Cesme has two very different beach club worlds, and knowing which you want saves money and disappointment. Ayayorgi is the famous one, a sheltered cove lined almost end to end with wooden decks built out over the water, where clubs like Paparazzi and Babylon sit side by side and the day slides from sunbathing into music and dancing after dark. There is little free sand here, so a deck and a charge are part of the deal, and that is the point rather than a catch.
The other world is the open sand, above all at Ilica, where hotel beaches and calmer beach club setups hire loungers beside warm shallow water that suits families and a quiet swim. These are serviced days without the party, and crucially they sit next to free public stretches, so a lounger is a comfort you choose rather than a price of entry. The same is true at Altinkum and Boyalik, where the value option is simply your own towel on free sand.
We name only places we can stand behind and describe each honestly, whether it is a party deck, a hotel beach or a family lounger. Where current charges, day access or any minimum spend are unclear or shift by season we say to be confirmed rather than print a figure, and we always point out when the free public beach is the better value call.
Ranked by how good and how reliable the day is, from the lively decks of Ayayorgi to the calm family loungers and the free sand.
Photo: Elif Güler via GoogleOne of the long running pioneers of the Ayayorgi scene, a stylish wooden deck built over the water with sunbeds, a platform for swimming and a lively bar that runs into the evening. Verdict: the pick for a full day deck with music and a swim straight off the boards, so confirm any deck charge or minimum spend directly before you go.
Photo: selahattin can eskici via GoogleThe seaside outpost of the well known Babylon music brand at Ayayorgi, a beach club by day that becomes a concert and party venue by night with live acts and DJs through the summer. Verdict: the pick when the music matters as much as the sea, more scene than quiet swim, so check the events calendar and any ticket or table charge in advance.
Photo: Selda Sipahioglu via GoogleAnother of the established Ayayorgi clubs, a deck over the cove with loungers, a restaurant and a relaxed daytime mood that lifts in the evening, popular for a long lunch by the water. Verdict: a good middle pick for the cove if you want the Ayayorgi setting with a calmer daytime feel, so confirm the lounger and dining charges before you settle in.
Photo: EDEN Cove Ayayorgi via GoogleA smart deck club on the Ayayorgi cove with loungers over the water, a bar and a polished daytime to evening rhythm, one of the names that make this bay the centre of the Cesme scene. Verdict: a stylish choice for the cove with a swim off the deck, so check current opening, any day charge and minimum spend before you plan around it.
Photo: MEHMET SAYINDI via GoogleOn the long sandy bay at Ilica, hotel beaches and calmer beach club setups hire loungers beside warm shallow water, the gentle serviced day that suits families and swimmers rather than the party crowd. Verdict: the calm value pick, comfort beside free public sand so a lounger is optional, with charges set by each venue and to be confirmed.
Photo: İrem Şahin via GoogleOut at the western tip, Pirlanta is a wide white sand beach with loungers to hire and surf schools that run kitesurf and windsurf hire and lessons when the Meltemi blows, a serviced day built around the wind rather than a club scene. Verdict: the pick for an active day, calm and family friendly in the morning, with sports hire and charges to be confirmed.
Tell us the date and the kind of day you want and we will help arrange a serviced day in Cesme, whether that is a deck at Ayayorgi or a calm family lounger on the sand at Ilica.
Most of the famous beach clubs cluster in Ayayorgi bay, a horseshoe cove lined almost end to end with wooden decks where names like Paparazzi, Babylon, Sole and Mare and Cove sit side by side. There are also calmer beach club style setups and hotel beaches on the sand at Ilica, which suit families more than the party decks.
It depends on the day. For the lively deck scene and the music, Paparazzi and Babylon at Ayayorgi are the long running favourites. For a calmer serviced day with shallow water for children, a lounger on the sand at Ilica is the better pick. Charges and any minimum spend are to be confirmed, so check ahead.
At Ayayorgi yes, the decks are paid and many run a lounger charge or a minimum spend, with little free sand. Elsewhere it is optional, since Ilica, Altinkum and Boyalik all have free public stretches where a lounger from a club is a choice rather than a requirement. So you can spend a lot or very little in Cesme.
The Ayayorgi clubs are the priciest, especially at weekends and in peak season, when a deck, food and drinks add up. The family loungers at Ilica are gentler on the budget, and the free public sand costs nothing. Exact prices and any minimum spend change by season and are to be confirmed, so confirm before you go.
For weekends and the July and August peak it is wise to reserve a deck at the popular Ayayorgi clubs, which fill fast, especially for groups. The family loungers at Ilica are easier to walk up to, though prime spots go early in high season. Reserving ahead also helps you confirm any charge before you arrive.