Izmir announces itself through its bay: a vast arc of calm water ringed by hills, inhabited by the city without interruption for three millennia. Ancient Smyrna ranks among the oldest port cities of the Mediterranean, and among the liveliest of modern Turkey: more than four million residents, kilometres of waterfront, and a young crowd that fills the cafés late into the night. The ship docks at the Alsancak terminal, just minutes from this great urban stage, and the city takes care of the rest.

The Kordon, the Metropolis's Breathing Room

From the terminal, the Kordon promenade is just a short walk away: a palm-lined esplanade running along the bay for kilometres, where locals cycle, jog, fish, and sit down for a meal facing the sunset. Following it south makes for the most pleasant introduction to the city; allow about half an hour of easy walking, or a short taxi ride, to reach Konak Square, the city's symbolic heart. The Alsancak neighbourhood itself, just behind the terminal, is worth a detour: its streets lined with old houses hold student cafés, galleries, and shops, in an atmosphere more laid-back than touristy.

Konak and the Maze of Kemeraltı

The square is dominated by the Clock Tower, built in 1901, a lacework of marble that has become Izmir's emblem, standing next to a small mosque with delicate tilework; pigeons and seed sellers round out the square's timeless scene. Behind it begins Kemeraltı, one of the country's largest open-air bazaars: covered and open-air lanes lined one after another with spices, textiles, jewellers, hookah cafés, and Ottoman caravanserais converted into market courtyards. It's easy to lose an hour or two here, tea glass in hand, amid the cheerful din of merchants. The region's figs and raisins are among the best souvenirs to bring home. This is also the place to try boyoz, a dense pastry locals enjoy for breakfast with a hard-boiled egg, or kumru, a filled bun typical of the Aegean coast: two specialties found nowhere else in Turkey in quite this form.

At the edge of the bazaar, the Agora of Smyrna recalls the city's Roman past: an imposing vaulted basilica, a Corinthian colonnade, and channels where water still flows just as it did eighteen centuries ago. The site, right in the city centre, can be seen in under an hour, just steps from the bazaar's stalls. Panorama lovers will want to finish at the Asansör, a historic 1907 elevator that lifts visitors to a balcony overlooking the entire bay.

Ephesus, the Great Temptation

Izmir also serves as the gateway to one of the Mediterranean's major ancient sites: Ephesus, about 80 km to the south, roughly an hour's drive. The Library of Celsus, the Great Theatre with its 24,000 seats, and the Terrace Houses together make up a site of exceptional richness. The excursion takes up almost the entire day; it's booked through the ship or local agencies. The choice is a genuine dilemma: Ephesus dazzles, Izmir wins you over.

Planning Your Day

• Half a day in the city: the Kordon, Konak Square, the Kemeraltı bazaar, and the agora.
• Full day: an excursion to Ephesus, returning in the late afternoon.
• Somewhere in between: a morning at the bazaar, an afternoon strolling the waterfront.

As departure nears, when the bay catches fire with colour and the lights come on across the hills, Izmir reveals its true nature: neither a museum nor a showcase, but an Aegean metropolis that lives first and foremost for itself. That may be exactly why visitors here feel less like tourists than guests, and why, somewhere, they're already jotting down addresses for their next visit.