Çeşme with children

The peninsula is an easy destination with children, provided you choose the right side of it. The difference between a sandy shallow bay and a rock club with a diving platform is the difference between a good day and a difficult one.

Water: Ilıca is the obvious base — a long shallow sandy bay where the water stays waist-deep a long way out and warms early in the season. Altınkum's small bays are similar in character and a little less busy. Avoid the Ayayorgi-style rock clubs with under-sixes; entry is by ladder into deep water and there is nowhere to paddle.

Facilities: organised beach clubs are usually the practical choice with children — shade, loungers, toilets, a kitchen that serves all afternoon and often a shallow pool. Ask about shade specifically when reserving; it is the thing that runs out first.

Timing: mornings are calmer in every sense. The wind picks up after midday and so do the crowds, and the traditional local pattern of a long lunch and a late afternoon swim works well with young children.

Out of the water: the marina and harbour front are easy to walk in the evening, the castle above the harbour is a short visit, and a short boat trip — an hour or two, not a full day — is usually a success. Full-day boat trips with four swimming stops are not, unless your children already like boats.

Practical: pharmacies are widespread and well stocked, most restaurants are relaxed about children and will improvise a plain plate, and the sun between noon and four in July and August is genuinely strong. Plan the day around shade.