Michael and Pam's Travels Our European Motorhome Adventures and other Travels

The Black Sea Coast, Turkey. 2015 ๐Ÿ‡น๐Ÿ‡ท

Travelled: 755 klms over 3 days from Instanbul to Inebolu, via Akcakoca, Safranbolu and Amasra.

Visited: The above villages

Stayed: First night,ย Beach Campsite east of Akcakoca, TL15 usual services, no power, N41.09706, E31.21259 ., Second night,ย Otopark Amasra, TL10, toilet no services N41.74802, E32.38214., Third night,ย Beach Campsite Inebolu, free with toilet, no water, N41.97744, E33.75063

Simpler and hopefully more interesting for anyone reading this blog is to condense this part of our travels into a single blog.  It’s not that the Black Sea coast of Turkey is not interesting but it’s more about the wild coastline, tiny villages clinging to hills and the hundreds of mosques we passed during our drive.



We escape Istanbul with relative ease, slipping across the Bosphorus on the motorway.  The Turkish freeway system is really pretty good at least dual carriageway often with a third on the hills.  The vignette toll system a mystery but we keep getting green lights, so we presume our credit is good.  An hour on the motorway later we still seem to be in greater Istanbul, the factories and medium density housing continues.  At Duzce we turn off the 04 and head north, it’s good to escape the trucks, we have never seen so many trucks.

Still a dual carriageway we drive through the mountains and several tunnels driving into Akcakoca just before dusk.  We get our first proper look at  the Black Sea.


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This picture churches it up a little.  We pull into a small beach campsite run by a local farming family.  There are a couple of tents and a few people about.  We have a chat with the proprietor, a lovely lady who cannot do enough for us, her daughter speaks quite good English. Anyway we enjoy a good sleep with the sound of the Black Sea lapping on black sand a few metres away.

We sleep in a little and decide on a swim before breakfast, what’s the point of driving the Black Sea and not having a swim ?  Shortly after the owner’s son arrives and demands TL20, with Pam’s finger jabbing me we offer TL15 and the deal is done.  First rule in Turkey settle on a price don’t necessarily accept it.

We continue our journey east along the coast.  At this stage the road is an amazing dual carriageway,  it follows the coastline but well above water level perhaps by 300-500 metres.  The vista is spectacular.  By lunch time we pass through 33 road tunnels all relatively new, we pass several more under construction.  All that more amazing as there is little here but small farming or fishing villages.



Our first stop of the day is Safranbolu.  Established in the 17th century as a trading town for the herb saffron, it remains a little picture box Otterman village.  Tiny laneways and overhanging houses.  It’s street full of little cafes, shops selling Turkish delight and other tourist stuff.


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It’s always fun walking down to these little villages, but walking back up to the carpark not much fun in the heat.  The lovely old mosque in the background, turned into a museum.
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A typical Otterman style house in Safranbolu.  Stone below, a half timber overhanging structure above.  There were some beautifully renovated but lots more like this needing some TLC.
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A typical cobbled laneway, leading to other little laneways.  Our original plan of staying here the night melted in the afternoon heat.  We checked out the campsite, not a tree for any shade in sight.


So we set off looking for a sea breeze, a Black Sea breeze in this case.  Ninety minutes later we drive down the mountain in Amasra.  Whilst at first glance it’s a pretty little place, but it’s just bustling with people and cars and we decide to drive to the next village east and avoid the crowd.


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As we drove up the hill out of Amasra the lollipop man stops us.  With lots of hand waving and pointing we ascertain the road is closed for roadworks and we must drive around.  A detour of several kilometres, so we have another look around Amasra and find a nice little Otopark on the waterfront for TL10.  Someone’s looking after us it seems.
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It proves to be a lovely little village, we have a swim then walk around get a takeaway meal and enjoy a beer/wine overlooking the little bay.  It was a piece of fresh made pocket bread cut open and filled with lamb and the usual kebab style salad, very nice.
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Amasra beach, more black gritty sand, but the water was clean and clear, just what was needed after walking up and down Safranbolu in the heat.
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In the morning Pam drags us of for a walk across the bridge into the old walled town which is an island at high tide.  Not that there’s much of a tide here on the Black Sea, less than a metre if that.
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Patriotic lot the Turkish, we see flags everywhere.

The next day is another long scenic drive along the coast.  But the road was a shocker, long section of roadworks with no work being done.  Potholes big enough to make me wish I was driving someone else’s campercar.


There is a tractor in that moving tree.
There is a tractor in that moving tree.


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Our digs in Inebolu for the night.  A free campsite in the middle of the village, with a shower and toilet.  The beach was pretty well what you see, black sand and rocks.  The village is very bland and little scruffy, so I won’t bother with any photos.

We’ve had enough potholes it’s time to turn south for Cappadocia!

ps: I have updated the map link if you would like to see our trip so far.


Michael and Pam


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