Places to Visit in Akçakoca

My husband and I left Istanbul by car. West Blacksea The first stop of our travel route was Akçakoca. Places to visit in Akçakoca, where is Akçakoca, how to get there, what to eat in Akçakoca You will find answers to such questions in this article. Happy reading.

Where is Akcakoca?

Akçakoca is a town on the Black Sea coast of Düzce province.

Akçakoca is located on the Black Sea coast, only 3 hours from Istanbul. Even if you don't take a long Western Black Sea route like us, it is within walking distance from Istanbul on the weekend.

The distance between Istanbul and Akçakoca is 255 kilometers, and it can be easily reached by car in about 3 hours. If you take the Karasu or Düzce exit from the highway and head north towards the Black Sea, you will come across Akçakoca. There are also bus options from Istanbul to Akçakoca, you can reach Akçakoca with a 85-hour bus ride between 90-5 TL.

The distance between Ankara and Akçakoca is around 275 kilometers. You can reach Akçakoca from Ankara between 3-3,5 hours.

Akcakoca Attractions

The list of places to visit in Akçakoca is not very long. You can easily see almost all of them in one day.

Akcakoca Genoese Castle

Although the Genoese Castle, which is 3 kilometers away from the city center, is among the places to visit in Akçakoca, unfortunately, the restoration work that has been going on for years has not been completed, it is not possible to enter the castle, as in the photo below.

Akcakoca Genoese Beach

There is the Genoese Beach right next to the Genoese Castle. This is one of the blue flag beaches of Akçakoca. It can be preferred for swimming or sunbathing.

On the other side of the castle is Ladies Beach, which is one of the popular beaches of Akçakoca.

Akcakoca Yukari Neighborhood

• 

• 

Upper Neighborhood is one of the must-see places in Akçakoca. I quoted the history of the neighborhood, which is above the Akçakoca beach, from the sign hung on the door of Sündüz'un Yeri:

During the reign of Sultan Ahmet I (1-1602), Akçasar was plundered by the Kazakhs who came from Russia by ships. Thereupon, Keramettin Efendi, the ruler of Akçasar, founded the Divan-ı Keramattin, which included the Upper Village (upper neighborhood), Aşağı Village (Cumhuriyet District), Koç Village (the location where Koç Baba's grave is located). It encourages wealthy families from the surrounding villages to settle here. On September 1617, 30, a big fire broke out in the Upper Neighborhood and 1925 houses were burned, and the whole neighborhood disappeared. The mayor of the period, M. Lütfi Gören, made a zoning plan and ensured the establishment of a new neighborhood. In its new form, Yukarı Mahalle becomes the neighborhood that directs the commercial, social and political life of Akçasar.

There are many old houses, street vendors, cafes and restaurants in the Upper District. Although İkbal Sofrası Sündüz'un Yeri is the most famous one, you can find many places on the same street.

Akçakoca Fakilli Cave

After Akçakoca, 10 kilometers away is Fakilli Cave. The entire cave is about 1 kilometer, 350 meters of which is open to visitors now. The cave is operated by a private enterprise, the entrance fee is 3 TL, the Museum Card is not valid.

I did not find the cave very interesting, I would say stop by if you have time, but do not spare time for this place.

Akcakoca Beaches

Akcakoca is home to many beaches. Akçakoca beaches where you can enjoy the sea, sand and sun are listed below:

• Melenagzi beach,
• karaburun beach,
• Cayagzi Beach,
• Çuhalli beach,
• Edilliağzı beach,
• Degirmenagzi Beach,
• sycamore beach,
• Genoese Castle beach,
• Limoncuk Beach,
• Kalkin beach
• Women's beach.

Other Places to Visit in Akçakoca

We skipped some attractions in order not to spend much time in Akçakoca. If you have more time, you can include the following places in your Akçakoca itinerary:

• Aktas Waterfall: Located 11 km from the center of Akçakoca, the waterfall falls from a height of 50 meters. There are also hiking trails around the waterfall.
• Kurugol Canyon: Kurugöl Canyon is located 14 km from the center of Akçakoca. It has been in the status of a nature park since 2011.
• Orhangazi Primary School: If you are a fan of Rıfat Ilgaz, it might interest you. Orhangazi Primary School was the school where Rıfat Ilgaz first taught.
• Hemsin Mosque: Located in the village of Hemşin, 15 km from the center of Akçakoca, the Hemşin Mosque is 150 years old and made of wood.

What to Eat and Where to Eat in Akçakoca?

I'm sorry, but Black Sea is a little weak in terms of cuisine. Local dishes you can find are also usually pastries. The situation is similar in Akçakoca. When I looked at what to eat in Akçakoca, almost all I could find differently was a pancake they called mancar pastry and a dessert they called melengücçegi.

So we decided to try these dishes in Akçakoca Yukarı Mahalle and Where to eat in Akçakoca We went to the place called İkbal Table - Sündüz'un Yeri - My Secret Garden, which is the answer to the question. I don't know why the name of the place is so long.

There are many places in the row of the place on the street where the street stalls are located in Yukarı Mahalle. I think we should give them a chance. İkbal Sofrası was opened in one of the old houses in accordance with the texture of the neighborhood. They serve in the backyard. I have two criticisms of this place. The first is that they serve ayran in a plastic glass. In such a popular place, there should be no more plastic cups. The second is the “adolescent” music playing. It can play some more local music or music suitable for listening while eating.

As for the food; The dish called mancar pastry is a kind of pancake in which beet leaves are used as a filling. The nice part is that they open the pancake by hand. Its taste is not bad either, but it does not replace the herb pastry made in our region (Burdur).

The second food is a kind of sweet, which they call melengücek. It might be the most useless and worst dessert I've ever had in my life. I don't know if they did it badly in the place or if they were all like that, but it was really a very tasteless tusless dessert.

There was also walnut baklava at the place where we ate, we couldn't help but wish we had eaten it. Its appearance was much better than the other dessert, we regret it.

Where to Stay in Akçakoca?

We did not stay in Akçakoca, so there is no place I can try and recommend. However, they restored the old houses in the upper neighborhood and turned them into hotels, Gümüş Konak is one of them. If you want to stay in Akçakoca, these old mansions can be a good option.

Akçakoca is a Black Sea city where you can escape to the sea at the weekend and see some historical texture. I'm not sure we would have gone if it wasn't on our way.

For all my articles on the Black Sea region BLACK SEA TRAVEL ARTICLES You can check out my page.

If you enjoyed my articles, check out my Youtube Channel; Read a lot, Travel a lot

You can follow my instant posts on Instagram; Read a lot, Travel a lot 

Stay on the Road!