AGRICULTURAL ANG GOURMET TOURISM IN URLA
Explore The Agricultural and Gourmet Tourism in Urla
Urla is a great destination for agricultural tourism, with its abundance of natural resources and rich agricultural heritage. The region is home to many olive groves, vineyards, fig and other fruit orchards that have grown in the region for centuries.
One of the most important crops in Urla is the olive. The region's olives are known for being particularly oily, and the first olive oil workshop in history is located here. Visitors can learn about the history and production of olive oil, and even taste a special sort of fresh olives “hurma” picked straight from the trees.
2600 years ago from today, olive oil and wine, which were famous, were transported from Urla Limantepe to the entire Mediterranean Basin in ceramic amphorae by Cycladic boats. This historic heritage today is taken over by region’s leading producers who are responsibly ascending the quality name of Urla both locally and abroad to the levels it deserves.
In addition to olives, Urla is also known for its figs, which are considered a sacred fruit in many religions. Every olive grove in the region is said to have a fig tree growing alongside it. Visitors can taste fresh figs, as well as other fruits like grapes and pomegranates, which are grown throughout the area.
Artichokes are another important crop in Urla, and the region is known for its diverse culinary culture that incorporates this miraculous plant. Visitors can enjoy artichokes in many different dishes while exploring the Urla culinary scene.
Overall, Urla is a great place to experience the cornucopia and flavors of the region's agricultural products, from citrus orchards to olive groves to fig trees and more.
01. Urla Vineyard Route
Urla Vineyard Route is a popular destination in Turkey for wine enthusiasts and travelers who appreciate natural beauty, history, and viticulture. The town of Urla, located between İzmir and Çeşme on the Aegean coast, is known for its fertile vineyards that produce a variety of international and Turkish wine grapes. Visitors can explore the vineyards, taste different wines, and learn about the history and techniques of winemaking in the region.
Several wineries are based in Urla, each offering their unique wine selection and expertise. Some of the ancient grape varieties of Urla are used in winemaking, such as Urla Karası, Gaydura, and Foça Karası which are carefully cultivated and processed using modern techniques.
In addition to wine tasting and vineyard tours, visitors can enjoy the natural beauty of the region by taking a stroll in pine forests or olive groves, wandering in valleys surrounded by vineyards, or swimming in the clear waters of the Aegean Sea. The town of Urla itself is steeped in history and culture, with its ancient streets and buildings that reflect the influence of different civilizations over the centuries.
The Urla Vineyard Route is a great destination for those who seek to unwind and relax in a peaceful and natural setting, learn about winemaking, and explore the history and culture of a unique region in Turkey.
02. Urla Olive Route
Evliya Çelebi praised the palm olive of Urla, Urla with its monumental olive trees witnessing history and a vast olive oil knowledge! There is a lot to be said about Urla when it comes to olives and olive oil:
In Limantepe excavations, BC. The adventure of olives in Urla begins with small hand mortars used to crush olives dating from 3000 BC, grinding stones, ceramic vessels for separating olive oil from black water, and olive oil warehouses from later periods…Klazomenai olive oil workshop is the most valuable historical heritage of Urla, which pioneered important innovations in olive oil processing technology, which will continue to have an impact from the 6th century to the present, and which has achieved many firsts.
How did humankind actually think of eating such a bitter fruit? According to one view, the answer to this question is hidden only in the Erkence olive tree, native to Urla Peninsula, and its fruit, the “hurma” date olive. With the effect of a kind of fungus carried by the winds blowing from the sea to the peninsula, the olives ripen on the branch and the olives are sweetened and becomes edible with the help of the environmental conditions of the region. The olives change from black to wrinkled yellowish brown and resemble a dark palm dates. This miraculous transformation, observed only in this region of the world, strengthens the argument that it resulted in mankind's discovery that this bitter fruit was edible and that it resulted in the processing of its oil over time.
While walking around Urla, you catch glimpses of the monumental Erkence Olive Trees, which are in the form of works of art, which hide the history of our region in its folds. You can follow the trail of Urla on the Olive Route.
You are invited to be a part of the stories Urla will tell around Olive in the field of agricultural tourism and gastronomy tourism and to have real experiences where you will meet the land again.
GOURME TOURISM
Discover Urla's Gourmet Tourism
Every part of our country has its own culinary culture. When we say Aegean, we come across very different menus from Edremit to Kütahya, from Fethiye to Afyon. But since ancient times, in the coastal areas between Kaz (Ida) Mountains and Fethiye, where Ionian cities are located, we encounter a cuisine dominated by olive oil. Urla , in the center of this region, is waiting for its guests to experience this very old culinary culture with its rich taste range that you can still experience.
Urla regional cuisine was enriched with the contribution of the Turks who settled in Urla and its surroundings from the Aegean islands 100 years ago, combined with the opportunities offered by the modern world, has created a rich menu difficult to make choices from. You can taste different dishes of our talented chefs who created these alternatives, only in Urla.
After the population exchange about 100 years ago, the region lost the historic culture of viticulture and wine making famously dating back to thousands of years,aUrla is once more progressing in the footsteps of its ancestors by finally bottling its award-winning wines today as a result of last 20 years’ great efforts. in viticulture and wine production.
The Aegean faces the sea, leans back on the mountains behind, olives, figs, lemons and hundreds of herbs… You will meet those who collect flowers along the roads or who collect dozens of wild herbs in the fields to make tea and appetizers. What about the fish? Sea bass, calamari, grouper and lobster fish that are too numerous to count... So are you ready to taste one of the best and most talked about, delicious cuisine in the world by the modern master chefs of Urla?
With its unique fertile soil, wind and vegetation, Urla is confidently heading towards glittering years when it used to send wine from the ancient Iskele Port to Marseille, one of the central ports of the European mainland in the Mediterranean.
Taste the award-winning wines of Urla wineries in its breathtaking natural environment. Tour vineyards and wineries, experience where grapes are grown and how wine is made.