Turkish Black Sea — Coastal Road & KaçkarMountains.
Distance
480 km
Duration
3 days
Climb
5,800 m
Rating
4.8 / 5
223 reviews
Turkish Black Sea — Coastal Road & Kaçkar Mountains.
Three days exploring Turkey's wild northeastern Black Sea coast and the adjacent Kaçkar Mountains — a region of terraced tea gardens, hazelnut orchards, highland villages (yayla), and cloud-wrapped peaks reaching 3,932m. The D010 coastal road runs east through Rize's endless tea plantations to Artvin's gorges; the D915 and mountain roads climb into a world unchanged for centuries.
Quick facts
SurfaceMixed
Distance480 km
Days3
Total climb5,800 m
Fuel stops1 along route
DifficultyChallenging
Clones1
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3 days, 3 moods.
A suggested split across 3 days with 18 waypoints to discover along the way.
TrabzonStart · Start in Trabzon — the Black Sea's main city. Byzantine Hagia Sophia church here. Fuel up and head east on D010.
Rize Tea GardensScenic Point · Rize is the heart of Turkey's tea country — the steep hillsides are carpeted in green tea plants. The road winds through endless terraced gardens.
Çay Fabrikası Tea FactoryRestaurant · Stop at one of the local tea factories for a glass of çay (Turkish tea) at its source. Usually free to visit and taste.
Fırtına Valley (Fırtına Vadisi)Scenic Point · The 'Storm Valley' cuts dramatically inland from the coast. Ottoman stone arch bridges span the rushing Fırtına River. Turn inland here.
ArdeşenFuel Stop · Coastal town — last reliable fuel before the mountain roads heading to Artvin.
ArtvinOvernight · Overnight in Artvin, dramatically perched on steep cliffs above the Coruh River gorge. One of Turkey's most scenically situated towns.
ArtvinStart · Morning ride south into the Coruh River canyon — one of the world's best white-water rafting rivers. Road carved into cliff faces.
Yusufeli Canyon RoadScenic Point · The Yusufeli canyon — the Coruh cuts 1,500m deep gorges through the Kaçkar foothills. Dramatic before the dam flooded part of the old town.
Barhal Valley (Altıparmak)Scenic Point · The road climbs into a narrow valley under 3,000m ridgelines. Georgian-era churches hidden in forested hillsides.
Kaçkar Mountains — Kavrun YaylasıMountain Pass · High altitude yayla (highland plateau) at ~2,200m. Traditional wooden summer houses. The Kaçkar summit (3,932m) visible on clear days.
Ayder PlateauRestaurant · The most famous yayla in the Kaçkar — a green bowl with natural hot springs. Muhlama (cornmeal and cheese) is the local dish.
ÇamlıhemşinOvernight · Overnight in Çamlıhemşin — a small river town known as the gateway to the Kaçkar. Several good pansiyons with highland character.
ÇamlıhemşinStart · Final day — head south through the high tea valleys then swing west to Uzungöl.
Hemşin Valley RoadScenic Point · The narrow valley road climbs between tea terraces with Hemşin village architecture — distinctive wooden balconied houses.
Uzungöl Mountain LakePhoto Spot · A glacial lake ringed by forested mountains — one of Turkey's most popular inland viewpoints. Best in early morning before the day-trippers arrive.
Çaykara Plateau RoadScenic Point · The road back toward Trabzon traverses another band of tea gardens with Black Sea glimpses through the valleys.
Sümela MonasteryPhoto Spot · Byzantine monastery dramatically carved into a vertical cliff face at 1,200m in Altındere National Park. 15km south of Trabzon. Unmissable.
TrabzonEnd · Return to Trabzon completing the Black Sea circuit. End with fresh anchovies (hamsi) and rakı on the waterfront.
From riders.
223 verified rides logged on this route.
4.8/ 5
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223 verified rides
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