Travelling from Istanbul to Turkey’s south coast for your beach holiday is great… if you like inflated prices, jagged rocks, and airports. The smart choice is to hop on a bus and head to the Black Sea coast of Kandıra district and the beach towns of Kerpe, Kumcağız, Kefken and Cebeci, which have clean sandy beaches, history, and great facilities at a fraction of the price you’ll pay in Bodrum or Fethiye. And not a pink European in sight. The area was first put on the map by Homer and Xenophon’s mercenary army, before enjoying a peaceful existence as a string of quaint fishing villages. While the fishermen are still here, they have been joined by excellent bars, unspoiled pine forests, and some of the best beaches in Turkey, making the area an excellent weekend getaway from Istanbul.
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HISTORY OF KERPE
Homer recounts that Jason and the Argonauts anchored at Kefken Island for supplies on their way to Cochis. Around 400 BC, Xenephon’s mercenary army passed through on their way back from their war with Persia. It was then incorporated into the Kingdom of Bythinia, before passing to the Romans and then the Byzantines.
One of the most spectacular fails of medieval Europe saw the armies of the Fourth Crusade gave up on their original plan of pushing back the Seljuk Turks, and instead attack their Byzantine allies that they had come to protect. Between 1204 and 1261 they ruled Constantinople and Thrace as the “Latin Empire” while the Byzantines relocated to Nicea (today’s Iznik). In 1261 a naval battle between the two just outside Kefken resulted in a Greek victory, which allowed them to retake Constantinople and reestablish the Byzantine Empire.
Unlike the other crusaders, the Genoese held on to their possessions, including Kefken, where they founded a quarry from which they extracted stone to build fortifications in their other colonies, including the fortress of Anadolu Kavağı in Istanbul.
In December 1915, three Russian destroyers sank two Turkish gunboats while they tried to recover a stranded German submarine in the Battle of Kefken Island.
SIGHTS OF KERPE
The liveliest spot in the area is the former fishing village of Kerpe. Its main draw is a set of rocks rising 15 meters out of the water right by an excellent swimming and fishing spot, just round the corner from some of the area’s best restaurants and bars.
The next town after Kerpe is Kumcağız, a relatively new addition packed with fancy residential compounds and a huge, clean beach flanked by forested peninsulas.
Past Kumcağız is Kefken and its fishing harbor. The main attraction here is a set of three small coves and rocky beaches just past the tiny town center and fishing port.
Beyond Kefken and jutting out into the sea is Pembe Kayalar (Pink Rocks), an ancient quarry from which the Genoese and later the Ottomans extracted rock for building projects along the coast. The color of the rock is due to its desirable geology, which makes it softer when wet and harder when dry. The shapes left by centuries of quarrying makes the spot perfect for fishing, swimming, and picnicking.
The next town is Cebeci, which is more developed than its neighbors and has the longest beach in the area, backed by a pleasant stretch of bars, cafes, and restaurants.
Opposite Cebeci is Kefken Island (Kefken Adası), which is one of the only islands along Turkey’s Western Black Sea coast, and is reachable by boat from Kefken during the summer. Apart from two lighthouses built in the last 1800s, the few buildings on the island have been largely reclaimed by nature, including the remains of a massive Genoese fortress.
AROUND KERPE
To the West are several beautiful, but often less sandy beaches, including Sardalya Koyu, which features Cennet Havuzu, a beach inside a cave. To the East of Cebeci is the beach resort town of Karasu.
TRANSPORTATION AROUND KERPE
It will take you about 5 hours to see all the places mentioned above on foot. Renting a bike is a good idea.
Minibuses run between all the towns every 15 minutes during high season.
To get here from Istanbul by public transport, get a bus to Izmit from Uskudar’s Harem bus station, then another 40-minute bus to Kandira, then a 20-minute minibus to Kerpe.
If you have your own transport, budget about 2 hours to cover the 150 km from Istanbul.
EATING AND DRINKING AT KERPE
The best restaurants, which double up as bars, are in or around Kerpe.
Ceneviz Pub (Turkish for Genoese), the wonderfully named Kerpe Diem, and Karagöz Meyhane, alongside each other at the tip of Kerpe’s eastern peninsula have a good range of food and drinks, accompanied by stunning sea views.
For the adventurous, Soguk Pinar Restaurant is a hidden gem deep in the forest outside Kerpe that serves up freshly caught trout and other delights in actual tree houses.
ACCOMMODATION AT KERPE
The best hotel option, also in Kerpe, is Alya Hotel Restaurant, with clean rooms, sea views, and a good breakfast included.
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