Potential İzmir Extension of EuroVelo Route is being planned over the linkage of the existing Route that ends in Athens to Dikili, over Chios and Lesbos Islands by marine transportation. The mentioned link is constituted on the basis of extending the Ephesus – Mimas Route northwards, which reaches to several local and foreign tourists in the south. The Route, in principle, while interconnecting the ancient cities of vital cultural heritage, also provide the visitors to experience cultural, natural and local values.
All historical background that can be traced back thousands of years on the peninsula from the ancient Ionia civilization to the Ottoman artifacts are transformed to walking tracks and cycling routes for the first time in Izmir.
6 cities of the backbone of these routes, namely the Ionia civilization, are located on the Ephesus – Mimas Road; these are Ephesus (Efes-Selçuk), Kolophon (Değirmendere-Menderes), Lebedos (Ürkmez-Seferihisar), Teos (Sığacık-Seferihisar), Klazomenai (İskele-Urla) and Erythrai (Ildırı-Çeşme). Phokaia (Foça), another Ionia city, is connected from Karaburun to the Peninsula through the blue route.
