Ayvalik/Cunda Island, Turkey
September 2022

Cunda Island (also known as Alibey Island) is likely the most popular destination outside of Ayvalık. A true paradise of olive trees, historic stone houses, great fish restaurants, and plenty of olive oil shops, it is connected to mainland Ayvalik by a bridge.

Once you are on the island you will immediately feel the unique and friendly atmosphere. The cobblestone streets are lined with artisan shops, family restaurants, and boutique hotels.

We will stay in one such hotel in Cunda Island, a small hotel (with only 7 rooms) which will be reserved for our group entirely (as such, the tour will reach max capacity when all the rooms in the hotel are spoken for).

Rowing sessions will take place at a bay in Ayvalik, about a 20min drive from our hotel. Our hosts are Ersin and his team with a newly found coastal rowing club. The location is really beautiful, and water conditions can be calm or not so calm depending on the day. The coastal boats we will be using are really forgiving and allow for experienced and less experienced rowers to have a good time on the water.

Outside of our arrival day, you will have the opportunity to row daily. We will have Ersin, the local coach nearby with his motorboat and some of the club members will be happy to be coxswains for the coastal quads. On our test tour, we had a chance to meet some of the rowers and everyone was very welcoming and excited about the possibility of us visiting.

Beyond the rowing, we will have some afternoon activities planned. You can expect a pleasant stroll around the old streets of Ayvalik with a local tour guide and also drive to some nearby viewpoints and places of interest. We will surely indulge in some wine or olive oil tasting (or why not both!) and depending on weather and ferry schedule we may be able to arrange a boat trip for some island hopping. A detailed itinerary will be available within a few weeks of our departure date for Turkey.

As usual, we will have a couple of the afternoons stay unscheduled so you can enjoy some downtime or explore on your own.

Ayvalik and Cunda Island are the perfect change of scenery and pace. Coastal rowing boats are easy to row in, and since they are more stable than racing counterparts, it would be very unlikely to cancel a rowing session due to wind conditions (as we have had on occasion with other tours). There is a great variety of restaurants to choose from for all the foodies in the group (Seafood, Mediterranean, traditional Turkish delicacies, and more. In short, this will be a very pleasant trip and as usual, you will be in good company

Tour Details

This once in a life time experience is priced at $3,595 ($3,235 for iROW clients/previous tour participants).

Included in this price are double occupancy accommodations in our lovely hotel on Cunda Island.

Single supplement $450

ALL meals and drinks, daily rowing sessions, transport, guided tours, and wine tasting.

In other words, the trip is priced to include everything while in Cunda Island and Ayvalik. The only thing you need to purchase is your plane ticket and travel insurance.

To sign up, please send a $1000 non-refundable security deposit. This reserves your spot on the tour. The remaining amount is due on June 15, 2022.