For many years Yalikavak has been one of the most important fishing centers on the Turkish Aegean, home to fleets of fishermen and sponge divers. Today, the majority of the local men still fork the sea. Yalikavak remains the same combining the ambiance of a hard working fishing town and the recent influence of tourism: cafes, restaurant and bars; the harbor in Yalikavak, with its fishing boats unloading their catch and the presence of sleek yachts unloading passengers, has a unique atmosphere, industrious and relaxed, foreign and friendly.