Cunda Island is one of the 22 islands, large and small, located in Ayvalık Bay and called Ayvalık Islands. Cunda, the only island open to settlement among these 22 islands in the Ayvalık district of Balıkesir, is Turkey’s fourth largest island in the Aegean Sea after Gökçeada, Bozcaada and Uzunada. Cunda Island, a favorite of local tourism, is especially known for its delicious fish restaurants serving olive oil appetizers along the coastline.
Cunda, also known as Alibey Island, is located at the intersection of sea routes in Western Anatolia. The first bridge to Cunda, which is connected to Ayvalık by two separate bridges, was built in 1964 in the Dolap Boğazı area. This bridge is Turkey’s first Bosphorus bridge and connects Cunda and Lale Islands. Lale Island is connected to the mainland by a 700-meter level bridge-road built by filling the sea in 1817.
cunda Island
Cunda is a perfect holiday destination with its unique texture, historical Greek houses, narrow cobblestone streets, various appetizers and blue flag beaches. Cunda Island, which was protected due to its natural beauties and historical structures and accepted as a natural and historical protected area in 1976, has many churches and monasteries from the Greek Orthodox community before the population exchange.
Cunda Island is the fourth largest island in Turkey’s Aegean Sea after Gökçeada, Bozcaada and Uzunada. The official name of the island is Alibey Island. Cunda, which the Greeks called Kokuluada (Moshinos) in the past, is a peaceful town with its pine and olive trees. It has become much more beautiful in recent years with newly opened boutique hotels and venues.
The name Ali Bey Island given to Cunda is dedicated to Lieutenant Colonel Ali Çetinkaya, the commander of the first unit that did not surrender to the Greeks during the War of Independence and started the armed struggle. Most of its population consists of Turks who came through exchange from Crete, Western Thrace and Lesbos.
Cunda, the only island open to settlement within the archipelago of Ayvalık, has been included in the list of natural and historical protected areas since 1976 with its natural beauties and historical stone structures. Cunda, the address of peace, nature, history and holiday, fascinates every visitor with its unique untouched texture.
Cunda Island, the apple of Ayvalık’s eye, with its colorful culture, garlic stone historical houses, Taksiyarhis, Agios Yannis and Panaya Churches that form its historical texture, blue flag paradise beaches with fine sand, restaurants offering the most delicious tastes of the Aegean along the coast, natural beauties and deep blue sea. A corner of heaven.
Sit at one of the places on the Cunda beach, have a cold drink and breathe in the sweet smell of the sea. It is worth the peace you will feel with the wind! Take a Turkish coffee break at the famous Taş Kahve, a distinctive building with stained glass windows where swallows nest.
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By boat, explore the Ayvalık Archipelago, consisting of 22 islands, and visit Güvercin and Tımarhane Islands. Photograph the Cunda cats wandering in front of the taverns and the dogs lying on the beach. While walking along the beautiful Cunda Beach, buy gum ice cream and lokma from the ice cream shops and iced almonds from the stalls. From cute shops, handmade dolls, windmill figurines, embroidered manuscripts; Buy souvenirs.
If your hotel is in Ayvalık, cross the street by boat and feel the Aegean wind. If you are going to stay in Cunda and have the opportunity, stay in the historical stone houses that have been converted into boutique hotels today. For a romantic dinner, try Ayvalık cuisine accompanied by wine. Taste hundreds of appetizers, seafood and herbs unique to Ayvalık and Cunda regions.
Admire the wide collection ranging from toys to steam models, baby carriages and time measuring instruments at the Rahmi Koç Museum Taksiyarhis Church. Climb up Aşıklar Hill to photograph the magnificent Cunda view and see the historical windmill. After relaxing at the Aşıklar Tepesi cafe with an ice-cold lemonade, visit the Selim and Necdet Kent Library.
Walk or ride a bike on the 10-kilometer trails in Ayvalık Islands Nature Park, the largest nature park in Turkey. Swim in the sea at Patriça, Ortunç beaches and Çataltepe, opposite Lesbos Island, at Ada Camping.
WHERE IS CUNDA ISLAND?
Cunda Island is located at the intersection of sea routes in Western Anatolia. Cunda is one of the twenty-two islands located in Ayvalık Bay and called Ayvalık Archipelago. The first bridge to Cunda, which is connected to Ayvalık by two separate bridges, was built in 1964 in the Dolap Boğazı area.
This bridge is Turkey’s first Bosphorus bridge and connects Cunda and Lale islands. Lale Island is connected to the mainland by a seven hundred meter level bridge-road built by filling the sea in 1817.
