There is hardly a hillside around Rize that is not covered in tea. The bushes grow in neat green terraces up to hundreds of metres above the coast, steep enough that pickers use ropes and the road clings to the slope in hairpins. Rize is the tea capital of Turkey, and this is also the wettest part of the country, with cloud and drizzle most of the year, which is exactly why the plants thrive. The town has a pleasant hill park above the centre where you can drink tea at a table with a view of the sea, and a small castle on the ridge above the centre gives a view over the roofs and the sea.
The coast road, the D010, brings you in, but the real interest lies inland. Valleys lead south into the Kaçkar mountains, with villages like Çamlıhemşin and the plateau pastures near Ayder, where the Hemshin people keep traditional wooden houses and stone bridges. Roads there are narrow and often wet, with sharp bends and rockfall after storms, and fog can come down fast. If you plan to ride into the high country, start early and check conditions, because the weather turns quickly and mobile signal fades.
Rize has about ninety thousand people, so there is no trouble with fuel, repairs, or a proper meal. The local cuisine is butter-rich, with muhlama, a molten cheese and cornmeal dish, and fish from the Black Sea. Rize tea is served in small tulip glasses, strong and sweet, and you will be offered more than you can drink. Hotel owners and shopkeepers are often happy to talk about the harvest, which runs from May to September.
The best time to ride is late spring and early autumn, when the days are clear and the air is fresh, though rain can arrive at any time. Winter brings snow to the high passes and the road beyond Ayder may be closed for months. Traffic on the coast road is heavy, so for the smaller valleys plan an early start and take your time on the hairpins.