Istanbul Off the Beaten Path Tips by Tdiver

2 hours more or less 150 km away from Istanbul on the black sea coast is this fairly secluded,quiet and relatively unspoilt part.Water is great for swimming and lots of unspoilt bays for picnics and relaxing.Head towards Izmit,turn off for Kandira and keep going north.Kerpe is relaxed to Istanbuls crazy.Just a bit further up the coast to the east is Kefken,red cliff/rocks,great at sunset.

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Looks like the black sea region but is only 2 hours from Istanbul.Great for picnics and guaranteed peace and nature.Fresh river fish restaurants tucked away in odd places.Rhododendron everywhere,plus other wild flowers and animals.Great views.
Around an hour to the west is Izmit,take the turn off for Izmit otogar/Yalova.From the turnpike take 1st left signed,keep going heading D130 signed Yalova.Just after sign turn off for Kullar.Keep going to PetrolOfisi gas station and turn left before the bridge.Keep going until Kullar stadyum sign and turn right.Go through Kullar to the left of the Mosque and turn left just before Saglik Bakanligi building on the left.Head up to Yuvacik.In Yuvacik turn left just past green Mosque,signed Yuvacik baraji,it's on a building.Road twist through the back streets.Go up right side of dam.At the top turn left and cross the dam and turn right,signed Camiduzu.Keep on when you reach Cataldere sign turn right side of it.From now on stop anywhere you fancy.We carried on through Camiduzu,turned for Serindere.4km up track is Yellow Mosque,3km to Serindere to right.We went to Ornekkoy to left.Just past the village we stopped and picnicked.More photos HERE

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Around an hour and a half down the coast to the west is Izmit,take the turn off for Izmit otogar/Yalova.From the turnpike take 1st left signed,keep going heading D130 signed Yalova.Just after sign turn off for Kullar.Keep going to PetrolOfisi gas station and turn left before the bridge.Keep going until Kullar stadyum sign and turn right.Go through Kullar to the left of the Mosque and turn left just before Saglik Bakanligi building on the left.Head up to Yuvacik.In Yuvacik turn left just past green Mosque,signed Yuvacik baraji,it's on a building.Road twist through the back streets.Go up right side of dam.Great scenery and great picnic areas from past the headwater.At the head water are a couple of river fish(alabalik)restaurants also a couple of nice ones on the way just past the dam.
The Inonu valley signposted after the headwater is quiet and great for picnics also wild flower and fungi.
Area good for hiking and walking found ceps on my last visit.

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Tourists pass this quaint little corner of Istanbul on their way up to Anadolu Kavagi but rarely stop,which is a shame as there are few small local restaurants around the area, Dere Balik in the photographs is almost set in the walls.
Built by Sultan Beyazid I in the 1390's as part of his preparations against siege on the narrowest point of the Bosphorus and to control the shipping.The Barbican was added by Sultan Mehmet II in 1452.
Alas you can't get into the Barbican and some of the surrounding walls were knocked down to make way for the coast road.
Currently working on the sidewalks and road so a bit dusty.
You can catch a ferry from the European side in a couple of places,Bebek and Arnavutkoy being the closest 2 from Sultanahmet.
There is also a local ferry pier at Kucuksu but unsure of times but is probably nearer to walk from, 5 minutes, also from Bebek.
Check out the times HERE

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Website: www.ido.com.tr

From a quiet day/weekend away to a fun packed swimming, quad biking, paintballing time of it, have a look at my Sile pages for ideas.

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Unseen i should think by any tourists.Best from June.
Dolmus from Taksim (in the road next to the Ataturk Kultur Merkezi)passes the park and only costs 5 Ytl or $4 one way.Ask for Goztepe or Sahil and takes usually 15-20 mins.

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Pronounced Jen-g-ell-koy.
Take tea in a really local tea house as tourists are few and far between.
Cinaralti means under the plane tree and is a popular spot for locals always.
Weekends are manic and waiting for an outside table could be half an hour as people turn up with their own food and just order drinks from the establishment.They serve Turkish breakfast dishes so don't worry about taking your own.Week days are perfect.
From the ferry terminal turn right and turn down the alley not by but next after police station,just after the bakery,where you can buy borek and other local favourites.
After breakfast walk around the area,lots of old wooden houses still survive, across the road from the ferry terminal is the Greek Orthodox, church of ST.George and if you walk left up the Bosphorus you will come to the sultans old elephant stables and the Naval college.
To get here there are 2 main ferries with Line 2 leaving from Eminonu/Besiktas LINE 2 this one being the more frequent and LINE 1
Alternatively get a ferry across to Kadikoy #15F or Uskudar #15 local buses, probably other buses #15 something also go that way so just ask for Cengelkoy.

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Like the black sea region but is only 2 hours from Istanbul.Great for picnics and guaranteed peace and nature.Fresh river fish restaurants tucked away in odd places.Rhododendron everywhere,plus other wild flowers and animals, even tortoises.Great views.
Around an hour to the west of Istanbul is Izmit,take the turn off for Izmit otogar/Yalova.From the turnpike take 1st left signed,Yalova,keep going heading D130.Keep going and you will eventually see a Yuvacik sign.Head towards town but at the 1st roundabout turn right and keep going up,this takes you around the west of the town, follow signs Yuvacik Baraji.As you reach the Dam turn left and cross the dam and turn right,signed Camiduzu.Keep on when you reach Cataldere sign turn right side of it.From now on stop anywhere you fancy.We carried on through Camiduzu,turned for Serindere.4km up track is a Yellow Mosque,3km to Serindere to the right.Picnic area beside the river before you go up into Serindere village.It had been dry so we were able to hike along and through the river downstream for quite a way.

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Most people only go to Beylerbeyi to visit the palace, built for Sultan Abdul Aziz and was the final place of confinement of the deposed sultan Abdulhamid II from 1912 until he died there in 1918. If they bothered to stay and take the short walk along the front to the pier, then they would find a lovely little harbour surrounded by several restaurants with some great views of the bosphorus.
If you want to get there by local bus, then cross to either Kadikoy and take the 14M , 15CK, or 15F, from Uskudar take the 15, 15B, 15C, 15H, 15KC, 15M, 15N, 15P, 15R, 15S, 15SN, 15U and 15Y. Web page below but follow the directions from my Istanbul transport, buses page.
BUSES
Ferry are direct but not many, see below web site.
FERRIES

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