HOW TO GET TO CUNDA ISLAND
Cunda Island is located in the Northern Aegean, 8 km away from Ayvalık town centre. With the opening of the Istanbul-Izmir Highway, Cunda, which can be reached in a much shorter time from cities such as Istanbul and Bursa, can be reached via the Izmir-Çanakkale Highway. Balıkesir Edremit Koca Seyit Airport serves those who want to come to this beautiful holiday center by plane.
To go to Cunda Island, you first need to go to Ayvalık. If you want to reach Ayvalık, where there are several transportation options, by air, you need to fly to the nearest airport, Balıkesir Edremit Kocaseyit Airport. Balıkesir Edremit Koca Seyit Airport, located in Edremit, is the place you should fly to due to its proximity to holiday centers such as Cunda Island, Ayvalık, Altınoluk, Akçay, Küçükkuyu, Ören and Dikili.
It is very easy to reach Cunda via the Burhaniye-Karaağaç-Gömeç-Ayvalık route by public transportation departing from Koca Seyit Airport or by Pegasus Airlines’ paid shuttles.
After a 2-hour ferry ride from Istanbul Yenikapı with İDO, you can reach Cunda with a 3-4 hour car ride via Bandırma. Transportation to Istanbul-Cunda takes approximately 5-6 hours. Follow the Bursa, Balıkesir, Edremit route. The road is approximately 528 km.
Cunda Island is located 156 km away from Izmir by road. It takes about 3 hours to go by car. You can reach Ayvalık by following the İzmir – Aliağa – Dikili route. It is also possible to reach Ayvalık by taking the Izmir Blue Train to Balıkesir and then using the transfer buses arranged by TCDD. Izmir Adnan Menderes Airport is 171 km away from Cunda.
Buses belonging to Ayvalık Municipality, which depart from Ayvalık center every 30 minutes, offer mutual services between Cunda and Ayvalık between 06.30 in the morning and 01.00 at night. Likewise, you can easily reach Cunda from Ayvalık with minibus and taxi options between 07.00-01.00. There is also a taxi service between Ayvalık and Cunda Island from 07.00 in the morning until 01.00 in the evening.
Another alternative to go from Ayvalık to Cunda Island is the ferry. It is possible to reach Cunda with ferries departing hourly from Ayvalık Port. It departs from Ayvalık at the beginning of every hour.
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WHERE TO STAY IN CUNDA ISLAND
🏡 Pür Beyaz Hotel is a peaceful place with a wonderful sea view. Since it is on a slope, it has a wonderful view of the Ayvalık Sea. Delicious meals are also served in its own restaurant. You can make your bookings safely by downloading a VPN.
🏡 Cunda Fora Hotel, Hotel Sobe, Cunda Battalos Kucuk Hotel, Ziyabey Konağı, Cunda Labris Hotel and Cunda Fora Glamping are the hotels I like with high scores. If you do not have a budget problem, Ortunc Hotel, one of the oldest and best hotels in the region, is a delightful hotel located in a secluded bay at the end of the Cunda peninsula overlooking the island of Lesbos.
WHERE TO STAY IN AYVALIK
🏡 Macaron Mansion is a stone mansion that is more than 100 years old. An exquisite boutique hotel with 9 rooms, right in the heart of Ayvalık, with all kinds of plants and trees in its garden. I’ve stayed here 3 times. You feel the spirit of the old stone house with its experiences in every room. They also opened a wonderful restaurant, offering amazing flavors that you can only taste here. By the way, it also has a parking lot.
🏡 CavlıHane 1885 Ayvalık is another exquisite Ayvalık boutique hotel that I would recommend. Every corner has a character, it is carefully furnished. I stayed in winter and enjoyed it very much. The mansion has been restored very well. The rooms are clean, the prices are affordable, the hotel is located close to Ayvalık beach and other businesses. They gave each room beautiful names such as Kavala, Iskamya, Poyraz. The breakfasts are diverse and taste very good.
❍ D Resort Murat Reis Ayvalık (★★★★★) is a comfortable accommodation option for those who prefer luxury hotels. It welcomes its visitors in a delightful bay that offers both a holiday and many activities such as SPA service, boating, diving and water sports, and where the white sands of the beach were brought from Egypt.
Mimosa House Ayvalık, Saatli Konak Pansiyon, Otelia Pansiyon and Celil Pansiyon, which are in the hostel class, are your affordable options for accommodation.
