What the city is best for
Çeşme should be planned by area, travel time and what you actually want to do. It works especially well for beach, food, evenings, calm stay and road trip. The main anchors are Alaçatı streets, Ilıca Beach, Çeşme Marina, castle, beach clubs and Dalyan, but the value of the trip depends heavily on where you stay and how you structure the days.
The most useful bases are Çeşme centre for marina and evenings, Alaçatı for boutique hotels and restaurants, Ilıca for beach and thermal water and Dalyan for calmer seafood evenings. Choose short access to what you will do most, not just the lowest hotel price. For short stays, a better location often saves both time and transport.