Top Attractions
Kuşadası takes its name from the Turkish ‘kuş’ (bird) and ‘ada’ (island) — literally ‘Bird Island’, a reference to Guvercin Adası (‘Pigeon Island’), which is connected to the mainland of Kusadasi by a short causeway. Today, citizens of Kuşadası often shorten the name to Ada.
Kuşadası caters to tourists, growing to over half a million during the high season, when the large resort fills with tourists (from Turkey itself, northern Europe and the Balkans) plus the hotel staff, bar staff, construction workers, and drivers who are needed to work in the restaurants servicing all these visitors. The hills behind Kuşadasi are built up with big hotels and blocks of holiday flats.