Şile Black Sea Coast

The Black Sea shore east of Istanbul: cliffs, pine and a road that stays with the water almost all the way.

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Why this ride

A one-way ride of 88 km, Şile to Kefken - roughly 1 h 42 in the saddle. On the way it passes Akçakoca side and Kandira. It was put together for the scenery rather than the shortest line.

Roadbook

1. Şile start

   Şile is where the day begins.

2. Akçakoca side scenic

   It is a gentle, green stretch of coast, a few hours from the crush of Istanbul and a world apart from it, with wooded hills coming right to the water and long beaches of dark sand where the Black Sea throws surf onto the shore.

   The Black Sea coast is not the Mediterranean, and the character here is different: cooler, wetter, more forested. Oak, beech and hornbeam press close to the road, there is mist in the mornings, and the sea is often grey and restless, with a swell that makes swimming a matter of watching the flags. The rivers are slow and brown, and you can take a boat up the Göksu through reed beds and woods, a trip that locals do at weekends. The weather can turn quickly, with cloud rolling in from the sea and showers that leave the roads slick.

   For riders, the coast road east of Şile is one of the best easy days in the Istanbul region. It follows the cliffs and coves with a string of bends, with a smooth surface for most of the way, passing through forest, farmland and small fishing villages. Weekend traffic from Istanbul can clog the road near the more popular beaches, particularly in July and August, so aim for an early start or a midweek ride. Watch for wet leaves and sand on the corners, and for the occasional tractor or herd of cows in the villages.

   Şile, to the west, is known for its cotton cloth, a loosely woven, embroidered fabric, and for a lighthouse that has watched over the coast since the nineteenth century. Ağva itself, a small town of about nine thousand, has fuel, shops and plenty of places that cook fish and the fried anchovy that the Black Sea does so well. Kandıra, to the east, is the next larger place. Spring and early autumn are the best times to come, when the beaches are quiet and the forest is fresh.

3. Kandira scenic

   Kandıra is a quiet country town in Kocaeli province, east of Istanbul, and it sits in the middle of one of the wildest stretches of coast on the Marmara and Black Sea shores. A little over thirteen thousand people live here, farming, fishing and working in the forests, and the place has the unhurried feel of somewhere that the main roads bypassed. The centre has a few streets of shops and cafes, a mosque and a small market, and on market days the farmers bring in their produce.

   The surrounding countryside is forest, and a great deal of it. Oak, hornbeam and beech cover the hills between Kandıra and the sea, in woods that are damp, dense and full of birdsong, with streams and clearings. The coast itself, a few kilometres north, is a succession of long, empty beaches, small coves and cliffs, backed by dunes and woodland, and for much of it there are no buildings at all, which is rare so close to a city of fifteen million. The Black Sea is often rough here, and the beaches shelve steeply, so be careful if you swim.

   The riding is pleasant, with roads that rise and fall through forest and farmland, linking Kandıra with the coast and with the neighbouring towns of Kaynarca and Kefken. The surface is generally good on the main roads and more patchy on the minor ones, and the bends are gentle and often shaded. Traffic is light, apart from on summer weekends, and the most common hazards are tractors, cattle and, in autumn, mud and leaves. Because the roads are quiet, you will probably see more wildlife than other vehicles, with deer and wild boar that sometimes cross at dusk.

   Kandıra is a good place to stop for a meal and fuel, and it has stations, bakeries and simple restaurants that serve grilled meat, soup and fresh bread. It is the sort of place where a cup of tea at a roadside cafe comes with a conversation. Beyond it, the options on the coast are limited, so fill up and eat before you head north. Late spring, when the forest is bright green and the wildflowers are out, and the early autumn, when the heat has gone, are the pick of the year.

4. Kefken finish

   Kefken closes the day.

Where this sits

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