Ilica: the family beach with warm water
Ilica is the workhorse beach of the peninsula, a long band of pale sand about ten minutes' drive from Alacati old town. Frommer's calls it the longest and most popular beach on the peninsula, with a sand strip over 1.5 kilometers. Two things make it unusual. First, the water stays shallow for roughly 100 meters out, which makes it close to ideal for children and cautious swimmers. Second, thermal springs rise from the seabed here, so the water runs noticeably warm; the Cesme municipality's public beaches page describes the hot springs turning Ilica and its neighbors into what amounts to a large thermal pool. Facilities are complete: sunbed clubs, free public sections, showers and food within reach.
Alacati bay: the windsurf beach
The bay about two kilometers south of the old town is where the town's sporting reputation lives. The water is shallow, flat and sand-bottomed for a long way out, and in summer the meltemi blows down it with clockwork regularity, which is why the surf schools cluster here. It is a fine place to swim on lighter mornings, but on a windy July afternoon you will share it with fleets of sails and kites. If you are curious about riding rather than swimming, the full picture, seasons, conditions and school logistics, is in windsurfing in Alacati bay and the wind season calendar.
Delikli Koy: the cove for a slow day
Delikli Koy sits on the coast south of Alacati, a small cove framed by rock, named for the pierced boulder offshore. Reviewers on Tripadvisor rate it among the best swimming spots on this shore for its clean water and the view from the clifftop. Turkey Travel Planner notes that coves like Delikli Koy and Cleopatra Koy are usually reached by taxi from Alacati, since public transport does not serve them. Bring water and shade; services range from a seasonal cafe to nothing at all.
Cark and the Ilica public sections
On the Ilica shore, free public bathing areas sit alongside the paid clubs, and Cark Plaji is the best known of them, busy with local families through the summer. The municipality maintains a list of free public beaches across the district on cesme.bel.tr, which is the reliable reference if you want to avoid sunbed fees entirely. The Ilica shore also doubles as a kitesurf spot when the meltemi runs, documented in the Ilica spot guide at letskite.ch.
Pirlanta and the far peninsula
West of Cesme town, Pirlanta beach is a favorite of wind and kite surfers and makes a good half-day pairing with a visit to Cesme itself. Distances stay small on the peninsula, so any beach here works as an outing from an Alacati hotel; the day trips guide strings them into routes. If a sandy beach at the hotel door matters more to you than the old town, consider sleeping in Ilica instead; the trade-offs are covered in where to stay by neighborhood.
Quick comparison
| Beach | Character | From old town | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ilica | Long sand, warm shallow water, full services | About 10 min by car | Families, easy days |
| Alacati bay | Shallow flat water, steady wind, surf schools | About 5 min by car | Windsurf, kitesurf |
| Delikli Koy | Rocky cove, clear water, minimal services | Short taxi ride | Snorkeling, quiet |
| Cark / Ilica public | Free municipal bathing sections | About 10 min by car | Budget beach days |
| Pirlanta | Open sand west of Cesme, reliable wind | About 25 min by car | Kitesurf, day trips |