windsurfing bay is about 3 km (2 miles) south of the town center. If you head north from Alaçatı 3 km (2 miles), you'll be at Ilıca, with its splendid swimming beach.

Every August, Alaçatı plays host toseveral races ("legs") of the PWA Windsurfing World Cup, six days of windsurfing challenges, competitions, and great viewing. More...