Türkiye’s Black Sea coast is a dramatically beautiful part of the country, but not usually at the top of the list for those that are only looking for sand-and-sun.
Beach life in the north of the country is best combined with a cultural holiday. Because it’s in the north of the country the season is shorter.
The best time to visit for sun, sand and sea is in July and August.
The Black Sea Region offers a wealth of summer encampments in the lush mountains which ring the coast and is a superb destination for those interested in the extraordinary variety of wildlife in Türkiye. It is almost commonplace to see eagles, falcons, hawks, woodcocks, weasels, rabbits, squirrels, pine martens, wild goats, mountain goats, foxes and even wolves, wild boars and bears. Naturalists will be impressed with the diversity of vegetation: fir, spruce, cedar, beech, oak, lime, hazelnut as well as other species forest the mountainsides.
Sinop
The Güzfındık-Bozarmut Yayla lies 35 km southwest of the village of Yenikent at an altitude of 1350 m. A dirt road from the coast leads you up to the idyllic plateau. Arrangements can be made for one of the vehicles at Gerze which transport villagers to the remote summer camps.
Good asphalt roads make the journey to the Türkeli Kurugöl Yayla a pleasant one. In the Türkeli district at an altitude of 800 m, some degree of modern comfort has reached the yayla with the arrival of electricity.
Ordu
The Perşembe Yayla, at 1350 m, is 124 km away from the coastal town of Ordu and can be reached on paved roads. Conveniences include electricity, PTT services as well as shops for provisions. In July, the summer residents host a local fair with folk dancing, exhibitions and a wrestling contest. This is a superb occasion to sample the flavour of local customs.
Fifty-eight kilometres south of Ordu province, at 1250 m, the Çambaşı Yayla provides the visitor with shops, guest houses and, in case of emergency, mobile health care units. After following a paved road for 21 km, you turn off onto a dirt road for the final 37 km.
Within the Iğdir forest, 134 km from Ordu and 20 km from the town of Mesudiye, the Ordu-Keyfalan Yayla lies at an altitude of 2000 m, and transportation is provided by dolmuş (shared taxi) in summer.
A shopping centre run by the forest management department ensures that visitors can obtain, all the necessary provisions. Electricity and a rest house with 12 beds are also available.
The Akkuş Argın Yayla is also located in the Ordu province.
Giresun
The Bektaş Yayla, 58 km away from Giresun and at an altitude of 2000 m, offers a two-star hotel as well as a shopping centre.
In order to reach the Kümbet Yayla, follow the 30 km paved road to Dereli from where a dirt road continues for 22 km. The yayla which stretches across high pastureland at an altitude of 1640 meters has a small lodge with 10 beds, shops and a health clinic. Every year on the second Sunday in July, the villagers hold their summer festivities.
Facilities for tourists are being prepared in other nearby summer pastures including the Yavuz-Kemal, the Sis Dağı, the Alucra town’s Anastos, the Yağlıdere town’s Cakrak, the Melikli valley and the Hanalanı yaylas.
Trabzon
Lying at 1700 m the Maçka-Solma Yayla is 50 km from Trabzon and 22 km away from the town of Maçka. Commercial vehicles provide transportation to this remarkable location. Electricity, telephone and shops are all available on the yayla.
Twenty-four kilometres south of Tonya, the Erikbeli Yayla is situated at an altitude of 1800 m. Commercial vehicles can take you to the green pastures which are nestled in the mountains that ring the Black Sea. Electricity, telephone and shops ensure your comfort while visiting.
To reach the Karadağ Yayla follow the road between Akçaabat on the Black Sea Coast and the inland village of Düzköy for 12 km and then turn west on a dirt road for 28 km. Transportation by commercial vehicles is also available, as are the modern conveniences of electricity, telephone and shops.
At 1250 m, Çaykara-Uzungöl, a small summer encampment 20 km from the town of Çaykara, is known for its beautiful meadows and magnificent landscapes. A pristine lake, in which fish are farmed, lies surrounded by verdant mountainside, and the are offers excellent opportunities for trekking. Tourist facilities include a modest lodge with 55 beds, wooden bungalows, restaurants, electricity, Post Office services and a health clinic. Excursions to Uzungöl by taxi can be arranged from Trabzon.
The following yaylas – Hidirnebi, Kuruçam, Maçka-Mavura, Maçka-Çakırgöl, Kiraz, Lapazan, Sazalanı, Sis Dağı, Kadirga, Çatma Obası, Düzköy – are also found in this region and offer a fascinating glimpse of traditional Black Sea Region culture.
Rize
The Ayder Yayla, 17 km from Çamlihemsin, rests at an altitude of 1350 m. Electricity, Post Office services, a health clinic, many guest houses and shops ensure a comfortable visit. The naturally hot (50 C) waters of the local thermal spring provide added relaxation and cure various diseases.
Twenty-two kilometres from Çamlihemsin at an altitude of 2300 m is the Yukari Kavron Tourism Centre.
Artvin
Artvin province offers those looking for adventure and sport a wide variety of activities. White-water rafting, hunting and rock climbing are among the recreational possibilities in this northeast corner of Türkiye.
Every year during the third week of June, tourists from all over the world as well as the local inhabitants congregate at the Kafkasör festival to watch bull fights, folkloric displays and wrestling competitions. Crowds of brightly clad yayla residents thrill to watch pairs of bulls battle each other in a show of strength. At an altitude of 1560 m, these summer pastures lie nine kilometers from Artvin and can be reached by bus from town. A well-established tourist attraction, the tourism center offers electricity, PTT services as well as 22 bungalows with 80 beds.
Fifty-three kilometers from Yusufeli at an elevation of 3200 m is the Yusufeli-Kaçkar Tourism Center – Yaylalar Village. A narrow, winding road leads to the village which boasts electricity, PTT services and water as well as overnight accommodation and shops. A nine-kilometre walk takes you to a wide expanse of meadows and forests high in the Kaçkar mountains. This is an ideal location for hunting as well as mountain climbing and high plateau tourism.
Those wishing to climb to the summit of Kaçkar Mountain can replenish their supplies at the Yaylalar village and hire mules to go up to the 3328 m high Dilber Düzü. This camping site offers the closest lodging to the summit. If you wish to attempt an ascent, be sure you hire a guide to lead you. Many wild animals such as lynx, bear, ibex, wolf, fox and jackal can be seen in the region.
The Ardanuç-Bilbilan, Sahara and Mersivan yaylas in the Artvin province are planned to be opened up for tourism.
Gümüşhane
On the road between Trabzon and Bayburt, four km east of the Zigana Tunnel, the longest in Türkiye, is the Zigana Yayla. At an altitude of 2032 m, the yayla is equipped with lodgings, electricity, water and communication system. In the winter the area boasts the Zigana ski center.
Other yaylas in the province include Altıntaşlar and Çam Piknik.
Bayburt
Forty kilometres southeast of Bayburt on the Aşkale road at an altitude of 2918 m is the Kop Mountain Yayla. Buses from Bayburt pass by the yayla, but if you want to linger in the clear cool summer breezes you should come prepared with sleeping bags and provisions.