- Cunda Taş Kahve
Cunda Tas Coffee
Cunda Tas Coffee
Taş Kahve was built in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Taş Kahve is known as the historical entertainment venue of the island, having been used as a coffeehouse, casino and tavern throughout history. Because it is next to the sea
You will enjoy being on the paradise island of Cunda while sipping your Dibek coffee and handmade ice-cold lemonade at Taş Kahve, located in the liveliest part of the island, with high ceilings and stone walls, smelling of history. The building with stained glass windows, in which swallows nest, serves visitors to the island by the sea.
- Rahmi Koç Museum Taksiyarhis Church
Cunda Rahmi Koç Museum
Cunda Rahmi Koç Museum
Rahmi Koç Museum Cunda
Rahmi Koç Museum Taksiyarhis Church is the most important monumental structure of the island, built by the Greek Orthodox community of Cunda Island in 1873 and converted into a museum by Rahmi Koç in 2014. The building, which has a Neo Classical architectural style, was converted into a mosque in 1927-1928 and was used for this purpose for a while. Then, it was registered in 1976 and accepted as an immovable cultural asset that should be protected.
Taksiyarhis Church, which was opened to visitors in 2014 as the Ayvalık Rahmi M. Koç Museum with the initiative of Rahmi M. Koç, is one of the top places to see in Cunda. The museum collection, which has a wide range from toys to steam models, from baby carriages to time measuring instruments, consists of industrial and engineering-related objects from all countries and all periods from past to present.
Apart from Taksiyarhis Church, Agia Tryada Church, which is one of the oldest buildings in Cunda and was built as the first church in 1865 and was open for worship until 1922, Moonlight Monastery, located in Paterica Bay and named after the beauty it takes on in the moonlight, overlooking the sea. Panagia Monastery, which is located on the hill and is now private property; Kızlar Monastery, located on Güvercin Island and accessible only by sea, is the most important of Cunda’s historical churches and monasteries.
- Lovers Hill
Cunda Lovers Hill
Cunda Lovers Hill
Cunda Agios Yannis Church
Cunda Agios Yannis Church
Aşıklar Hill is the most beautiful place where you can watch the exquisite view of Cunda Island. After crossing the bridge and coming to Cunda, on Aşıklar Hill, which is a hill on the left at the entrance of the island and overlooking the sea, there is the first windmill of the island and the Agios Yannis Church.
Agios Yannis Church was built by two priests from Edremit, in memory of St. John, shortly before the conquest of Istanbul by Mehmet the Conqueror, and was connected to the Fener Greek Patriarchate in Istanbul during the time of Patriarch Theodosius. At the same time, the library located here started to become richer since 1835.
The building, which was destroyed over time after the population exchange, was restored by Rahmi Koç and turned into a library, and the mill next to it was turned into a nice cafe. Sevim and Necdet City Library, created after the restoration of the church, accompanies the historical texture of the island with its archive of 1300 books. When you get to the top, take photos of the magnificent view, visit the library, and then sit in the cafe and have a cold drink while watching the view.
Windmill is the symbol of Lovers Hill. The first of the island’s windmills, built between 1600 and 1650, is located next to the Agios Yannis Church on Lovers’ Hill. There are two mills in the northeast of the island and one at the entrance to Ayvalık in the northwest. The last mill built is located in the southwestern part of the port.
- Sevim and Necdet Kent Library
Sevim and Necdet City Library is a library created by the restoration of Agios Yannis Church. The windmill, which was restored by Rahmi Koç, who came to Cunda Island in 2007, has become the symbol of Cunda, so much so that you will not be able to leave Cunda markets without buying a cute windmill magnet.
The building, which currently serves within the scope of the Rahmi Koç Museum and Culture Foundation, is open to visitors every day of the week except Mondays. His eye health is deteriorating due to his advancing age. “I’m sorry not that I can’t see, but that I can’t read.” Necdet Kent’s son, Muhtar Kent, donated more than 1,300 books inherited from his late father to the library named after Retired Ambassador Necdet Kent and his wife.
- Historical Cunda Houses
Cunda Houses are at least as old and original as the historical Ayvalık Houses. Cunda Houses appear on the narrow cobblestone streets. These historical houses, most of which have a history of more than 100 years and reveal the intricacies of Greek architecture, are generally built as two floors.
Most of the houses in many different colors, made with materials such as garlic stone unique to Ayvalık, have been restored and turned into cute boutique hotels, handicraft shops and restaurants.
- Beaches and Bays
Arkadeniz Beach, which you can reach by minibuses or private vehicles passing through the old road area of Cunda, attracts attention with its calmness and is always among the favorite beaches of Cunda with its completely sandy and clear sea. Also located in the same road area and named after the rocks resembling a fork
